Cowboys Take Mountain West Leader New Mexico Down to Wire in 71-67 Loss

Agbim leads Pokes with 22 points

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Feb. 12, 2025) – The Wyoming Cowboys went down to the wire with Mountain West leader New Mexico, but could not close the deal in the late inside The Pit in a 71-67 loss on Wednesday evening in Albuquerque, N.M. The Pokes shot over 50 percent from the field and three on the night but struggled with 18 turnovers.

“For us to come in here and do what we did it says a lot of who we are becoming,” UW head coach Sundance Wicks said. “Once again what this team lacks and I told the locker room is we lack real deep seeded belief and where does that come from, it comes from being in a culture and being around and beliefs that minutes matter and moments matter. But it was death by a thousand paper cuts. Consistency requires time and that where culture is important and that is what we are building.”

The Cowboys shot 61.5 percent from the field in the first half for the second best in an opening frame this season after 63.6 percent at Cal State Fullerton. UW finished the night shooting 53.8 percent from the field and from behind the arc. Wyoming shot 28.6 percent from the line. The Lobos were held to 41.8 percent. Both teams grabbed 36 rebounds in the contest

Wyoming was led in scoring by Obi Agbim with 22 points in the contest. It marked his 21^st game in double-figures this season and his seventh game with 20 or more points. A.J. Wills added 12 points for his fourth game in double-figures this season. Cole Henry added 10 points for his seventh game in double-figures. Dontaie Allen added a career-high 11 rebounds to lead all players. Jordan Nesbitt added eight points and seven rebounds.

The Pokes made their first three baskets to take a 7-2 lead in the opening two-plus minutes of the half. A transition bucket off a turnover finished by Nesbitt made it a 9-2 game, as it was a 7-0 run for the Pokes.

New Mexico used turnovers to make it a 9-6 game, but back-to-back baskets from the Pokes made it a 13-6 game with under 14 minutes left in the half. Wills and Henry added the buckets for the Pokes. Matija Belic added a bucket for a 16-7 lead, as UW held the Lobos for nearly three minutes.

Wyoming went scoreless for over two minutes with New Mexico making it a 16-11 game, but Wills stopped the run to push the lead back to seven halfway through the half. Agbim and Nesbitt added triples on back-to-back trips down the floor to make it a 24-13 game for the Pokes with 8:11 left in the first half.

After New Mexico made it an eight-point game, another Nesbitt triple made it a 30-19 game with five minutes left in the half. The Lobos went scoreless for over two minutes and a Wills three made it a 12 points contest and Wyoming took a 10-point lead into the half at 39-29.

New Mexico opened the second half on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 39-39, but Wyoming added a slam from Oleg Kojenets and a layup from Agbim for a four-point lead with under 17 minutes left. The teams traded a pair of threes and Donovan Dent tied the game at the 15-minute mark for a 46-46 game.

The Lobos battled and tied the game at 51-51 with under 11 minutes left in the game, but a Henry and-one made it a 54-51 game for the Pokes. Agbim added a layup for a 56-51 lead holding the Lobos scoreless for nearly four-minutes.

The Lobos would speed the Cowboys up and take a 59-58 lead with five minutes left, but Agbim added a three-pointer to take the lead back and added with a brilliant jumper for a 63-59 contest with under four minutes left.

An offensive rebound and put back by Nelly Junior Joseph followed later by a free throw tied the game at 63-63 with two minutes left with the Pokes going scoreless for over two minutes. Agbim gave Wyoming a lead, but UNM added a bucket and a three for a 68-65 lead with 29 seconds left.

The Lobos made it a 70-65 game with free throws, but Henry got to double-figures for a 70-67 game with under three seconds left, but the Lobos took the game 71-67.

The Lobos were led by Dent with 20 points with six rebounds and seven assists. Tru Washington added 15 points on the night.

The Cowboys will head to Colorado State on Saturday for the second edition of the Border War inside Moby Arena at 2 p.m. on the Mountain West Network.