Pokes Open Sun Bowl Invite Wednesday Against South Dakota State

* University of Wyoming press release

LARAMIE -- The Cowboys hit the road with a trip to the Lone Star State for the second time this season taking on South Dakota State in the first round of the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational in El Paso on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Don Haskins Center.

Wyoming will face either UTEP or Norfolk State in the tournament finale on Thursday.

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The contest will be streamed on the Sun Bowl Association Youtube page. Fans can listen to the contest, as well as follow stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be streamed on the MW Network and the MW App and will be broadcast live on radio over the 26 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, as Keith Kelley on the call and Kevin McKinney on color.

About The Teams

Wyoming heads into the contest with a 6-4 overall record after falling to Big Sky favorite Weber State on Saturday by a score of 84-71. The Cowboys head into the contest still leading the nation in three-point percentage at 42.9 percent. The Pokes are shooting 47 percent from the field this season.

Defensively, Wyoming is holding opponents to 43.6 percent from the field this season. The opposition is also shooting 31.3 percent from behind the arc for the season. Wyoming is averaging 76.1 points per game on the season and are allowing 71.2 points per night.

The Jackrabbits head to Texas with a 6-5 overall record and winners of two-straight. SDSU is averaging 76.5 points per game and are allowing 69.8.

South Dakota State is shooting 46.5 percent from the field and holding opponents to 39.1 percent. SDSU is shooting 36.9 percent from behind the arc and hit 9.5 threes per game. An excellent rebounding team, SDSU averages 38.8 per game.

About The Players

Wyoming is led in scoring this season by guard Sam Griffin at 19.3 points per game for second in the MW. He has scored 20 or more points in five games this season. He heads into the contest shooting 49.1 percent from behind the arc to lead the conference and rank fifth in the nation.

Guard Akuel Kot averages 16 points per game and ranks ninth in the conference in scoring this season.

Forward Cam Manyawu adds 9.8 points per game and 7.3 rebounds. He has five double-doubles on the season to rank second in the MW and No. 13 in the nation.

SDSU is led by one of the top players in the Summit League in Zeke Mayo at 18.5 points per game. He also adds 6.5 rebounds and leads the team with 37 assists.

Charles Easley adds 12.1 points per game and 5.9 rebounds. He is shooting 44.9 percent from behind the arc.

Nate Barnhart, who transferred from Wyoming to SDSU this offseason, is averaging 5.3 points per game to go along with three rebounds. The 7-foot Kansas product netted less than three points per outing in his lone season playing for the Cowboys.

About The Series

The Cowboys hold a 4-1 lead in the all-time series against South Dakota State and have won two-straight in the series. Wyoming won the last meeting, which also came on a neutral floor in the Cayman islands in 2017 by a score of 77-65.

Up Next

The Cowboys continue play at the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational on Thursday facing either UTEP or Norfolk State in a time to be determined.