The Wyoming Cowboys floundered coming down the stretch against Fresno State to get knocked out of the Mountain West tournament, losing 77-73 and ending their season.
Both teams came out of the gates with strong offensive gameplans, and former Cowboy Xavier DuSell put up Fresno State’s first 5 points. Sam Griffin and Mason Walters both nailed three pointers in response however, and the game stayed close in the early goings.
The Pokes started to build a small lead about 5 minutes into the game, with Kot splashing a three followed by another from Kael Combs, making it 17-9 Wyoming at the 11:52 mark. DuSell continued to give his old team trouble however, and scored his 7th point to help cut the Pokes lead to only 4. After an Isaiah Pope three made it a 2 point game for Fresno State, Kot hit a jumper to keep the Pokes up by 4 with 7 minutes left in the half.
Despite the big victory less than a week ago, the Pokes weren’t able to build the same lead, and another Isaiah Pope jumper made it a one point game, 25-24. Just when it seemed like the tides could turn against the Pokes, Sam Griffin scored a fastbreak layup and nailed a three right after to hop back out to a comfortable 8 point lead at 32-24.
As the first half ticked away, Kot cashed another three to make it 40-30 but Jalen Weaver responded with a three-pointer of his own as time expired, and the Pokes went to the locker room up by 7.
Kot put up 14 points and Griffin scored 13 in the first period, helping the Cowboys shoot 48%. Fresno State also shot well, going 50% and scoring 33 points, thanks to team leader Isaiah Pope’s 9 points. Critically, the Cowboys only coughed up the ball 3 times, while forcing 9 turnovers from the Bulldogs.
The back and forth battle continued in the second half, and the teams traded scores in the first couple minutes. Around the 16 minute mark Fresno State caught fire in a flash, and went on a 6-0 run in a minute to bring the game to 44-43. Two Fresno State free throws then gave the Bulldogs their first lead since the first few minutes of the game. A Sam Griffin three-pointer helped keep Wyoming close, and at 11:40 the game was knotted up 47-47.
Fresno State held a slim lead as the game headed into its final act, but Wyoming hung in the contest, going shot for shot with the Bulldogs. The lead switched back and forth between the teams with almost every bucket. At 7:28, Kot splashed a three-pointer to go up 60-58, and a Wenzel shot from beyond the arc made it 65-58, restoring their 7 point lead. In the blink of an eye, the Pokes went on an incredible 10-0 run in only 1:41.
With 4:30 to go, top Fresno State scorer Isaiah Pope fouled out after scoring 22 for the Bulldogs. Despite the loss on offense, Jalen Weaver cashed a three, but was immediately answered with a three from Wenzel. Fresno State began closing the lead, and Isaiah Hill, the Bulldog’s leading scorer this season, made his first bucket of the game, and followed it with a layup to make it 72-71 Pokes.
With 1:29 to go, Walters missed a key layup and Fresno State drove to the basket to go up by 1 with a minute remaining. A free throw evened the score, but Fresno State laid the ball in once more, going up 75-73 with a mere 16 seconds left. In the paint, Xavier DuSell forced a turnover for Fresno State, and the Bulldogs went on to win 77-73.
The Pokes season ended in heartbreaking fashion after leading by 9 late in the game, and they ultimately wouldn’t be able to hold on. With both basketball teams losing in the first round of Mountain West action, 2023-2024 Wyoming basketball comes to an end.
