Justin James

Cowboys Fall in Vegas as UNLV Rallies in Second Half
Pokes hold UNLV to under 40 percent from field
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LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Jan. 5, 2019) – After a strong first half that saw the Cowboys shoot 50 percent from the field and outrebound one of the nation's top teams, the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV rallied past the Pokes 68-56 inside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday evening. Wyoming falls to 4-11 overall and 0-2 in the conference with the Runnin' Rebels moving to 8-6 overall and 2-0 in the MW.

UNLV shot 44 percent from the field in the second half and held the Pokes to 33 percent. The Cowboys went scoreless for five minutes in the second half and UNLV finished the night with 23 points off of turnovers to solidify the win.

"I thought we went in the game a few things we focused on was rebounding the basketball and we did a great job executing," UW head coach Allen Edwards said. "We went into the break with good energy and started the second half strong, But we went into a drought in the second half and that hurt us."

Wyoming was led in scoring by senior guard Justin James, as he tallied 15 points and added seven rebounds. He also added four assists on the night. Redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson added a team-high 17 points with 15 coming in the first half. Junior A.J. Banks a native of Vegas added nine points, six rebounds and three steals in his homecoming. Freshman Trace Young added 10 points and a career-high eight rebounds to lead Wyoming in boards.

The Cowboys shot 41 percent from the field on the night going 20-of-49. It marked the third game of Wyoming attempting under 50 shots. The Runnin' Rebels were 22-of-57 from the field for 39 percent. UNLV. The Runnin' Rebels owned a narrow 36-35 advantage on the glass on the night.

"I thought our zone was effective and did what we needed it to do," Edwards said. "UNLV really adjusted well to Justin James and our other guys need to learn to be more assertive. We have to be better taking care of the basketball, but our guys have great fight and we will regroup and get ready for San Diego State."

James scored the first six points of the game for the Pokes and Thompson then added a three-pointer to give Wyoming a 9-7 advantage nearly five minutes into the game. The Pokes would later build a 16-11 advantage on a 5-0 run led by James and Banks.

The Rebels would answer back with a 10-2 run to take a 21-18 advantage on the Pokes with 7:29 left in the opening half. But the Pokes would take back the lead on the shoulders of Thompson, as he would hit his second and third triples of the game and eight of the Pokes 10 points to take a 26-21 lead with just over five minutes left in the first frame.

Wyoming would build the lead to 32-23 thanks to free throws from TJ Taylor and Thompson with three minutes remaining. The Runnin' Rebels would respond cloing out the half on a 5-0 run for a 32-30 lead for the Brown and Gold at the break.

The Pokes held UNLV to 33 percent from the field and held the Runnin' Rebels to only four offensive rebounds, as they rank second in the nation in that category averaging 16 per game. Wyoming shot fifty percent from both the field and behind the arc.

The Pokes scored the first two baskets of the second half to take a 36-30 lead a minute into the frame. The Runnin' Rebels would hit three-straight shots including two three pointers to take a 38-36 lead with 17:15 left in the game.

Wyoming would go scoreless for five minutes allowing the Rebels to build a 50-38 advantage nearly halfway through the half. The run saw the Pokes go 0-of-10 from the field.
The Cowboys cut the UNLV lead to single digits on an and-one play from senior Jordan Naughton with just over four minutes left to make it a 56-47 contest. UNLV would not allowing the Pokes any closer taking the 68-56 win.

The Runnin' Rebels were led by Joel Ntambwe, as he scored a career-high 31 points and also added 10 rebounds. He was 11-of-17 from the field on the night.

The Cowboys continue their road swing on Tuesday heading to San Diego State for an 8 p.m. MT start on CBS Sports Network.

 

We need a game out of you tonight JJ!

 

Hot Shooting In First Half Lifts SDSU Past Cowboys
Wyoming hosts Utah State on Saturday on AT&T SportsNet

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Jan. 8, 2019) – The Wyoming Cowboys ran into the best three-point shooting team in the Mountain West on Tuesday, as the San Diego State Aztecs shot 50 percent from behind the arc in a 84-54 win over the Pokes inside Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif. Wyoming falls to 4-12 overall and 0-3 in MW play with the Aztecs moving to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

"I told the team we have a commitment to zone defense and that worked very well against UNLV, but SDSU has guys capable of making shots," UW head coach Allen Edwards said. "We struggled to make them play inside the three point line. They made some early threes and extended a lead and we did not have the fly back mentality tonight like we have had before."

Wyoming was led in scoring by senior guard Justin James. He added 18 points for the Pokes and grabbed a team-best six rebounds and three assists. James moved into the Top-10 in Wyoming history in career made field goals, he has 565 in his career passing Harry Hall.

Redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson added 11 points for Wyoming. He went 4-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from behind the arc. Freshman Trevon "TJ" Taylor added 10 points going 4-of-7 from the field. Walk-on KC Henry of Lingle, Wyo. made his first appearance for the Pokes grabbing a rebound.

San Diego State finished the night 29-of-57 from the floor for 51 percent. San Diego State was held to 43 percent from the field in the second half. SDSU finished the night with 12 three pointers and held a 40-24 advantage on the boards.

The Aztecs got out to a fast 12-2 start on the Pokes opening the game 4-of-5 from the field. Matt Mitchell hit two three-pointers for the Aztecs to open the early lead for SDSU.

San Diego State continued the hot shooting building a 30-14 lead with just under seven minutes left in the first half. SDSU was 6-of-7 to that point from behind the three-point line. Wyoming struggled from the field shooting 33 percent going 6-of-18.

SDSU finished the first half shooting 60 percent from behind the arc going 9-of-15. The Aztecs were 17-of-29 from the field for 59 percent taking a 48-25 lead into the break. Wyoming was 9-of-25 from the field for 36 percent with the Aztecs owned a 21-8 advantage on the boards in the first 20 minutes.

"When we were down we told the team to play our brand and we needed to put multiple stops together and put solid possessions together, but we struggled to do that tonight," Edwards said. "Our guys are learning how to play that way. We have to go back to the drawing board and keep moving."

After Thompson opened the second half with a three-pointer for the Cowboys, the Aztecs followed with two triples of their own would build 57-29 lead with 17:39 left in the game.

James would score five-straight points with Porter adding four and Taylor and Young added two as part of a 13-3 run to make it a 60-41 game with 12:04 left in the contest. Wyoming held the Aztecs scoreless for nearly three minutes during the surge.

Wyoming would then go scoreless for 5:32 with the Aztecs building the lead to 75-45 with just over five minutes remaining. SDSU would continue momentum, as they scored over 70 points against the Pokes for the first time in three games for the 84-54 win.

SDSU had four players in double-figures for the night. Jalen McDaniels led all scorers with 22 points on the night. He also finished the night with 10 rebounds. Mitchell added 20 points going 4-of-4 from behind the arc.

The Cowboys return to action Saturday hosting Utah State in the Arena-Auditorium for a 4 p.m. start on AT&T SportsNet.

 

Cowboys Take on Utah State in Dome of Doom on Saturday



LARAMIE, Wyo. (Jan. 10, 2019) – The Cowboys return to the "Dome of Doom" on Saturday for a matchup with Utah State at 4 p.m. It will mark only the third home contest for the Pokes in the last month and will be the first meeting this season between the two schools.

Tickets are available to Saturday's game by: going online at GoWyo.com/tickets, emailing tickets@uwyo.edu, calling 307-766-7220 or stopping by the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of the Arena-Auditorium. A special offer for Saturday's contest features lower bowl $15 tickets for adults and $7 tickets for children ages 3-12.

The game will be televised on AT&T Sports Network. Drew Goodman will be on the call with Sed Bonner on color and Taylor McGregor on the sidelines.

Fans can listen to the contest and follow stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 25 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, as Dave Walsh and Kevin McKinney will call the action.

A Look at the Matchup
Wyoming heads into Saturday's contest with a 4-12 overall record and a 0-3 mark in MW play after falling at San Diego State 84-54 on Tuesday. The Pokes are one of the nation's top free throw shooting teams ranking No. 13 in the country with 280 made free throws. Wyoming has made a habit making it to the free throw line with 385 attempts ranking No. 22 in the nation.

The Cowboys are shooting 41 percent from the field on the season and are shooting 36 percent from behind the three-point line for fourth in the MW. Wyoming has made 117 three pointers this season.

Utah State heads to Laramie with an 11-5 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the MW. Utah State fell on Wednesday at home against Fresno State 78-77. The Aggies hold opponents to 37 percent from the field to rank fifth in the nation. USU also owns a +10.9 rebound margin, which ranks sixth in the country.

The Aggies are shooting 47 percent from the field for second in the MW. The Aggies add 16.7 assists per game to rank first in the MW and No. 20 in the nation.

Each Team's Leaders
Wyoming is led in scoring, rebounding and assists by senior Justin James. He adds 20.7 points per game to lead the MW and rank No. 32 in the nation. He also ranks fourth in the MW grabbing 9.3 rebounds per game. James ranks eighth in the nation grabbing eight defensive rebounds per game. He adds 4.2 assists per night. He leads the nation in free throw attempts at 148 and in makes with 112. He also ranks fourth in the nation in minutes played.

Redshirt Freshman Hunter Thompson adds 12.2 points per game to go along with 3.9 rebounds. True freshman Trace Young adds 11 points per game through four contests. He also adds five rebounds per game.

Utah State is led in scoring by Sam Merrill at 19.1 points per game to rank second in the MW behind James. Neemias Queta adds 10.2 points per game and a team-best 8.2 rebounds. He leads the MW and ranks No. 12 in the nation averaging 2.6 blocks per game.

About The Series
Wyoming leads the all-time series against the Aggies 51-27 and have won three of the last four including both meetings last season.

Up Next
Wyoming will enjoy a midweek bye before heading to New Mexico next Saturday for a 4 p.m. start on ESPN3.

 

Utah State wins at Wyoming, 71-55, for first time since 1962

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Sam Merrill had 22 points and tied his career high with eight rebounds, freshman Neemias Queta scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, and Utah State beat Wyoming 71-55 Saturday.

The Aggies (12-5, 2-2 Mountain West Conference) snapped an eight-game skid against the Cowboys, winning at Wyoming for the first time since Feb. 16, 1962.

Merrill made 8 of 14 from the field and Queta, who came in leading the conference in blocks per game (2.3) and has at least one in every game this season, blocked two shots.

Wyoming (4-13, 0-4) made five of its first eight shots during a 12-4 opening run and led until Diogo Brito hit a 3-pointer with to give the Aggies a 24-21 lead and they never again trailed. Merrill hit a 3-pointer just before halftime to make it 32-25 and a 9-0 run midway through the second half extended Utah State's lead to 13 points. The Cowboys trimmed their deficit to 52-43 on a dunk by Jordan Naughton about 90 seconds later but Merrill answered with a 3 and Utah State led by double figures the rest of the way.

Justin James, a senior guard who came in as one of just five players in Division I averaging at least 20 points and 9.5 rebounds, scored 27 and grabbed 10 boards for Wyoming. The Cowboys have lost four in a row and seven of their last eight.

 

Fast Start Not Enough for Pokes in 71-55 Loss to Utah State
James leads all scorers with 27 points
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LARAMIE, Wyo. (Jan. 12, 2019) – The Wyoming Cowboys opened the contest holding one of the Mountain West's top shooting teams to 25 percent from the field, but a late first half surge lifted Utah State past Wyoming 71-55 on Saturday evening in the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. Wyoming falls to 4-13 overall and 0-4 in the MW, as the Aggies move to 12-6 overall and 2-2 in the conference.

"I thought the game plan we put together was the right one, in a sense of trying to take number 5 (Sam) Merrill out of the game as much as we could," Wyoming head coach Allen Edwards said. "Even with the slower pace, we had the lead for most of the half. We played a good 17 minutes, but we had some mental lapses toward the end of the first half that enabled them to cut the lead and then take the lead before halftime. Overall, I thought the guys came out with good energy tonight to start the game. We just need to put 40 minutes together like that."

Senior Justin James led all scorers with 27 points, as he went over 1,700 points in his career. He was 10-of-21 from the field and added 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season and 13th of his career. James has scored over 20 points in 11 games this season.

Freshman Trevon "TJ" Taylor added 14 points for back-to-back games in double-figures for the first time in his career. Taylor finished the night with a career-high four three-pointers. Freshman Walk-on Haize Fornstrom, who was just added to the roster played 10 minutes for the Pokes in his debut.

"Coming off our two-game road trip, I told both T.J. (Taylor) and A.J. (Banks) that the way teams were playing us they both had to be ready to shoot the basketball when their opportunities came," Edwards said. "Teams are going to try the best they can to plug the floor up and not let J.J. (Justin James) drive the basketball. When that happens, our other guys have to be ready to shoot the basketball, and I thought T.J. did a great job shooting the basketball today, as well as putting the ball on the floor and trying to play at the rim when he had those opportunities."

"J.J. is J.J. He scores 27 and has 10 rebounds, but when you point out some things that maybe he could do better he takes that teaching well. To see his overall production at the end of the day is impressive. For a guard to have 10 rebounds is a strong performance."

Wyoming shot 40 percent from the field on the night going 20-of-50. The Aggies after opening the game 4-of-16 finished the night shooting 47 percent. Wyoming, who averages 24 free throw attempts recorded only 13 on the night. Utah State held a 40-29 advantage on the glass for the night. Wyoming took excellent care of the basketball recording nine tying for the second fewest this season.

Taylor scored the first eight points of the game for the Pokes to build an early 8-2 advantage for the Brown and Gold in the opening three minutes. Wyoming held the Aggies to 1-of-5 from the field to open the contest with the only make coming on the first basket of the game.

The Pokes continued to be in control building a 16-8 lead nearly halfway through the half. The Aggies were 4-of-16 from the field to that point of the contest and were 0-of-9 from behind the arc.
The Aggies hit their first three-pointer of the game with 7:34 left in the first half to make it a 16-13 contest in favor of the Pokes, but Hunter Thompson responded right back with a three of his own. The Aggies would hold the Pokes scoreless for nearly four minutes tying the contest at 19-19 with 3:42 remaining in the half.

Utah State hit six of their last seven shots to close the first half and took a 32-25 lead into the break. Sam Merrill hit a three-pointer as time expired. The run late by Utah State saw the Aggies finish at 39 percent from the field, as Wyoming shot 35 percent in the opening 20 minutes.

The Pokes opened the half on a 5-2 run to make it a 34-30 contests in the opening minutes of the second frame. An and-one play from A.J. Banks highlighted the early surge for Wyoming. Taylor added two three-pointers to make it a 39-36 game with 14:31 left in the game, but the Aggies went on an 11-1 run to build a 50-37 advantage with a tick over the 11 minute mark.

A dunk by Jordan Naughton on a nice dish from James pulled the Pokes within nine points at 52-43 with 10 minutes left. But the Aggies quickly pushed the lead back to double-digits leading by as many as 15 points.
James continued his offensive aggression late, but the Aggies continued to put on pressure and took the contest 71-55.

Utah State was led by Merrill, as the second leading scorer in the MW behind James scored 22 points and added eight rebounds. Neemias Queta added 14 points going 6-of-7 from the field.

The Cowboys return to action next Saturday heading to New Mexico for a contest against the Lobos at 4 p.m. on ESPN3.

 

Wyoming is on pace for its worst season in nearly half a century

• Davis Potter davis.potter@trib.com
  LARAMIE — To say Wyoming’s season has been rough to this point would be an understatement.

It’s on pace to be the program’s worst in more than four decades.

Wyoming’s 30-point loss at San Diego State earlier this week — its worst loss since a 39-point loss to the Aztecs back in 2011 — sent the Cowboys to a season-worst eight games under .500. It left Wyoming, which will try to avoid its longest losing streak of the season when Utah State visits the Arena-Auditorium on Saturday, with just four wins through its first 16 games, meaning the Cowboys need to win nearly half of their remaining 15 regular-season games just to reach double-digit victories.


The last time Wyoming (4-12, 0-3 MW) failed to win 10 games was the 1973-74 season when the Cowboys won just four as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. But can this year’s version of the Cowboys at least match the nine wins the 1972-73 team had at this point?

“At the end of the day, I’m a fighter,” Wyoming coach Allen Edwards said. “Like I told our staff, this is what we’ve got, and we’ve got to figure something out.”

San Jose State, Air Force and Colorado State are sub-.500 teams that are still on Wyoming’s schedule twice, though that didn’t mean much for the Cowboys against Boise State in the teams’ league opener on Jan. 2. The Broncos limped into that game with a 5-8 record before leaving the Arena-Auditorium with a convincing 69-55 victory.

In fact, Wyoming, which hasn’t beaten a Division I team since Dec. 11, has struggled to be competitive of late. The Cowboys’ last five losses have all come by double figures while they’re losing league games by an average of 19 points.

There are glaring issues for Wyoming — some the Cowboys can control and some they can’t.

Wyoming’s depleted rotation is still without injured double-figure scorers Hunter Maldonado and Jake Hendricks, who may miss the rest of the season. Freshman Tariq Johnson is also out with an unspecified injury, leaving the Cowboys with just seven available scholarship players.



It’s forced Wyoming to go almost exclusively with a 2-3 zone on defense and significantly slow the pace on offense in order to try to preserve as much energy as possible for the full 40 minutes. Senior guard Justin James, who’s still leading the MW in scoring despite shooting less than 25 percent from the field over the last six games, has played every minute in the last three games while younger players who had limited or, in Young’s case, no roles at the beginning of the season are now logging extended minutes.

Freshman forward Hunter Thompson is the rotation’s second-leading scorer at 12.2 points per game, but the Cowboys need more assertiveness from others on the offensive end to help James, who’s consistently drawing double teams. Specifically, Edwards said he’s looking for senior forward Jordan Naughton, who’s averaging just 4.8 points and 1.7 rebounds, and guard A.J. Banks, who scored 18 points against UTEP on Dec. 22 but hasn’t taken more than three shots since, to pick up their production.

“We’ve still got season left,” Edwards said. “And you say, ‘Well, what are you fighting for?’ At the end of the day, we’re fighting to get better, especially the newer guys because JJ is taking on a lot.”

Of course, it won’t matter much if Wyoming doesn’t start holding on to the ball and offering more resistance on defense. The Cowboys are averaging 16.3 turnovers in league play and are allowing more than 76 points per game for the second straight season.

Against a SDSU team that leads the MW in 3-point field-goal percentage, the Cowboys often left the Aztecs’ shooters all alone and gave up 12 3s. Wyoming isn’t getting enough offensive production without Maldonado and Hendricks to make up for those mental lapses, averaging just 58 points over its last six games.

“It’s frustrating just because we do such a great job of scouting teams,” Thompson said. “It’s frustrating because even I find myself doing the opposite of what our scout does. It’s just kind of a mental lapse I guess that we need to get rid of.”

Said James, “Maybe just a lack of effort, a lack or edge or lack or intensity. Those are questions we need to get answered, especially with these conference games coming up.”

Things won’t get much easier against Utah State (11-5, 1-2), one of the MW’s more complete teams. The Aggies, who own the MW’s third-best overall record, are third in the league in scoring (78.9 points per game) and second in points allowed (65.9).

“Our margin for error is very small,” Thompson said. “We need to limit all of the errors, which can eventually help us get a win.”

 

James nets 20, Wyoming ends skid against SJSU 59-46


LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Justin James and Hunter Thompson combined for 22 of their 34 points in the second half and Wyoming pulled away from San Jose on Wednesday night for a 59-46 win.

The Cowboys (5-14, 1-5 Mountain West Conference) ended a five-game losing streak and pushed the skid for the Spartans (3-15, 0-6) to nine games. San Jose State has lost six straight times against Wyoming and is 0-10 in Laramie.

Thompson had 12 of his 15 points in the second half, going 4 of 7 from 3-point range, and James had 10 of his 20.

Wyoming scored the first 11 points of the game but San Jose State had an 11-0 run of its own and the game was tied at 24 at halftime.

The Spartans opened the second half with two buckets but James hit back-to-back 3-pointers, Jordan Naughton converted a 3-point play and James scored two more baskets for a 13-0 run.

Thompson sandwiched 3-pointers around a Trace Young fast-break dunk as the Cowboys stretched the lead to 15. When the Spartans got it down to nine on a layup by Michael Steadman, who led with 10 points, Thompson hit consecutive 3s and the lead stayed in double figures the last 4 1/2 minutes.

 

Cowboy Defense Shines in 59-46 Victory Over San Jose State
Pokes hold SJSU to 46 points, a low under head coach Allen Edwards
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LARAMIE, Wyo. (Jan. 23, 2019) – The Wyoming Cowboys defense shined in a 59-46 win over San Jose State on Wednesday evening in the Arena-Auditorium. The 46 points was the fewest allowed under Allen Edwards and the lowest total since San Diego State scored 43 points in the Mountain West Championship game in 2015. The largest crowd of the season also saw Wyoming (5-14 overall, 1-5 MW) hold SJSU (3-15 overall, 0-6 MW) to a season-low 33 percent from the field.

"First of all, I want to thank Maury Brown for his generosity in purchasing 2,000 complimentary tickets for fans for tonight's game," Edwards said. "And I want to thank our fans for taking advantage of it and coming out and supporting these young men. I thought the energy in the building was really, really good."

Wyoming shot a season-high 56 percent from the field going 23-of-41. Wyoming also recorded 10 steals on the night and has double-digit steals in back-to-back games for the first time since Denver (11/29) and Drake (12/2) last season. Wyoming also dished out 14 assists tying a season-high reached against South Carolina.

"I complimented our guys at the end of the game, while it wasn't perfect, I thought that was our best energy and effort that I had seen -- guys flying around and making it difficult for San Jose State to score," Edwards said. "We didn't do a great job rebounding, but we forced them into a lot of turnovers. I think they committed 11 turnovers in the second half."

Senior Justin James led all scorers with 20 points. He also led Wyoming with five assists and recorded a career-high four steals. James now has 1,745 points in his career, as he passed Charles Bradley (1,744 from 1978-81) for seventh in school history. James has now scored in double-figures in 80 games in his career.

Redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson added 14 points going 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Junior A.J. Banks led the Pokes with four rebounds and added a career-high four assists. Freshman Brandon Porter added seven points off the bench.

"I thought we played team basketball," Edwards said. "Guys shared it, and J.J. was spectacular. The other other guy I thought played really well was A.J. Banks. He was very effective tonight. He had a really solid 40 minutes, probably the best game he's had all year in the sense of being active, defending, rebounding and playing with confidence on the offensive end of the floor."

The Cowboys raced out to an 11-0 lead on the Spartans in the opening five minutes of play. Wyoming held the Spartans to 0-7 from the field and James added six of the Pokes 11 points. UW opened the game going 4-of-5 from the field.

The Spartans would go on a 7-2 run to make it a 13-6 contest with just over 11 minutes left in the first half. Porter would stop the run with a triple to build the lead back out to nine points and later to 12 points.

The Spartans would go on an 11-0 run, holding the Pokes scoreless for well over four minutes to make it a 20-19 game with just over four minutes left in the half. SJSU tied the game at 22-22 with 1:45 left in the half and took a 24-22 lead with nine seconds left.

James took the ball the length of the floor and hit two free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt for a 24-24 game heading into the break. Wyoming shot 53 percent from the field in the half, but recorded 10 turnovers.

After the Spartans opened the second frame with four points, James added two triples to give the Pokes a 30-28 advantage three minutes into the frame.

Wyoming would use those six points and added seven more over seven minutes to build a 37-28 advantage with just under 12 minutes left in the half. James would get to the 20 point mark during the run.

After SJSU added a bucket, Wyoming would go on an 8-0 run led by a monster transition dunk by Trace Young to push the lead to 15 points with about eight minutes to play. Wyoming held that momentum with Thompson scoring 12 of his points in the second half, as his three point shooting was sprinkled into dunks from Banks and Young for the 59-46 win.

The Spartans were led in scoring by Michael Steadman with 11 points and eight rebounds. Isaiah Nichols added eight points and three assists.

The Cowboys head to Boise State on Saturday for a 2 p.m. MT start on Facebook.

 

So far Justin is 0-10 to start the first quarter

 

14 points for the Wyoming Cowboys after the first half. How embarrassing

 

Turnovers Doom Pokes in 77-52 Loss at Boise State
Wyoming scores season-low 52 points


BOISE, Idaho (Jan. 26, 2019) – The Wyoming Cowboy offense struggled with a season-high 24 turnovers in a 77-52 loss to Boise State inside Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho on Saturday afternoon. The 52 points by the Brown and Gold was a season low. The Pokes fall to 5-15 overall and 1-6 in the MW with the Broncos improving to 9-11 overall and 4-3 in the conference.

"In the first half we did a good job defending, but we struggled on the offensive side of the floor," Wyoming head coach Allen Edwards said. "We came out assertive to open the second half and had good mojo. Boise State stayed the course fighting hard and we need to have better consistency and effort."

The Cowboys shot 40 percent from the field going 17-of-43. The Pokes shot 52 percent in the second half after opening the game 6-of-22 in the first 20 minutes. Boise State one of the most efficient shooting teams in the conference shot 45 percent. The Bronco also owned a 34-22 advantage on the glass.

"Every possession counts in the slowed pace that we play," Edwards said. "We need to cut and space out better and be ready to shoot the basketball moving forward."

Wyoming was led in scoring by redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson, as he added 19 points for his eighth game in double-figures this season. He was 6-of-8 from the field. Freshman Trevon "TJ" Taylor added 10 points for his fifth game in double-figures this season. Senior Justin James was held to only seven points, but grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Freshman walk-on Haize Fornstrom added a career-high five points.

After a slow start for both teams offensively Derrick Alston and Alex Hobbs hit baskets back-to-back to give the Broncos an early 5-0 lead in the opening three plus minutes. The run was halted by a layup from Thompson.

Boise State would follow that up with an 8-2 run, as Hobbs lead the way to build a 13-4 lead with under 12 minutes to play in the half. Wyoming opened 2-of-12 from the field. Thompson stopped the run once again for his sixth point of the game for a 13-6 contest halfway through the frame.

Wyoming's struggles would continue with eight turnovers and a field goal percentage of 26 percent, as Boise State would build the lead to 22-10 with 2:44 left in the first half. The Broncos would build the lead to 18 points at 28-10 with a minute left, but Banks added a pair of free throws and a fast break layup for a 28-14 game heading into the break.

Taylor added four-straight points to open up the second half to make it a 28-18 game one minute into the frame. Senior Jordan Naughton would follow Taylor's script and made it a seven point game at 31-24 with 17:29 left in the game.


The Pokes would turn the ball over four times in a 3:38 minute span, as the Broncos built the lead back to double-digits at 38-28 with 14:13 left in the game. Boise State would add to the lead going 5-of-7 from the floor for a 47-31 game.

Wyoming would go on a run of 4-of-5 from the field, but Boise State countered with a 14-0 run to build the lead to 63-34 advantage. The Broncos would ride that momentum to the final buzzer taking the contest and the season series.

The Broncos were led in scoring by RJ Williams with 18 points. He went 7-of-8 from the field. Marcus Dickinson added 12 points going 4-of-8 from behind the arc.

Wyoming returns home on Wednesday hosting Fresno State in the Arena-Auditorium for a 7 p.m. start.

 

Boise State overpowers Wyoming 77-52 behind Williams


BOISE, Idaho -- RJ Williams came off the bench to score 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting and he added four steals as Boise State breezed to a 77-52 victory over Wyoming on Saturday.

Alex Hobbs pitched in with 13 points and five rebounds and Marcus Dickinson scored 12 on four 3-pointers for the Broncos (9-11, 4-3 Mountain West Conference).

Wyoming missed 16 of its 22 first-half shots, including a 0-for-11 effort by Justin James who came in leading the Cowboys (5-15, 1-6) in scoring at 20.5 points per game. Wyoming whiffed on all seven 3-point tries and trailed 28-14 at intermission. The 14 first-half points wasn't a season-low for Wyoming. East Tennessee State held the Cowboys to just one basket and 11 points in a 76-53 victory on Dec. 21.

Hunter Thompson scored 19 to pace Wyoming. The freshman forward hit 6 of 8 shots. The rest of the Cowboys shot 11 of 35 from the floor. James made only 2 of 17 shots for seven points. The senior guard had three of the Cowboys' 24 turnovers.

 

Pokes Battle Bulldogs on Wednesday Evening
First of two meetings this season
LARAMIE, Wyo. (Jan. 28, 2019) – The Wyoming Cowboys host the Mountain West's top three point shooting team on Wednesday evening in the Fresno State Bulldogs. Start time for the first meeting of the season between the two teams is slated for a 7 p.m. start.

Tickets are available to Wednesday's game by: going online at GoWyo.com/tickets, emailing tickets@uwyo.edu, calling 307-766-7220 or stopping by the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of the Arena-Auditorium. A special offer for Wednesday's contest features lower bowl $15 tickets for adults and $7 tickets for children ages 3-12. Trucker Hats will also be available for students.

The game will be streamed on Facebook with Kyle Huson on the call and Liv Roberts on Color. Fans can also watch, listen to the contest and follow stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 25 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, as Dave Walsh and Kevin McKinney will call the action.

A Look at the Matchup
Wyoming heads into Wednesday's game with a 5-15 overall record and a 1-6 mark in the MW. The Pokes fell at Boise State on Saturday 77-52, as the Wyoming scored a season-low and recorded a season-high 24 turnovers.

The Cowboys have 28 steals over the last three games and are averaging six steals per game on the season. Wyoming is sixth in the MW this season holding teams to 34 percent from behind the arc. Wyoming got to the free throw line 21 times on Saturday after recording a combined 39 in the previous three contests. Wyoming is second in the MW with 317 free throw attempts.

The Bulldogs head to Laramie with a 14-5 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the league. Fresno State dropped a road contest at Colorado State on Saturday by a score of 74-65. The Bulldogs are currently tied for second in the MW with UNLV and Utah State.

Fresno State leads the MW and ranks No. 20 in the nation in three point field goal defense holding the opposition to 29 percent from behind the arc. On the opposite end, Fresno State leads the league and ranks No. 21 in the nation with 9.8 three point makes per night.

Each Team's Leaders
Wyoming is lead in scoring, rebounding and assists by senior guard Justin James. The second-highest active career scorer in the MW leads the league at 19.9 points per game. He ranks fifth in the MW averaging 8.6 rebounds per game and is seventh in assists at 4.1 per game. James now has 1,752 points in his career, as he passed Charles Bradley (1,744 from 1978-81) last Wednesday for seventh in school history.

Redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson adds 11.4 points per game and 3.7 rebounds. He had 19 points at Boise State and is shooting 50 percent from the field and 48 percent from behind the arc for the year. Freshman Trevon "TJ" Taylor adds 7.1 points per game and added 10 points at Boise State.

Fresno State is led in scoring by Braxton Huggins, as he ranks fourth in the MW at 18.2 points per game. He ranks third in the league at 3.1 three-pointers per game Deshon Taylor adds 16.6 points per game and has 74 assists on the season. Nate Grimes adds 9.3 rebounds per game for third in the MW and No. 36 in the nation.

About The Series
The Cowboys trail the all-time series with Fresno State 16-11. Both team won road contests last season. Wyoming has won two of the last three contests, which including a four overtime win on Feb. 4, 2017 inside the Arena-Auditorium.

Up Next
Wyoming will enjoy its weekend bye before heading to Air Force next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. start.

 

Let’s go JJ! I’m praying for you cuz, let’s fill some buckets!

 

Williams scores 24, Fresno pulls away from Wyoming 75-62

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- New Williams made five of his six 3-pointers in the second half when he scored 15 of his career-high 24 points and Fresno State took control after the break for a 75-62 win over Wyoming on Wednesday night.

The Bulldogs (15-5, 6-2 Mountain West Conference) made 9 of 14 3-pointers and shot 50 percent in the second half to break away from a 33-33 tie at halftime.



Nate Grimes added 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting for Fresno State. Williams was 9 of 12; 6 of 8 from distance. Noah Blackwell contributed nine points on 3-of-4 shooting on 3s.

The game was close with the Cowboys (5-17, 1-8), who have lost three straight, trailing 54-53 after two Hunter Thompson free throws with 8:10 to play.

Williams then hit back-to-back 3s, followed by a Blackwell 3 and then Grimes hit a jumper and a 3 and in a three-minute span extending the lead to 15. The Bulldogs hit 5 of 6 shots and the Cowboys missed four with two turnovers in that stretch.

Justin James led Wyoming with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

 

COWBOYS TRAVEL SOUTH TO TAKE ON AIR FORCE IN MID-WEEK ACTION
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• WYOMING GAME NOTES
• LIVE AUDIO
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LARAMIE, Wyo. (Feb. 4, 2019) – The Wyoming Cowboys head south to Colorado Springs, Colo. for a mid-week contest with Air Force on Wednesday at 7 p.m. It is the first meeting of the season between the two teams and Wyoming's first trip to Clune Arena since Feb. 4, 2017.

The game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network. Fans can watch, listen to the contest and follow stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 25 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, as Dave Walsh and Kevin McKinney will call the action.

A Look at the Matchup
Wyoming heads to Colorado Springs with a 5-16 overall record and a 1-7 mark in the MW. The Pokes fell to Fresno State at home last Wednesday 75-62. The Cowboys shared the ball well in the contest with 12 assists on the night for the tenth double-digit assists output of the season.

The Cowboys are shooting 42 percent from the field this season, but have shot 48 percent from the field over the last three games. The Cowboys rank fourth in the MW in both free throws made (329) and free throws attempted (460).

The Falcons head into Wednesday's contest with a 9-13 overall record and a 4-6 mark in league play. Air Force has dropped two-straight games falling at San Diego State 66-51 and at home against Colorado State 85-53 on Saturday.

Air Force is averaging 66.8 points per game, while allowing 71.0 per game. The Falcons rank fifth in the conference in three point percentage defense at 33.8 points per game. Air Force adds 13.3 assists per game on the season to rank sixth in the league. The Falcons are similar to the Cowboys scoring more than 100 points more in the second half this season.

Each Team's Leaders
Wyoming is led in scoring, rebounding and assists by senior guard Justin James. He leads the MW in scoring at 19.9 points per game, which ranks No. 48 in the nation. He grabs 8.8 rebounds per game for fifth in the MW and adds 4.1 assists per game for seventh in the league. He grabbed his sixth double-double of the season against Fresno State, as he ranks sixth in the category in the conference.

Junior Jake Hendricks could make his first appearance in the Brown and Gold since Dec. 22 against UTEP. Prior to his injury, Hendricks added 11.4 points per game and still leads the Pokes with 34 three pointers on the season. Redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson adds 11.6 points per game, as he is shooting 50 percent from behind the arc in conference play.

Air Force is led in scoring by LaVelle Scottie at 13.8 points per game. He also adds 5.2 rebounds per night to rank second on the team. He is shooting 48 percent from the field to rank seventh in the MW. Ryan Swan adds 11.6 points per game and a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game. He ranks ninth in the MW in rebounding. He adds 2.4 offensive rebounds per game, as that mark ranks fifth in the MW.

About The Series
The Cowboys own a 78-37 advantage against the Falcons all-time. Wyoming is 32-21 all-time in Colorado Springs. Wyoming head coach Allen Edwards is 3-1 all-time against the Falcons. The Pokes took last season's only meeting 66-54 in Laramie on Feb. 28.

Up Next
Wyoming returns to the friendly confines of the Arena-Auditorium for the first "Border War" contest of the season, as the Cowboys and Colorado State will meet for a High Noon tip on Saturday.

 

Cowboys and Rams Battle at High Noon on Saturday
230th edition of Border War
LARAMIE, Wyo. (Feb. 7, 2019) – The Wyoming Cowboys will battle the Colorado State Rams in the first "Border War" contest of the season at High Noon on Saturday afternoon. The contest will be the 230th meeting between the two schools dating back to 1911.

Tickets are available to Saturday's game by: going online at GoWyo.com/tickets, emailing tickets@uwyo.edu, calling 307-766-7220 or stopping by the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of the Arena-Auditorium. A special offer for Saturday's contest features lower bowl $15 tickets for adults and $7 tickets for children ages 3-12. Special "Border War" shirts will also be available for students, who are encourage to arrive when gates open.

The game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet. Fans can listen to the contest and follow stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 25 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, as Dave Walsh and Kevin McKinney will call the action.

A Look at the Matchup
Wyoming heads into Saturday's contest with a 5-17 overall record and a 1-8 overall mark in the conference. Wyoming hit a season-high 15 three pointers on Wednesday at Air Force. It was the most since hitting 16 against San Jose State on Feb. 17, 2018.

The Cowboys have shot 47 percent from the field over the last four games, as that is six points higher than the season average. Wyoming also tied a season-high with 14 assists on Wednesday, as it mark back-to-back games with double-digit assists.

The Rams head to Laramie with a 9-14 overall record and a 4-6 mark in the MW. Colorado State is second in the Mountain West averaging only 11.5 turnovers per game. The Rams are also very disciplined committing only 16.7 fouls per game on the season to lead the MW.

Colorado State is second in the MW in field goal percentage this season at 47 percent. The Rams are shooting 35 percent from behind the arc to rank fourth in the league.

Each Team's Leaders
Wyoming is led in scoring, rebounding and assists by senior guard Justin James. He leads the MW in scoring at 20 points per game, which ranks No. 45 in the nation. He grabs 8.7 rebounds per game for fifth in the MW and adds 4.4 assists per game for fifth in the league. He nearly recorded a triple-double at Air Force with 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

Junior Jake Hendricks adds 12.2 points per game on the season and leads the Pokes with 41 three pointers for 3.2 per game. He returned to the lineup for the Brown and Gold at Air Force tying a career-high seven three pointers. Freshman Trace Young added 15 points at Air Force and adds 7.9 points per game.

The Rams are led by Nico Carvacho, as the forward leads the nation in rebounds at 12.9 per game. He also adds 15.8 points per game and has 15 double-doubles to rank third in the nation. He is shooting 59 percent from the field to lead the conference. J.D. Paige adds 14.8 points per game on the season and ranks second on the team adding 60 assists.

About The Series
The Cowboys lead the all-time series 134-95 and hold a 77-37 record in Laramie. Wyoming won the last meeting in Fort Collins on Jan. 31, 2018 earning a 91-86 double overtime win. The 91 points were the most by the Cowboys in the series.

Up Next
Wyoming hits the road on Wednesday heading to Utah State for a 7 p.m. start in Logan, Utah.

 

With the NBA, they really can’t guarantee anything unless you’re a top-10 pick or whatever,” James said. “Nobody would be able to guarantee me any place or any spot. I just felt like the best decision was for me to come back and raise my stock up another year and have 10 to 12 teams wanting me.”

James worked out for San Antonio, Houston and Boston. He said that San Antonio was interested, Houston was “kind of” interested, and Boston didn’t show much interest.






Just another heads up. The Cowboy/Rams game is televised on AT&T sports Southwest for all you local basketball fans. If it was football, you know I’d be going for the Rams.

Go Justin!