Were Cougars done in with hot shooting or defensive lapses?

Several times early in Saturday’s game with UNLV it felt like the Rebels were going to run out to a big lead. However, it never happened with Wink Adams, Rene Rougeau, Tre’Von Willis and Joe Darger taking most of the shots. The Cougars hung tough with UNLV most of the way and did a great job of taking the Rebel crowd out of the game, that is, until Kendall Wallace nailed two straight long-distance bombs to break a 37-37 tie. It was actually a fairly calm scene in the sold-out Thomas and Mack until that happened, but when that second Wallace shot went in and he fell a back into the first row as the ball swished through, it got as loud as I’ve heard this year. Yes, comparable to when BYU was rolling on Wake Forest in the Marriott Center. The rest of UNLV’s squad fed off that energy and everyone suddenly heated up for the Rebels.
Lee Cummard and coach Dave Rose said the Cougars had some defensive lapses during that stretch. They should know, because they’re on the inside knowing what the game plan is. But I’m not sure any defense could have stopped those shots from going in. It was just one of those stretches that home teams seem to have, and that BYU has all the time when the Cougars are at home, that seem to put road teams into a bit of a panic. That’s why it’s so tough to win on the road in college basketball, and extra tough to win at the Thomas and Mack, and Marriott Center.
Still, other than the New Mexico game in Albuquerque, the Cougars have competed hard and been in every road game. Sure, it’s frustrating to the team and the fans that the Cougars struggle to close these games out. But there’s plenty of basketball left to be played this season, and still plenty of opportunity for BYU to make up for Saturday’s loss.