Cowboys Drop Heartbreaker to New Mexico in Arena-Auditorium, 61-53

Pokes held New Mexico to 26 points below season average

Laramie, Wyo.  (Jan. 7, 2025) – The Wyoming Cowboys put on a clinic on the defense end of the floor in the first half holding one the nation’s top offenses to only 18 points and 18.5 percent from the field, but a late run by New Mexico in the final minutes lifted the Lobos past the Pokes 61-53 on Tuesday evening in the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie.

“We were close and close only count in horseshoes and hand grenades and this game stung a bit,” UW head coach Sundance Wicks said. I’m proud of the guys as they executed the game plan, and they are believing in what we are doing. The process is showing, but the results aren’t right. We had brilliant defensive effort in the first half, and you always expect a team like that to come out with their hair on fire in the second half and they did.”

Wyoming’s first half performance defensively of 18.5 percent by the Lobos was their fourth lowest in a half in program history. The Pokes held the Lobos to a season-low 33.3 percent on the night and 23.8 percent from behind the arc. Wyoming shot a season-low 32.2 percent on the night and 26.3 percent from behind the arc. The battle on the boards was won by New Mexico 44-41.

The Pokes were led in scoring by Dontaie Allen with 12 points on the night. It was his third game in double-figures this season and second-straight. Cole Henry added 10 points for his fifth game in double-figures. He also added five rebounds. Abou Magassa added a career-high 10 points and added five rebounds. Jordan Nesbitt added a team-high eight rebounds and Matija Belic added seven tying a career-high. Nesbitt added a season-high five assists. Kobe Newton added a trio of three pointers and had nine points.

Neither team could find a basket in the opening two minutes, but both added buckets for a 2-2 contest with under 17 minutes left in the first half. Touko Tainamo added a bucket and three pointers from Newton and Allen made it a 10-2 game with 14 minutes left in the opening frame. UW held New Mexico scoreless for over four and a half minutes during the 10-0 run.

A pick and roll from Nesbitt to Henry made it a 14-4 game for the Pokes halfway through the first half. Allen made it a 16-4 contest with a layup and the Lobos scored a basket after going 1-of-16 to start the game. The two teams traded three pointers for a 19-9 contest for the Brown and Gold with under eight minutes left in the half.

Wyoming went two and a half minutes without a score, but both teams would trade threes for a 22-13 game with under five minutes left in the half. A layup from Henry and a huge slam from Magassa made it a 27-13 game for the Cowboys with under three and a half minutes left in the first half.

Magassa added another slam and made it a 32-18 game and that would be the score at the half.

New Mexico opened the second half on a 12-0 run over the first five and a half minutes to make it a 32-30 contest. Donovan Dent added an and-one play to give the Lobos a 35-33 lead with 13:44 left in the game.

And pair of free throws and a then Henry and Magassa added a pair of layups followed by a transition slam from Nesbitt for an 8-0 run for Wyoming for a 41-35 lead with under 12 minutes left. Wyoming would push the lead to as much as seven points, but the Lobos added a quick 5-0 run for a 45-43 game for the Pokes with eight minutes left.

Wyoming went without a bucket for over two minutes with the Lobos going on a 10-0 run to take a 55-48 lead with three minutes left. The Pokes saw the Lobos finish the contest at the line and take the win 61-53 marking the second game Wyoming was without leading scorer Obi Agbim.

The Lobos were led by Dent with 22 points and six assists. Nelly Junior Joseph added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Filip Borovicanin added 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Wyoming will enjoy a bye weekend before heading to Boise State to meet the Broncos for the second time in two weeks.