LAS VEGAS — As a freshman, Bhret Clay had never been on this particular stage. But the bright lights were certainly familiar.

Clay hit the most consequential shot of Air Force’s season on Saturday in a 60-53 victory over Wyoming — a 3-pointer with 1:41 remaining after the Cowgirls had trimmed an 11-point deficit to 52-49 in the opening round of the Mountain West tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“I think it just helps to come from a winning high school that has a winning mentality,” Clay said.

“I just tried to channel that today.”

Clay played 19 state playoff games for Hobbs, New Mexico, which competes at 5A — the state’s highest classification. In New Mexico, eighth graders are eligible to play high school, and her team reached the championship in four of her five years on varsity. Hobbs won state her sophomore season, finished as runner-up when she was an eighth grader, freshman and senior, and reached the semifinals her junior season.

It’s a basketball-crazed town in the rural southeast corner of the state with one high school that is the focus of that passion, and the team went 106-17 with Clay — an All-New Mexico player and also the homecoming queen — on the roster.

“It gives you a taste of what it feels like to win, and you also know what it feels like on the opposing side of that,” Clay said of her extensive postseason history. “Just trying to channel that and strive for that feeling of winning.”

Clay’s contributions showed up in many ways Saturday. She scored 10 points and hit both of Air Force’s 3-pointers, going 2 of 4 from 3-point range while the rest of the team was 0 for 9. She made both of her free-throw attempts, had a steal, forced a five-second closely guarded violation on Wyoming’s Lana Beslic, added three rebounds and two assists and committed no turnovers. The full impact showed up in the fact that the Falcons outscored the Cowgirls by 17 points during Clay’s 28 minutes, 53 seconds of action.

“She always plays a relaxed, energetic game,” senior Emily Adams said. “You can always trust her to do what she needs to do.”

The 5-foot-7 combo guard/forward has been a constant in Air Force’s rotation all season, averaging 25.5 minutes and on Saturday was named to the Mountain West All-Freshman team.

“I forget that she’s a freshman sometimes,” junior Jayda McNabb said.

“She’s an amazing player, and I’m glad she showed up and showed what she can do,” senior Milahnie Perry added.

For all her contributions, Clay hadn’t reached double figures in scoring since mid-December.

But now it’s win-or-go-home time, and that stage beckoned.

“I mean, she comes out and competes,” coach Stacy McIntyre said. “She doesn’t let the game affect her.”