LARAMIE, Wyo. - As the calendar flips to March, the Wyoming men's basketball team hopes to finish the regular season strong while gaining momentum heading into the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas.
Wyoming currently sits ninth in the conference standings, having suffered a home loss to San Jose State on Saturday and a road defeat to Nevada on Tuesday.
The Cowboys’ offense has struggled all season, ranking 10th in the Mountain West in points per game (67.6), 10th in free throw shooting (65.3%), and 9th in turnovers (12.9 per game).
Wyoming had a thrilling win over Nevada when the two teams met in Laramie on Dec. 28. However, Tuesday's rematch in Reno told a different story.
Nevada shot 53% from the field and went 26-of-31 from the free-throw line, defeating Wyoming 84-61. A poor shooting performance in the first half sealed the Cowboys’ fate, as they allowed Nevada to shoot 63% in the second half. Kobe Newton led Wyoming with 16 points, trying to keep his team competitive.
“Toughness is a talent, and being tough is a choice,” said UW head coach Sundance Wicks after the Nevada game. “We weren’t very physical tonight in the first half.”
Wyoming looked solid early in their game against San Jose State, building a 13-point lead at one point in the first half. However, the Cowboys allowed the Spartans to shoot 56% in the second half, and San Jose State got its first-ever win in Laramie, winning 82-73.
“Missed opportunity is the easiest way to describe this,” Wicks said after the San Jose State loss. “The message to the locker room was you need to be at your best when your best is needed. I’ll give credit to Coach Miles and San Jose State.”
Things won’t get any easier for the Cowboys on Saturday, as they host San Diego State on Senior Night inside the Arena Auditorium. Wyoming has not defeated the Aztecs since 2017, and a victory over San Diego State would provide a confidence boost heading into the season finale. On Tuesday night, the Cowboys will travel to Fresno State to close out the regular season.
*Samuel Burkett is a guest contributor for PokesNews.com
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