After one half of play on the road against the New Mexico Lobos, the Cowboys had barrelled their way to a double-digit lead due to their own efficient offensive play, plus the Lobos’ deficient offensive play in the first half. The lead to that point sat at 39-29, but the Cowboys had led as much 13 earlier in the half after shooting a blistering 61.5% from the field and 62.5% from deep in the first half–all the while holding the Lobos to a much less appealing 32% from the field and 28.6% from deep in the same half.
Wait, haven’t we seen this script play out once before?
This same exact scene played out in the first half of when these two teams wrangled in their first meeting this season in Laramie. In that opening half of play in Laramie, the Cowboys had held the highest-scoring offense in the Mountain West to a season low 18 points in the first half. The Cowboys’ offense, even without their leading scorer, Obi Agbim, was humming in that first half of play as well, jumping out to a 32-18 lead at the half.
Then, the dreaded second half commenced and within just six minutes, the Lobos had disintegrated the Cowboys’ 14-point halftime lead into a two-point lead in their favor, opening the half on a 17-1 run. The Cowboys would eventually be outscored 43-21 in the second half on their way to a devastating 61-53 loss on their home court.
While the Cowboys haven’t necessarily been known as a second half team this year, one would hope that they would break through their second half woes this time around.
Felt the power of that jam all the way in Laramie 🤠💪 pic.twitter.com/QJ7YzWVhia
— Wyoming Cowboy Basketball (@wyo_mbb) February 13, 2025
A 10-0 Lobo run to start the second half, sparked by the Cowboys’ careless backcourt turnovers, compounded by silly shooting fouls squandered any hope that the Cowboys would finally break that trend–and just like that, the Cowboys’ 10-point second half lead had disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Now, this one was starting to look eerily similar to the last contest between these two.
This time around, however, the Cowboys were able to stabilize themselves and righted the ship, stopping the bleeding at just a 10-0 straight unanswered points in the second half this time around. What ensued after that was a physical, back-and-forth brawl between both teams.
After trading baskets for much of the second half, the Lobos would eventually take their first lead of the entire contest with 4:58 remaining, after Lobo freshman Jovan Milicevic cashed in his second triple of the game to give the Lobos a one-point advantage.
You may want to remember that name for later.
Agbim, who was well and healthy for this contest against the Lobos, scored five straight points in response to Milicevic’s three, answering the bell and quieting the Pit’s crowd as he had done all night long.
Eventually, these two teams would come to be all knotted up at 65 apiece with just a minute remaining. Agbim–who had a deep, but good look from three–would miss a crucial triple at the one-minute threshold, as the Lobos would secure the defensive rebound.
Then, Donovon Dent–the Lobos’ and Mountain West conference’s leading scorer–would demand a double-team, as it appeared he’d be taking the Lobos’ shot for the lead. Matija Belic–who was matched up with Milicevic–would sag into the lane, allowing Dent to swing the ball to an open Milicevic.
And he would bury the three, and ultimately the Cowboys.
FOR THE LEAD!! @JovanMilicevic9
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) February 13, 2025
📺@FS1#GoLobos pic.twitter.com/106g1WdeaF
AJ Wills’ layup attempt on the ensuing possession would be blocked, and the Lobos would make their free throws late to shut the door on the Cowboys’ upset bid, breaking the Cowboys’ hearts once again as they’d drop yet another close battle to one of the top teams in the Mountain West.
“I mean, for a bunch of new guys to come into the Pit and do what we did here, that says a lot about who we are becoming, right?” head coach Sundance Wicks said of his team’s toughness in playing in one of the most hostile environments in the whole conference.
Just how many more heartbreakers like this can one team take?
“I think one thing this team lacks, it was my message in the locker room, was that we lack real, deep-seated belief, right?” Wicks said. “Where does that belief come from? It comes from tradition. It comes from being in a culture. It comes from being around.”
It is clear as day, to everyone, including opposing teams in the Mountain West, that the Cowboys’ culture is beginning to brew in Laramie–and that is a scary, even terrifying thing for every team in the league coming down the stretch towards March.
“I think Sundance does a really, really good job. He’s building a culture and he’s going to get it going. We’re fortunate that he didn’t win tonight, but they’re just a tough, physical team,” the Lobos’ head coach, Richard Pitino, said of the Cowboys.
Now, we’re just waiting for that belief to boil over and translate into a big win, one that the Cowboys and Wicks have been eyeing all season long, and one that has seemingly evaded them for the entire season.
“That’s our goal, right? We want to steal one of those bad boys,” Wicks had said earlier in the week.
“The philosophy is, you got to start at the bottom, and you got to work your way up. That’ll be the measuring stick of where we are.”
While many things went well for the Cowboys against the Lobos on the road, including 53.8% from both the field and from deep, as well as assisting on half of their made field goals, there were also some tough numbers in the box score that led to their demise.
The Cowboys would finish the game with 18 turnovers that turned into 17 points for the Lobos, as the Lobos thrive off creating turnovers in their fast-paced offense. The Cowboys also left 10 points at the free throw line, as they shot an atrocious 4/14, or 28.6%, from the charity stripe.
The Cowboys will take on the Colorado State Rams on the road this Saturday in the second rendition of the Border War this season, as the Cowboys will be looking to avenge an ugly loss to the Rams in their first meeting.
