LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson waited impatiently outside the interview room to begin an overdue annual commissioner's forum that was supposed to have already started.

Meanwhile, inside, University of Hawai'i basketball coach Riley Wallace was on a rambling, sometimes introspective, often wise-cracking roll until well past the appointed time.

In that the man coaching his last game for UH was a lot like his team, reluctant to give up the stage. Determined to stay until forced off.

Only when Matt Lojeski's 25-foot shot from the right side failed to fall at the horn were the 'Bows done here in the WAC Tournament and, likely, for the season. Done in by Utah State and their own failing second-half shooting, 73-70.

There would be no storybook finish. No buzzer beater to force overtime and give UH a chance to get to the semifinals. "In a perfect world...." Bill Bryant, UH assistant athletic director and compliance officer, started to say before shaking his head.

But after Wallace's 20 seasons as UH's winningest men's head coach, including some magical finishes and dances with destiny in previous WAC Tournaments, there was no more sorcery to be summoned this time. No happy ending to be written. Hollywood would find no script material here. Try as they might to win one for the ol' coach — and themselves — and they put up a fight, it wasn't happening.

They gave him a tribute on the jumbotron and a parting gift before the game. But no break on luck in it.

You sensed that when Bobby Nash, who had the hottest touch of the 'Bows with 22 points, couldn't hit a 3 from the left corner with nine seconds left. When Lojeski, pressed for time, fired up his last-gasp prayer shot, the 29.7 second-half shooting had caught up with the 'Bows.

As he walked off the court, Wallace said he instinctively thought about the disappointment of defeat as he had many times before in a career that went 349-292 in Division I and 334-265 at UH. Only when a fan from courtside yelled, "goodbye, Coach, we'll miss ya," Wallace's head whipping to look at him, did the coach say he began to acknowledge the finality that came with it.

Wallace would call this one of his best "five" teams for enjoyment. He told jokes about himself and ripped the officials — tongue-in-cheek, we think. "The referees missed more calls tonight," Wallace said. "I can say that, see, they can't fire me. They were lousy. They sucked. They have no game. I hate referees — every one of them. No, not really."

There would be no malice. Not when all the memories of most of a 65-year-old life spent coaching came flashing back. He even said he'd miss talking to reporters.

He said hotel people in Las Vegas have told him to come talk to them about a job, when he's ready. He said he will interview for the athletic director's job at Centenary on the way to the Final Four. But he said he really has no plans now other than to relax.

Then, when the questions slowed and after the moderator announced last call, Wallace got up and headed out, taking a good look around. Down the hall a reporter caught up with him. "What do you want now?" Wallace inquired in mock snarl. Then, he smiled and said, "OK, I have time to talk now. I guess I have all the time."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.