Pokes, Lobos Both Looking to Halt Three-Game Losing Skids
* University of Wyoming press release contributed to this report
LARAMIE -- The Wyoming Cowboys continue their road swing on Tuesday, heading to New Mexico to take on the Lobos in a Valentine’s Day matchup. The contest is slated for a 8 p.m. start and is the second meeting between the schools this season.
The contest will be televised on CBS Sports Network with John Sadek on the call and Mike O’Donnell as the analyst.
Fans can listen to the contest, as well as follow stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 26 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, as Keith Kelley will have the call with Kevin McKinney on color.
About The Teams
The Cowboys, who have dropped three straight, head into the contest with a 7-17 overall record and a 2-10 mark in conference play after falling to Boise State on Saturday by a score of 75-63.
Jeff Linder's squad has yet to win a true road game this season and were edged out by the then-ranked No. 22 Lobos inside the Arena-Auditorium 76-75 back in late December.
Wyoming is shooting 45 percent from the field this season with opponents shooting 46 percent. The Cowboys are knocking down 8.6 three-pointers per game on the season, which is good enough for second in the conference and No. 57 in the nation. UW shot 50 percent from three against Boise State on Saturday and ranks in the Top-100 in the nation in effective field-goal percentage at 52.9 percent. That also ranks fifth in the conference.
New Mexico has lost three-straight contests after falling to Air Force. The Lobos still boast an impressive 19-6 overall record and are very much in the at-large picture of the NCAA Tournament. New Mexico averages 81.6 points per game, while its foes score 72.4 points per contest. UNM connects on 49 percent of their field-goal attempts and 35.1 percent of their shots from three-point land. New Mexico’s opponents hit 43.4 percent of their shots from the floor and 31.7 percent of their shots from deep.
About The Players
The Pokes are led in scoring by Noah Reynolds at 14.5 points per game. The sophomore guard has been sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering three concussions over the last six months.
Hunter Maldonado now leads the Cowboys, averaging 14.1 points per game on the season. The super senior from Colorado Springs missed a portion of the second half in last Saturday night's loss at Boise State after injuring his left elbow.
Linder said Maldonado will suit up Tuesday night.
He went over 2,000 points for his career and has scored 1,100 points in conference play, becoming Wyoming’s al-time leader in MW scoring and ranking fourth in league history. He also adds 4.2 rebounds per game and has 79 assists.
Jeremiah Oden adds 8.1 points per game this season. The junior forward has reached double figures in the Cowboys' last four outings. Hunter Thompson adds 6.9 points and leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game.
True freshman Caden Powell has received extended minutes of late. The 6-foot-10, 206-pound forward has tied a career high with six points in each of Wyoming's last two games. He is 6-for-10 from the field and has chipped in with seven rebounds and three blocks.
Wyoming is still without the services of Graham Ike, who last week announced he will miss the remainder of the season and instead will continue to rehab a right foot injury he sustained in late October. Kenny Foster is still day-to-day after having mid-season back surgery. UW again will have a limited bench due to the unexpected departures of Max Agbonkpolo, Ethan Anderson and Jake Kyman.
Jamal Mashburn Jr. paces the Lobos. He pours in 20 points per game to go alongside 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest. Jaelen House adds 17.3 points, a team-best 4.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. He will be a game-time decision, according to Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal. House is dealing with a hamstring injury and did not practice on Sunday.
Morris Udeze chips in 15.4 points and a team-high 8.7 rebounds per contest.
About The Series
New Mexico owns a slight 77-71 edge in the all-time series. The Lobos have won six of the last 10 meetings.
Up Next
The Cowboys return to Laramie for a Friday night game. They’ll host Air Force at 8 p.m. inside the Arena-Auditorium. The Falcons took the first matchup 82-74 last month in Colorado Springs.