The Wyoming Cowboys Basketball was a shining light for Wyoming Athletics this season.
While their season came to an abrupt end in the early rounds of the NCAA March Madness Tournament, they had an impressive season overall.
The 25-9 overall Cowboys finished fourth in the Mountain West Conference, with a conference record of 13-5.
The Cowboy squad recorded 25 wins in the regular season, which is the most since the 1951-52 season. The Poke program made the NCAA Tournament for the 16th time and its first at-large bid since 2002.
The Cowboys only lost one match at home all season long, proving to be a force when at 7,220 feet in elevation at the Arena-Auditorium.
Two Cowboys, Senior Hunter Maldonado and Sophomore Graham Ike, were selected for 2021-2022 All-Conference accolades.
The duo helped lead the Cowboys to 25 wins during the season; the most since 2015.
Maldonado was selected to the All-Conference first team, scoring an average of 18.5 points per game. Maldonado also finished the season with 207 assists, which is the most in a single season and earned him the all-time leader in assists for the program.
Ike, who was selected to the All-Conference second team, led the team in scoring average at 19.5 points per game, shooting 51% from the field.
Ike also recorded 9.5 rebounds per game, 92 of which were offensive, 225 defensive, and totaling 317 rebounds altogether.
Drake Jeffries proved to be another notable player for the Cowboys. In his senior season, Jeffries shot 41% from behind the arc, bagging 94 made three-pointers.
He also recorded 165 defensive rebounds, 20 steals, and 17 blocks this season.
Jeffries will participate in the 2022 College 3-Point Championship on March 31.
Perhaps the most memorable game for the Cowboy squad was their overtime win over rival Colorado State, which the Cowboys won 84-78.
7,549 fans came to the AA that day, in white-out attire, to cheer on the Cowboys.
The Air Force game saw the highest attendance of the season for the Pokes at 8,312, which the Cowboys won 75-67.
Jeff Linder and the Cowboy squad look to return next season for another run at the Mountain West Conference title, and perhaps, another dance in the NCAA.
