LAS VEGAS - The University of Wyoming men's basketball team discovered a couple of things this week at the Mountain West Conference tournament.

One, the Cowboys are a limited but gritty bunch that stared down a desperate Air Force team Thursday and never blinked.

Two, Brigham Young is turning into one sensational basketball team.

Wyoming's dream of an out-of-nowhere tournament title and automatic NCAA berth was waylaid by an explosive performance out of the blocks by the Cougars in the semifinals Friday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The final score was 96-84, that close because of a late Wyoming charge that had the brown-clad Cowboys fans rocking and rolling in the stands.

Top-seeded BYU will face host Nevada-Las Vegas in the title game today (5 p.m. MST, Versus).

Wyoming trailed by as many as 25 in the first half but gallantly chipped away and cut the deficit to six with 3:08 left in the game with the help of a suffocating full-court press and the fearless play of guards Brandon Ewing and Brad Jones. But the Cougars took care of business down the stretch.

"I was very proud of how our players came out with that great start," said BYU coach Dave Rose, whose team has improved steadily as the season has gone on. "Wyoming fought back hard and had a real will to compete, but we carried that early spurt into a nice victory."

Fueling its balanced, inside-outside offense with defensive pressure, BYU bolted to a 38-13 lead in the game's first 12 minutes, swingman Lee Cummard and big man Trent Plaisted doing the majority of the damage.

Cummard (21 points, seven rebounds, three steals) is one of those box-score fillers. Plaisted, who scored a career-best- tying 27 points, is a strong inside presence who works hard and plays smart. Guards Austin Ainge and Jimmy Balderson are tough and resourceful, and Rose's bench is deep.

The Cougars and Rebels will find out their NCAA destinations Sunday, when the bracket is announced at 4 p.m.