The Wyoming men’s basketball team matched their own Mountain West Conference record for points allowed in a game Saturday. They allowed the San Jose State Spartans to score just nine second-half points on their way to a 46-38 victory at The Event Center in San Jose, Calif.
The Cowboys also allowed the Spartans the fewest amount of points ever in a Mountain West contest.
“In 40 years of coaching, I’ve never been part of a team that played harder or smarter on the defensive end in the second half,” Wyoming head coach Larry Shyatt said. “We got to every possible loose ball in the second half. It wasn’t always pretty, but they did a great job of eliminating Larry Nance Jr. from our offense. We knew it was going to be a grind-it-out type of game.”
Junior guard Riley Grabau led the Cowboys with 18 points and a career-high nine rebounds.
Saturday’s performance, coupled with Grabau’s efforts in the Cowboys’ upset of SDSU earlier in the week, were enough to earn him Mountain West Player of the Week honors.
The Cowboys came into the second half down 29-26 at halftime, but quickly got off to a 7-0 run to take a three-point lead, 33-29. From that point on the Pokes allowed the Spartans just four field goals on their way to another conference win.
Wyoming started the first half just as hot offensively as they did in the second, going four-of-five from the field to jump out to a 7-0 lead. The Spartans quickly countered with an 8-0 run of their own, however, and took a one-point lead.
Grabau and redshirt junior guard Charles Hankerson Jr. hit back-to-back threes to reclaim the lead for the Cowboys.
Wyoming’s first-half lead grew to as much as six, but the Spartans ended the half with three consecutive three-pointers to take a 29-26 lead into the break.
The Pokes shot 41 percent (17-of-42) from the field and 29 percent (5-of-17) from downtown, while out-assisting SJSU 12-9.
Defense was the Cowboys strong suit on Saturday, though, as they recorded 10 steals, the second-most they have notched in a contest this season.
The Cowboys did not allow the Spartans any fast break points, marking the eighth time in the last eleven games that the Wyoming squad has done so.
The Cowboys return to action tonight in the Arena Auditorium where they will take on the Fresno State Bulldogs. The game is set to start at 7 p.m.
