PHOENIX — Wyoming used a 12-0 run over the final five minutes to pull away for a 70-65 win over Grand Canyon on Saturday night at Global Credit Union Arena.
Simm-Marten Saadi scored a career-high 13 points to lead the Cowboys, who silenced the home crowd late and improved in a series in which the home team has never won.
“We wrote two things on the board defensively protect the paint and offensively play for each other,” Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks said. “You want to be playing your best basketball in March and the Pokes are trying to get hot right now. We are worried about playing for each other and that was a happy locker room. All the toughness categories we won tonight and winning plays down the stretch.”
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Saadi reached double figures for the first time in his career, making three 3-pointers and finishing 5 of 9 from the field in 15 minutes. Leland Walker added 13 points and four assists, Nasir Meyer had 11 points with three rebounds and three steals, and Khaden Bennett contributed nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Wyoming shot 40 percent from the field, made eight 3-pointers and went 14 of 19 at the free-throw line. The Cowboys scored 17 points off turnovers and held a 38-36 rebounding edge with 12 offensive boards. Wyoming’s bench outscored Grand Canyon’s 34-2. The Lopes shot 41 percent and made seven 3-pointers.
Wyoming led 28-26 late in the first half before Meyer’s basket tied the game at 28 at the break. The Cowboys shot 33 percent in the opening half while Grand Canyon shot 42 percent.
Saadi’s 3-pointer and a jumper from Walker helped Wyoming take a 35-30 lead early in the second half, and another Saadi triple made it 38-32. Grand Canyon rallied to tie the game at 50 with 6:38 remaining and briefly took the lead before Saadi answered with another 3-pointer to put Wyoming ahead 56-55 with just over four minutes left.
Walker converted an and-one play to spark a decisive run, and the Cowboys extended it to 12 straight points for a 65-55 advantage with 36 seconds remaining. Grand Canyon hit late 3-pointers to close the gap, but Wyoming held on for the 70-65 victory.
Makaiah Williams led Grand Canyon with 29 points, going 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Jaden Henley added 15 points and Nana Owusu-Anane had 12 rebounds.
Wyoming returns to action Tuesday at Boise State in a 7 p.m. contest on the Mountain West Network.
