Tag: allen edwards

Wyoming vs. Fresno State: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Wyoming vs. Fresno State: Game Preview Either team happy for a win on Saturday in the Save Mart Center. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Fresno State needs a win to surpass New Mexico, Wyoming would just like a win. WHO: Wyoming Cowboys …

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Wyoming vs. Fresno State: Game Preview

 Either team happy for a win on Saturday in the Save Mart Center.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Fresno State needs a win to surpass New Mexico, Wyoming would just like a win.

WHO: Wyoming Cowboys (7-22, 2-15 Mountain West) At Fresno State Bulldogs (10-18, 6-11 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, February 29th—4:00 PM PST/5:00 PM MST/7:00 PM EST

WHERE: Save Mart Center, Fresno, CA

TV: None

STREAM: Mountain West Network

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Fresno State leads all-time series 19-11

PREVIEW: 

It’s senior night in Fresno on Saturday and a big game for the Bulldogs as they welcome the Wyoming Cowboys in both team’s last regular season game. Fresno State has dominated the series under Justin Hutson, winning the last three meetings between the two teams and by an average of 13 points.

Like many games on Saturday, the Bulldogs will be honoring four seniors, as they bid farewell (at least at the Save Mart Center) to Christian Gray, New Williams, Noah Blackwell and Nate Grimes.

The last time these teams met was back on January 18th in Laramie for a 4:00 PM showdown. The Bulldogs were able to come away with a 15-point victory and saw freshman forward Orlando Robinson lead them in that win with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks on the night. New Williams also had a good night chipping in 16 points to combine with Robinson for over half of the Bulldogs total points.

Wyoming struggled shooting that day, going 19-55 (34.5%) from the field as a team but really lost the game at the free throw line. A lack of quality defense sent the Bulldogs to the line twenty-five times that day, resulting in 18-25 made free throws (72%) from Fresno State compared to just 2-3 made free throws taken by Wyoming. The Cowboys have to get to the free throw line more on Saturday and settle less for three point shots (they took 32 last meeting). Unless Jake Hendricks finds a rhythm like he did against Nevada where he scored 27 points on 7-12 FGS (7-11 from deep).

The stakes, 

For the Cowboys a win tonight could give the team momentum heading into next week. Allen Edward’s group is in last place in the Mountain West and only a San Jose State loss to UNLV has any real consequence for the Cowboys. A win for the Cowboys and a loss by the Spartans would put both teams in a tie in the conference’s basement and give Wyoming the upper hand and the #10 seed as they beat San Jose State on the road back on February 1st by five-points. But a Cowboy loss leaves them in 11th by themselves and a draw against the #6 seed which will also be decided on Saturday.

For Justin Hutson’s Bulldogs a February full of mixed results (3-4) have lifted them up from the bottom of the conference and has them in the running for a finish somewhere in the middle. If they beat the Cowboys on Saturday they not only gain some momentum but also a possible lone seventh place finish, given a New Mexico loss of course. But a Bulldog loss and New Mexico victory could have that previously mentioned finish reversed. But losses for both teams on Saturday would result in a tiebreaker which New Mexico holds and would give the Bulldogs a #8 seed (maybe, we’ll know more Sunday).

Match up of the night: Battle of the backcourts

Hunter Maldonado &  Jake Hendricks Vs. New Williams & Noah Blackwell

Combined Stats:

Wyo’s guards: 26.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG & 5.1 APG Vs. Fresno’s guards: 21.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG & 5.0 APG

The Cowboy offense runs through Hendricks and Maldonado, but recent scoring outings from the likes of Greg Milton III (28 points against Air Force on 2/22) and Kwane Marble II (17 points against New Mexico on 2/8) give them some breathing room, but that’s not too reliable. Allen Edwards needs a big night from his two leading scorers to have a shot at a victory, he could also use a big night from anyone else too.

Williams and Blackwell were expected to take big leaps this season and lead a young but deep Bulldogs team in Justin Hutson’s second year in charge. But that didn’t happen, the senior guards have been good but unable to replace the production lost in Braxton Huggins and Deshon Taylor’s graduations last spring. They’ve been good enough to come close to that 6th place preseason prediction with big scoring outings from both guards.

Williams had 32 points on 10 made threes against San Jose State on 1/4. While Blackwell is averaging 15.0 PPG over his last five games. So this weekend look for the ball to be in their hands to start off and if their knocking down shots, don’t expect it to be in anyone else’s.

Prediction: Fresno State 75, Wyoming 60

I’m a big believer in winning on senior night and both clubs need a win after coming off of losses to the Nevada Wolf Pack this last week. But a difference maker not listed in my X-factor or match up of the night portions of this preview is the front court disparity between these two teams.

Fresno State has only regularly used two big men, Orlando Robinson (6-10) and Nate Grimes (6-8). There are multiple other big men on the bench but none see more than about seven minutes a game and only Assane Diouf has appeared in more than ten games this season (19 played/1 start).

That may make their froncourt seem relatively thin, but Wyoming has it a tad worse. With really only two players standing 6-8 or taller in their rotation regularly, Brandon Porter (7.2 MPG in 22 GMS) and Hunter Thompson (27.3 MPG in 23 GMS). But Thompson is still out at the time of this publishing and that could be a problem.

At multiple times this season we have seen Maldonado as the tallest player in a Cowboy uniform at 6-7 200 pounds. But T.J. Taylor has seen some productive minutes down low, otherwise Wyoming won’t have the size to see these guards battle Grimes and Robinson all night.

The X-Factor: Niven Hart

Hart is one of many talented freshmen on the Bulldogs roster, but the 6-5 guard out of Orlando, FL has really come alive in the month of February (16.5 PPG in seven games). One thing to note is that Hart is not a starter and comes off of the bench to provide some depth and a scoring punch when shots haven’t been falling for the Bulldog starters. That is a luxury the Cowboys don’t have (consistent scoring off of the bench) and if Hart is knocking them down and the starting five are doing their jobs, I expect another 15-point win.

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Sam Merrill, Justin Bean Lead Utah State Past Wyoming At Home, 78-58

Game Recap: Utah State 78, Wyoming 58 Merrill and company take care of business at home in search of a second-place finish. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Duo of Bean and Merrill lead Utah State past Wyoming at home. LOGAN, UT-The Aggies …

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Game Recap: Utah State 78, Wyoming 58

Merrill and company take care of business at home in search of a second-place finish. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Duo of Bean and Merrill lead Utah State past Wyoming at home.

LOGAN, UT—The Aggies played host to the Cowboys on Wednesday night inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and closed the night with a 20-point win and sole possession of second place in the Mountain West.

Utah State was led by Sam Merrill who poured in 26 points on 69.2% shooting from the field and helped out on the defensive end chipping in three of the Aggies seven steals on the night. Merrill has hit peak form just in time to help push his team to a second-place finish behind San Diego State and almost in time for preseason play.

Sophomore big man Neemias Queta has been a bit hot and cold this season with only 8 points last night on 4-9 shooting. But the 7-footer was still able to use his height advantage on Wednesday night over a small ball Cowboys lineup, who were outrebounded 42-25 in starting big man Hunter Thompson’s continued absence.

Most of those rebounds came from Queta (15) and fellow sophomore Justin Bean (14) who garnered his 14th double-double of the season with his 20 points and 14 rebound performance last night.

The Cowboys limped to the finish line, with only two players reaching double figures at the end of the night. One of those players being sophomore guard Trevon Taylor who finished the night with a team-high 16 points and 4 rebounds, followed by fellow sophomore Greg Milton III with 10 points.

Leading scorer Hunter Maldonado was held to just 8 points on 2-12 shooting from the field in almost 38 minutes of play. Maldonado was the tallest man in a Cowboy uniform most of Wednesday night as an already struggling Wyoming had to play small without 6-10 sophomore post-Hunter Thompson who is still out indefinitely. Second leading scorer Jake Hendricks (9.7 PPG) struggled as well, finishing with 8 points on 2-8 shooting (all from deep).

Up Next:

Utah State Aggies:

Craig Smith and company take the weekend off before hosting San Jose State on Tuesday the 25th, which should shape up to be a pretty big senior night.

Wyoming Cowboys:

The Cowboys head south on Saturday to visit the Air Force Falcons in Colorado Springs for an afternoon match up in Clune Arena. The game will tip-off at 2:00 PM MST and can be seen on the AT&T Sports network. The Cowboys have three games left and have a chance at a couple of wins to tie with San Jose State to end the season. Wyoming would hold the tiebreaker to avoid a last play finish in the regular season.

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Hobbs’ career-high 24 fuels Boise State comeback over Wyoming

Boise State narrowly avoided a bad loss in Laramie, using a late surge to push past Wyoming at Arena-Auditorium on Tuesday night.

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Game Recap: Boise State 67, Wyoming 62

Boise State holds serve in the race for 2nd place in the MW

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Boise State avoids an embarrassing loss, thanks to a herculean effort from Alex Hobbs

It took Boise State roughly 35 minutes to fully wake up during this game, but a late push from the Broncos helped them avoid what would have been a discouraging loss on the road against Wyoming.

Alex Hobbs came off the bench to lead the Broncos with a career-high 24 points, including a pair of three-pointers down the stretch that helped Boise State stave off the Cowboys’ upset attempt. It was the third time in six games that the senior guard has scored in double digits and his largest offesnive output since November 9, when he scored 18 points against Oregon.

Maybe it’s something about Arena-Auditorium. Hobbs scored 17 points there last season, too.

The Cowboys led by as many as five points during the second half, but they were unable to hold off Boise State for the full forty minutes. After a pair of Trevon Taylor free throws gave Wyoming a 52-47 lead with 9:52 to play, the Broncos outscored the Cowboys 20-10 the rest of the way.

Wyoming put one final scare into Boise State when they forced a turnover on the Broncos’ inbounds pass, trailing by three points with just under 30 seconds to play.

On the ensuing possession, Jake Hendricks missed a three-pointer, but Maldonado grabbed the offensive rebound and put his team back within one point.

After Jessup hit two free throws to put the Broncos back up three, Hendricks missed another shot from beyond the arc. Boise State forward RJ Williams grabbed the defensive rebound, was fouled, and iced the game with two free throws with 4.4 second remaining.

The victory keeps Boise State tied for second place in the Mountain West, along with Colorado State. Both schools currently sit at 8-4 in the conference, a full game ahead of both Nevada and UNLV.

The Rams also won on Tuesday night, beating Fresno State 80-70 on the road.

TEAM NOTES

Boise State

During the first half, Justinian Jessup set the Mountain West record for most career three-pointers, passing former BYU standout and All-American Jimmer Fredette. The senior finished with 16 points and extended the new high-water mark with a second three-pointer later in the game. … Derrick Alston Jr. was held scoreless in the first half and added only two free throws for the entire game, giving him a new season-low. The junior guard was 0-for-7 during the game, despite coming into the night scoring nearly 20 points per game. … RayJ Dennis started for the eighth straight game in Leon Rice’s lineup. The freshman’s insertion into the starting five has allowed Hobbs to provide veteran leadership in the second unit. That dynamic played itself out perfectly tonight. … Max Rice, the son of Boise State head coach Leon, also tied a career-high off the bench. The guard scored 12 points, matching the mark he set in the season opener against NAIA opponents Life Pacific. Together, he and Hobbs outscored the rest of the Broncos, 36-31.

Wyoming

The Cowboys move to 1-11 in Mountain West play. Wyoming scored their first league victory last weekend, as they toppled San Jose State, and came very close to making it two in a row tonight. … Hunter Maldonado registered his 22nd double-digit scoring performance of the season, scoring a team-high 17 points. The do-everything Cowboy has been one of the very few bright spots for this Wyoming team. … Kwane Marble was in double digits for the sixth consecutive game, scoring 11. He was also making his second start of the season after his debut in the starting lineup against the Spartans on Saturday. Marble played more than 10 minutes just once during the first two months of the season, but he has become a big part of this Wyoming team. He is developing into a key piece for Allen Edwards. … Freshman guard Kenny Foster was yet another player to set a new career-high in this game, finishing with 12 points in 27 minutes of action.

UP NEXT

Boise State travels to Logan to take on a Utah State team that is starting to regain its form after a midseason slump. The last time these two teams met, magic happened. We’ll see what the encore brings this weekend. Utah State will be out for revenge—and a place back near the top of the Mountain West standings.

Wyoming heads into one of the Mountain West’s most hostile territories, as they take on New Mexico at The Pit on Saturday. The Lobos started the season 15-3 but have taken a terrible nosedive in the wake of injuries, suspensions, and a dismissal. Paul Weir’s team has lost five of its past six games.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Fresno State Holds Off Late Surge From Wyoming, 65-50

Game Recap: Fresno State 65, Wyoming 50 Robinson and Williams lead Fresno State to a road win in Laramie. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire A mixture of youth and veteran leadership lifts Bulldogs over Cowboys. The Mountain West has had it’s …

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Game Recap: Fresno State 65, Wyoming 50

Robinson and Williams lead Fresno State to a road win in Laramie. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

A mixture of youth and veteran leadership lifts Bulldogs over Cowboys.

The Mountain West has had it’s fair share of surprises this year, as the level of competition in the conference seems to be a bit more spread out than most expected. With San Diego State looking like the clear leader in the Mountain West and everyone else just looking for a chance to give them their first loss of the season, most are fighting for wins and better seeds in the conference tournament at this point with a shot at an automatic bid. But in Laramie on Saturday afternoon we found a 5-12 (1-5) Fresno State Bulldogs team taking on a 5-14 (0-7) Wyoming Cowboys team for a chance at a win and upward movement in the conference standings.

It was a tough night shooting for both teams but the Cowboys struggled since the get go, shooting just 34% on the night and trailing 31-16 at halftime. Wyoming made a late run run keeping up with Fresno State 34-34 in the second half but it wasn’t enough. Senior Jake Hendricks had 12 points for Wyoming on 4-11 shooting from deep while Kwane Marble II, a freshman also had twelve points on the night and was a key part of that second half run by the Cowboys. Allen Edward’s squad is still looking for their first win in conference play while also dealing with a now six game losing streak since re-entering conference play on January 1st.

Fresno State is trying to fight it’s way out of the bottom of the Mountain West and with more wins like this one that may be possible, but it also may be easier said than done with a tough five game stretch ahead of them. The Bulldogs can worry about the future tomorrow as they leave Laramie with a win in a less than packed dome of doom and the Rams on the Horizon. Justin Hutson’s team is in a bit of rebuilding mode this season, but the future is bright with freshmen like Orlando Robinson who poured in 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks against the Cowboys and senior leaders like New Williams also contributing with 16 points beside them on the court.

The future for both squads may look brighter than their current positions in the conference standings, but both have the ability to make noise in a vulnerable Mountain West and make some team’s resumes weaker while attempting a post season appearance.

Up Next,

Fresno State:

Next week takes Fresno State west to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State on Wednesday January 22nd at 7:00 PM.

Wyoming:

The Cowboys head south to Viejas Arena on Tuesday to attempt what __ teams have failed to do so far this season, take down the San Diego State Aztecs. This game airs at 9:00 PM MT being on the west coast, so stay up with us or go to sleep and check out Mountain West Wire in the morning, we got you covered.

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Struggling MW Teams Meet as Wyoming Hosts Fresno State

The Mountain West’s worst teams face off on Saturday afternoon in Laramie, as Fresno State travels to Arena-Auditorium to face Wyoming.

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Fresno State at Wyoming: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Cowboys searching for first MW win after two close calls

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

The two teams are a combined 1-12 on the early Mountain West season

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Fresno State (5-12, 1-5 MWC) at Wyoming (5-14, 0-7 MWC)

WHEN: Saturday, January 18 — 4:00 P.M. MT / 3:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: Arena-Auditorium, Laramie, Wyo.

WATCH: Mountain West Network

LISTEN: TuneIn Wyoming; TuneIn Fresno State

ALL-TIME: Fresno State leads the series, 8-4

ODDS: Fresno State -4, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

If you’ve seen Fight Club, then you already understand just how ugly a basement fistfight can get. David Fincher’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s modern classic serves as a rough approximation for Saturday’s matchup between Wyoming and Fresno State.

Physicality. Grit. Desperation.

This clash of the Mountain West’s ninth- and tenth-place teams may not be a blockbuster, but it could act as a springboard for one of these squads to reverse their fortunes.

Fresno State does have the slight advantage over the Cowboys in the standings, though they won’t be quick to brag about their 1-5 start. That sole victory came against San Jose State, and while the Spartans’ program is starting to show signs of life, Jean Prioleau’s club is still ranked #283 in the KenPom ratings.

It’s been a tremendously tough season for Justin Hutson and the Bulldogs, especially coming off of last year’s relatively surprising success. But the departure of two bona fide studs will do that to a team.

And if anyone can relate to Hutson’s frustrations, it’s Allen Edwards.

Remember: just two years ago, Edwards was putting the finishing touches on his second 20-win season in as many tries as head coach of the Cowboys. Like Fresno State, Wyoming suffered a devastating loss when it bid farewell to talented seniors like Hayden Dalton, Alan Herndon, and Louis Adams.

They still haven’t recovered.

Justin James put the team on his back, but could only drag them as far as an 8-24 record after Hunter Maldonado went down with an injury. Now, that mantle has been passed to Maldonado, who is doing an admirable impression. The sophomore is averaging nearly 18 points, six rebounds, four assists, and a steal every night.

But similar to last year, the individual performances aren’t adding up to wins.

Wyoming remains winless at 0-7, but they have come tantalizingly close to getting that first victory in their past two outings. First, they fell in overtime at home against UNLV. Next, it was Jalen Harris putting the dagger in the Cowboys’ heart as he lifted Nevada to a 68-67 win in Reno.

A return to Arena-Auditorium could help push them over that threshold and finally into the winner’s circle.

But even if Fresno State won’t have home court advantage, the Bulldogs do have the edge when it comes to the numbers.

GAME PLAN

On Wyoming’s possessions…

When the home team has the ball, feel free to get up and get another drink. The Cowboys’ average offensive possession lasts over 19 seconds, one of the slowest times in the country. A large portion of those possessions end with three-point attempts, which comprise nearly half of Wyoming’s entire shot selection. Unfortunately, they only connect on roughly 31% of them.

As alluded to in the previous section, the offense runs through Hunter Maldonado. There are other player capable of scoring—namely Jake Hendricks and Hunter Thompson—but Maldonado’s running a usage rate well north of 30%.

This team doesn’t get offensive rebounds. Well, it does, but at a lower rate than any other team in Division I men’s basketball. The Cowboys crash the glass successfully at a 13.6% clip, which is less than half of the national average of 28.2%, per KenPom. It’s especially strange when you consider that Wyoming is one of the taller teams in the country, on average.

Turnovers are not a huge issue for Wyoming, but ball security isn’t exactly a strong suit, either. This offense is one of the least effective in the country overall, but their shooting and rebounding woes are much more to blame than their ballhandling abilities.

On Fresno State’s possessions…

Orlando Robinson and Jarred Hyder have both emerged as offensive weapons alongside Nate Grimes and New Williams, giving Justin Hutson a wealth of options. Still, Fresno State has had issues shrugging off their early issues shooting the ball. They are shooting just 38.4% from the floor in conference play, suggesting that the problem is actually getting worse.

And though the Cowboys shoot a lot of three pointers, the Bulldogs make their numbers look paltry. Fresno State’s more long balls per possession than most of the country, with 48.9% of all shots coming from beyond the arc. But again like Wyoming, those shots aren’t falling often enough.

But while Wyoming can’t grab an offensive rebound to save their collective life, Fresno State has done remarkably well for themselves, rating well above average in this department thanks to Grimes and Robinson. The battle of the boards will be where Fresno State has the biggest advantage against the Cowboys.

GAME PREDICTION

Fresno State 68, Wyoming 63

The Bulldogs will likely shoot right around 40% for the game, but their ability to create second chances will help mitigate their inaccuracy. And as Fresno State’s defense is scant more than mediocre, a slowly improving Wyoming offense will keep it close. But Fresno State should be able to escape from The Equality State with its second MW win.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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It Was Close In Reno, But Nevada Holds Out At Home For 68-67 Win Over Wyoming

Game Recap: Nevada 68, Wyoming 67 Last minute shootout made it close, but Nevada holds out at home. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Jalen Harris’ second half acrobatics put it away against the Cowboys. I’m not sure anyone thought we would …

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Game Recap: Nevada 68, Wyoming 67

Last minute shootout made it close, but Nevada holds out at home. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Jalen Harris’ second half acrobatics put it away against the Cowboys.

I’m not sure anyone thought we would get this nail biting treat of a game on a Tuesday in the Mountain West. Wyoming came to the Lawlor Events Center in Reno looking for their first conference win against the third place Wolf Pack on Tuesday night. While Nevada was looking to break a two game losing streak with a win at home.

While it wasn’t exactly a dazzling offensive performance (in terms of a final score) there were alley oops, breakaway steals and big men knocking down threes in Tuesday nights action and it made it exciting.

Although the Cowboys couldn’t pull away with a victory in the late minutes of tonight’s game, you wouldn’t have been able to tell who was going to pull away with the victory in a game that lead changes left and right. There were three in the final seconds alone as both team just seemed to be exchanging buckets until the clock ran out.

Well, that is basically how it ended after a Nisre Zouzoua steal that lead to a dunk that retook the lead with less than twenty seconds to go in the game. That was followed by a Hunter Maldonado field goal which was then followed by a Jalen Harris field goal which essentially sealed the win for the Wolfpack.

It was truely a shootout in the late minutes in Reno and the Wolfpack were kept in the game by junior guard Jalen Harris who had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals along with several acrobatic finishes that sparked Wolfpack runs in the second half. He received some help from Jazz Johnson (16 Points) and Nisre Zouzoua who had 12 points and a game saving steal.

The Cowboys made it close and even though they leave Reno with a loss we thank them, for an exciting night of basketball courtesy of the ever exciting Hunter Maldonado with 17 Points, 6 Rebounds and 10 Assists with help from  the other Hunter, 6-10 sophomore big man Hunter Thompson who had 16 points on 4-7 shooting from deep. The Cowboys had four players in double figures and gave Wolfpack fans a scare, especially if that Maldonado floater with less than five seconds left on the clock goes in, or the proceeding tip in attempt.

Up Next: 

Nevada

The Wolf Pack now focus their sights on Saturday as they head south to San Diego for a Saturday showdown in Viejas Arena. The Aztecs should be the target on everyone’s schedule at this point and a win on the road would go a long way for Nevada trying to regain the momentum they had in their hot 3-0 start.

Wyoming

The Cowboys hope to bounce back at home Saturday for a midday matchup against Fresno State in the dome of doom. Both teams need a win to help get them out of the Mountain West cellar before conference tournament time.

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UNLV needs late surge to survive Wyoming upset bid

Game Recap: UNLV 78, Wyoming 69 (OT) Rebels move to 4-1 in MW; Cowboys still winless Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire UNLV holds steady in second place despite a close call in Laramie TJ Otzelberger’s team found a way to survive on …

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Game Recap: UNLV 78, Wyoming 69 (OT)

Rebels move to 4-1 in MW; Cowboys still winless

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

UNLV holds steady in second place despite a close call in Laramie

TJ Otzelberger’s team found a way to survive on Saturday, preserving the hot streak that has marked their coach’s first season in the Mountain West.

UNLV (9-9, 4-1 MW) beat Wyoming 78-69 in Laramie’s Arena-Auditorium, but the Runnin’ Rebels needed a late push – and an extra five minutes – to save themselves from the Cowboys’ upset bid.

The Rebels were led by Bryce Hamilton’s 19 points off the bench. Jonah Antonio and Marvin Coleman were both also in double digits for UNLV, scoring 15 and 14, respectively. Donnie Tillman also added 10 points from the bench.

Kwane Marble paced Wyoming (5-13, 0-6 MW) in the scoring department with 19 points, followed closely by Jake Hendricks with 18 and Hunter Maldonado with 16. Marble was extremely efficient, going 4-for-4 from the field and 9-for-11 on free throws, but Maldonado and Hendricks combined to shoot just 30% on the game.

Wyoming led by seven points with 1:25, after Hunter Thompson hit the front end of a trip to the free throw line. But a 7-0 run, capped by two Donnie Tillman free throws in the dying seconds, forced overtime.

The Cowboys never led again.

UNLV opened up the extra period with back-to-back three-pointers from Coleman and Antonio. Coleman also hit a three during the late run to push the game into overtime.

The second-year Rebel is averaging nearly ten points per game since being installed in the Rebels’ starting lineup just before Christmas. Antonio, another recent addition to the starting five, reached double figures for the first time since the team’s opening game of the season.

Those adjustment has already paid early dividends for Otzelberger, with the team going 5-1 over their past six games. UNLV has finally climbed back to .500 after losing eight of their first 12 games.

That they were victorious despite a poor offensive showing from Amauri Hardy is especially encouraging for a team that has looked one-dimensional at times.

Saturday’s triumph was the fourth in five tries for UNLV in Mountain West play, keeping them in a second-place tie with New Mexico. The Lobos were also victorious over the weekend, beating Air Force at home. Both teams trail undefeated San Diego State, with the Aztecs moving to 17-0 after an easy win over Boise State.

In stark contrast to the early success of those teams, Wyoming still remains winless on the conference season. The Cowboys are in last place in the Mountain West, trailing Fresno State by a game and a half.

UP NEXT

UNLV hosts San Jose State (6-12, 2-4 MW) on Wednesday night. The Spartans are coming off a loss to Colorado State over the weekend, but they haven’t looked like the pushovers they were a year ago. Jean Prioleau’s club has already beaten New Mexico and Nevada in league play. They also came closer than anyone else to beating San Diego State, with Malachi Flynn’s buzzer-beater serving as the Aztecs’ only saving grace.

Wyoming will head to Reno to take on Nevada (10-7, 3-2 MW) in a Tuesday night matchup. The Wolf Pack have stumbled a bit of late, with the aforementioned loss to San Jose State and another to Utah State making for a very forgettable week. But this team is plenty talented and should have the offensive firepower to outgun the Cowboys. Jalen Harris should be in the mix for MW Player of the Year honors if he can continue to light up the league’s defenses.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Wyoming vs. Colorado State: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

The basketball version of the bronze boot takes place on Saturday.

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Wyoming V.S. Colorado State: Game Preview

Both teams need a conference win, what better than in a win in the Border War?

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Who comes away with their first conference win on Saturday?

WHO: Wyoming Cowboys (5-10, 0-3 Mountain West) At Colorado State Rams (9-7, 0-3 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, January 4th—1:00 PM EST/11:00 AM MST

WHERE: Moby Arena, Fort Collins, CO

TV: AT&T Sportsnet

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Wyoming leads all-time series 136-94

ODDS: Colorado State -12, per KenPom

PREVIEW: Conference play has brought fans around the Mountain West joy and sorrow this past week. With New Mexico and Utah State suffering their first losses in conference play this past Wednesday at the hands of San Jose State and UNLV respectively and an improved Colorado State team that has gone winless in three games so far, it has been a mixed bag. 

Looking ahead to Saturday as Wyoming takes a trip south to Moby Arena to face Colorado State in the first Border War game of the decade. Wyoming leads the all-time series and even though the Rams have a .702 win percentage at home, the Cowboys lead the all-time series in Moby Arena 56-52. This is a big game for both schools and a win means a lot for both sides, in basketball and all sports, just ask Allen Edwards.

Colorado State looks much improved from last year, with some solid wins in non-conference play at Tulsa, against PAC-12 member Washington State and Loyola Chicago. But a 0-3 start in conference play puts a bit of a halt to their momentum heading into the new year. Guys who are getting a lot of minutes on this team are freshman and sophomores and the experience they are getting for the future will be invaluable but their youth shows at times on the court.

Senior center Nico Carvacho has taken a step back from his dominant statistics a year ago, but you could also argue that he has a different team around him. I think a jump in production from the senior in conference play may be the difference maker and the addition of VCU transfer P.J. Byrd at semester break has been a positive one to an already strong backcourt. Byrd had 5 points, 1 steal and 6 Assists in 17 minutes of play against Doane last Saturday.

It needs to be a team effort for the Rams on Saturday but Carvacho needs to take advantage of a Cowboy team down low that ranks 262nd in rebounding. (The Rams rank just outside the top-50 at 53rd)

The Cowboys also need a conference win on Saturday and they will rely on guards Hunter Maldonado and Jake Hendricks to do so. Hendricks’ play has been a bit lack luster and many expected a jump in production heading into his senior year with his best game thus far against D-III Nebraska Wesleyan in which he scored 21 points on 6-14 shooting from three. He’s averaging 18.6 PPG over his last three games against moderate competition but it’s never a bad time to start getting hot from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Hunter Maldonado like many on the Cowboys roster hails from Colorado (four in total) and leads the Cowboys in scoring (17.6 PPG) and rebounding (5.5 RPG). Aside from Hendricks, Maldonado hasn’t received consistent help all season and looks very much like a certain Sacramento King who played a similar role for the Cowboys in his career.

Allen Edwards needs a great shooting night from his guards and a promising defensive/rebounding effort from sophomore big man Hunter Thompson to secure a win.

Prediction: Colorado State 77, Wyoming 64

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Cowboys trampled by #25 Buffaloes, 56-41

Game Recap: #25 Colorado 56, Wyoming 41 Second-half runs by the Buffs bury the Cowboys Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Poor shooting and turnovers plague the Cowboys in Sin City Hunter Maldonado continues to carry the brunt of the Wyoming …

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Game Recap: #25 Colorado 56, Wyoming 41

Second-half runs by the Buffs bury the Cowboys

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Poor shooting and turnovers plague the Cowboys in Sin City

Hunter Maldonado continues to carry the brunt of the Wyoming offense, but his 14-point effort wasn’t enough on Sunday night, as the Cowboys fell 56-41 to regional rival, #25 Colorado.

Tyler Bey was the main man for the Buffaloes, scoring 11 points and pulling down a career-high 19 rebounds. D’Shawn Schwartz led Colorado in scoring with 12, while Evan Battey nearly registered a double-double with nine points and 13 rebounds.

After Maldonado, Wyoming’s leading scorer was Greg Milton III with seven points, while Trevon Taylor and Jake Hendricks each scored six. The Cowboys’ anemic offense was hamstrung by poor shooting (32%) and turnovers (19) throughout the game.

Despite the backdrop of playing in The Entertainment Capital of the World, this game failed to deliver many of the thrills that its host city is known for.

It was an ugly, low-scoring affair from the beginning, with the teams heading into the locker room knotted at 15 points apiece. The Cowboys and Buffaloes combined to shoot below 25% from the field and committed a total of 16 turnovers in the first half.

Maldonado led all scorers with nine points at the break. Colorado’s Tyler Bey had ten rebounds by halftime but had made just one field goal to that point.

But the Buffs came out swinging in the second half, going on a 13-0 run over the first four minutes.

Wyoming answered and cut the deficit to as little as four points during the second half, but never fully recovered from Coloardo’s haymaker at the beginning of the period.

Another Buffaloes run late in the second half put the game out of reach.

Colorado (4-0, 0-0 Pac-12) remained undefeated after Sunday’s conquest at T-Mobile Arena. The win should help Colorado remain in the national polls and keeps them nipping at the heels of Pac-12 front-runners Oregon and Arizona.

OUTLOOK: For Wyoming, Hunter Maldonado has taken on the role vacated by NBA draftee Justin James, who served as the Cowboys’ do-everything star last season. A 6’7” sophomore, Maldonado was shaping up to be a great complement to James last year before an injury cut his season short.

Now, the spotlight—and the burden—is squarely on Maldonado.

But so far, the results have been much the same for Allen Edwards and the Cowboys. Wyoming came into the game on a bit of a roll after wins against Detroit Mercy and Louisiana, but that momentum took a big hit on Sunday.

With the loss, Wyoming (3-4, 0-0 MWC) falls back under .500 as they prepare for the second round of the MGM Main Event in Las Vegas. It was the Cowboys’ third loss in three tries against Power 5 opponents. Earlier in the season, they lost to South Carolina by 34 and to Oregon State by 20.

UP NEXT: The Cowboys are guaranteed a fourth shot at a Power 5 school on Tuesday, when they face the loser of the Clemson-TCU matchup. That game takes place later Sunday night. KenPom projections favor the Horned Frogs by three points over the Tigers. Both teams currently reside in the top 75 of Pomeroy’s ratings, with TCU at #51 and Clemson at #75.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Wyoming vs. Colorado: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Wyoming V.S. Colorado: Game Preview The Cowboys are looking for a Top-25 win against a pretty good Colorado Buffaloes team. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Do the Wyoming Cowboys have enough luck to get a win Sunday in Las Vegas? WHO: …

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Wyoming V.S. Colorado: Game Preview

The Cowboys are looking for a Top-25 win against a pretty good Colorado Buffaloes team.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Do the Wyoming Cowboys have enough luck to get a win Sunday in Las Vegas?

WHO: Wyoming Cowboys (3-3, 0-0 Mountain West) vs. No. 23 Colorado Buffaloes (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12)

WHEN: Sunday, November 24 —7:00 PM EST/6:00 PM MST

WHERE: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV

TV: None

STREAM: ESPN 3

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Wyoming leads all-time series 20-12

ODDS: Colorado -18, per KenPom

PREVIEW: The Cowboys have the opportunity to get a win against a top-25 team on Sunday as they take on the Colorado Buffaloes in a neutral site game in Las Vegas. Wyoming heads into Sunday riding a two game winning streak at home, and look to upset a really talented Buffalo team. 

Hunter Maldonado is leading Wyoming in points (16.5 PPG) and assists (2.8 APG), but he could use some help. In the Cowboys three losses Maldonado had little help on the scoring front but in two straight wins has seen his teammates really find a rhythm. They have also done a good job containing opposing team’s stars in those wins. Detroit’s super sophomore Antoine Davis (21.7 PPG) was held to just 11 points while making just five of his twenty-three shot attempts. While on Thursday, junior forward Jalen Johnson of Louisiana-Lafayette ended the night with 8 points after coming into Laramie averaging over twenty.

Check out our article on the top-25 players on opposing teams in non-conference play below, as there are several Buffaloes on the list.

Colorado is 3-0 on the year so far and may have been undervalued in the initial preseason top-25 poll. They return their top seven scorers from a team that finished 4th in the Pac-12 last season. Tad Boyle uses a mix of taller athletic guards in a smaller line up and are lead by a trio of juniors. Tyler Bey (6-7 218) is a double-double machine and gave several Mountain West teams a hard time in the post last year with his length and bounce. D’shawn Schwartz (6-7 225) has complimented Bey and Mckinley Wright IV so far this season. The Cowboys need to contain Wright IV as he does a little bit of everything for the Buffaloes (14.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 5.0 APG) and they are a better team when he takes control.

The Cowboys need another solid performance from multiple players on Sunday. And if they can get a productive game out of their front court as they have in their last two games, that may be a difference maker and can free up guys on the perimeter to score.

Prediction: Colorado 75, Wyoming 60

 

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