The Wyoming Cowboys’ biggest deficit in their championship matchup against the Loyola-Marymount Lions in the Cancun Challenge sat at 16 in the first half.
Sound familiar?
Just the night before, the Cowboys mounted a valiant comeback effort against Tulane in the opening round of the Cancun Challenge, one that saw the Cowboys come back from 16 down in the second half to defeat the Green Wave courtesy of a last second three pointer by big man Touko Tainamo.
@wyo_mbb WITH A BIG THREE TO TAKE THE LEAD 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kTu2rc9zjd
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) November 27, 2024
While the Cowboys were able to cut the halftime lead to 13, they still had their work cut out for them in the second half once again in the Cancun Challenge.
However, within four and a half minutes played in the second half, the Cowboys had taken a one point lead. They even extended that lead to 10 with five and half minutes left in the contest, and it looked like this one was all but going to go down as yet another incredible comeback effort by the Pokes.
Then, the all too familiar turnover bug bit once again for the Cowboys. Obi Agbim, who led the Cowboy comeback effort with a game-high 23 points, coughed the ball up at the top of the key twice in a row, leading to a couple of uncontested layups for the Lions.
Within the span of two minutes, the Lions had tied the game up at 64. The sixth three pointer of the night for the Lions’ big man Jevon Porter with two and a half minutes remaining would give the Lions the lead for the rest of the night, as a last second three point attempt to tie the game by senior guard Kobe Newton would be off the mark.
After a THRILLING finish, @lmulionsMBB are YOUR CANCUN CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/GrU3WvftsJ
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) November 28, 2024
The Lions were led by a monumental effort by Porter, who finished his night with 29 points, including 19 in the first half. Caleb Stone-Carrawell was also a problem for the Cowboys, as he finished with 17 points while shooting 80% from the field.
The Cowboys were led by Agbim with 23 points. Jordan Nesbitt chipped in his fifth double-double effort of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Cowboys will return to action on December 4 with their first Mountain West conference game of the season, taking on the undefeated Utah State Aggies on the road.
