Chaos erupts after MWC title game

LAS VEGAS — Not only did UNLV come from behind to beat BYU for the second year in a row, but the security at the Thomas & Mack Center broke down again as chaos reigned for a few minutes after the game as fans rushed the floor and fans brawled in the stands.

Immediately after the game, exuberant UNLV fans broke past the outmanned red-coated ushers and rushed onto the floor, celebrating.

Meanwhile several brawls broke out in the stands west of the basket, near where the BYU band was seated, next to a section of UNLV fans. At least one fan was left with a bloody face as the UNLV ushers and security guards struggled to keep order. And down on the floor, Sarah Cummard, the wife of BYU player Lee Cummard, got into an altercation with a Utah TV cameraman, when she apparently tried to prevent him from recording the bedlam in the stands.

BYU cheerleaders quickly got off the court and huddled in a walkway under the stands until after the awards ceremony and order was restored. During the altercations in the stands, one woman had even beckoned media members on the floor, urging them to "do something."

Afterward an usher who said he was in the middle of the brawl in the band section gave a brief account of what happened.

"This guy came (into the band section) with fists flailing and I said 'Why do you have to run up there?'" he said. "People were throwing beer on each other. It was crazy."

The usher put most of the blame on UNLV fans.

"If they file a report, I'm going to go with the (BYU) guys," he said.

The Mountain West Conference is aware of the problems of security at the Thomas & Mack and in a statement said that a six-foot security wall was installed and "an enhanced security plan was developed" and several public address announcements were made reminding fans from coming out of the stands.

An official statement from the Mountain West Conference read: "In any championship or bowl game setting, it is difficult to control the actions of exuberant fans. Of course the safety of the participants and the fans is of primary importance. The MWC will continue to evaluate the overall game management plan for the basketball tournament and post-game procedures will be addressed further at during the spring meets of the MWC Joint Council and Board of Directors.

One person from the MWC office pointed out that at the last two Las Vegas bowls that BYU fans rushed onto the field and it took a long time to get them off the field.

When asked if more security was needed, the security guard said, "Probably," and then added, "God forbid we get this thing again."

They will. The MWC has a contract to hold the tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center through the 2010 season.

ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: As expected, UNLV dominated the all-tournament team, with three players, Wink Adams, Curtis Terry and Rene Rougeau, selected along with BYU's Lee Cummard and Utah's Luke Nevill.

Adams was named the MVP after averaging 24 points for the three games on 24-of-44 shooting, including 9 of 14 from 3-point range.

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