LAS VEGAS -- Of course the Thomas and Mack Center court was stormed Tuesday night.
It always happens when Arizona loses.
It usually happens when Arizona can't hit free throws or misses opportunities or unravels in the end.
Welcome to Tuesday against unranked UNLV in what turned out to be 40 minutes of chaos that escalated in the final five minutes and was highlighted in the final two of a 71-67 Wildcats loss.
Third-ranked Arizona (12-1) picked a fine time to play what will long be considered its worst game of the season ... to this point.
"We have to get back to the drawing board," Arizona coach Sean Miller said afterward.
And, well, start a different streak. Arizona's streak of beating non-conference opponents ended at 39 games. Junior Brandon Ashley said losing the streaking hurt in part because it "is part of the legacy we are trying to build. We just have to move on."
What did it mean to lose the streak?
"It's good," Miller said matter of factly. "When you get that sick feeling when (opponents) storm the court and how it feels when the horn goes off there's nothing that simulates the feeling (of losing) more than that."
And, although upset with the loss, Miller knows he will get a much more focused group when it returns from the Christmas holiday. They will have no other choice in as much as he said, "there is going to be some really, really hard days in McKale Center" when they return.
Miller said he will find out who wants to play hard and play defense and who doesn't.
"For us and as a coach it's always hard to lose," Miller said, "but this was a much-needed one. This will allow us to take a step back and work on the things we need to work on and rekindle our fire defensively."
Rekindle, because Arizona's vaunted defense couldn't stop Rebels guard Rashad Vaughn, who had 21 points, and couldn't keep Christian Wood from scoring 24.
"They were outstanding," Miller said. "They need to be commended."
Between them they had 19 field goals.
"I thought we were going to win this game," Vaughn said. "We were focused as a team and at shootaround I had a feeling we were going win this."
"A fantastic win for our program," UNLV coach Dave Rice added. "We just keep getting better every single game."
Facing the highest-ranked team to play at the Thomas and Mack Center since 1998, UNLV (8-3) refused to back down against an Arizona team expected to make a deep March run.
"We just didn't have it tonight," Wildcats guard T.J. McConnell said. "We were pathetic (on defense). You see what happens when you don't play defense."
It was the first time this season an opponent reached 70 points against Arizona.
"Defense was our main problem," Ashley said.
It couldn't hit three great looks in the final minute -- one by Stanley Johnson, one by Gabe York, one by Ashley -- and it couldn't needed baskets when UNLV went to a 2-3 zone midway through the second half.
"Everybody focuses on the last shots, but if we would have made them I would have felt the same way," Miller said. "We didn't really deserve to win tonight. We didn't play together on defense. We didn't have a great effort. We got demolished on the glass."
Arizona led for about 80-plus percent of the game, but there was a feeling it wasn't 100 percent itself all night. That it had the lead for most of the game was a tribute to UNLV failing hit free throws as well. It went 15 of 24.
But, Arizona couldn't get any big separation from the Rebels. Arizona shot 16 for 27 from the free throw line, an area Miller said was a trouble spot that has long needed correcting.
"If we go on the road and shoot the percentage that we shot tonight," Miller said, " we have to be a really good team (on defense) ... when you pay the price with a loss everyone must take a step back and do an even better job moving forward."
Miller applauded UNLV for its effort and said it deserved every credit it deserved. Arizona, however, didn't play as hard as it could.
Let's remember that UNLV had lost three games and all to Pac-12 Conference opponents. Arizona State, Utah and Stanford beat UNLV by an average of 21 points.
Miller said the team was motivated to play the game. There had been good practices leading up to it.
"(But) they took it to us," said Miller, who during the halftime interview said Arizona was playing its worst game of the season to that point. "They did a great job of playing together with great energy."
Although Arizona's five starters scored in double figures with McConnell leading them with 14 points, the percentages were not good. Specifically, Stanley Johnson, who went 3 for 11. He added 13 rebounds but had seven turnovers.
He also missed a crucial layup with under a minute.
"He's played great up until today. I commend him for trying to make a play," McConnell said of Johnson. "It just didn't work out."
Nothing did on a night when Vegas looked like a New Year's Eve celebration.
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