LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowboys head south to Fort Collins on Saturday for the second edition of this season’s Border War, meeting Colorado State in the 246th all-time matchup between the rivals. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. on the Mountain West Network, marking the third time the schools have met on Valentine’s Day, with the series tied at one win apiece in those games.
Wyoming enters the rivalry matchup at 13-11 overall and 4-9 in Mountain West play after falling at home to conference-leading Utah State. The Cowboys average 77.8 points per game this season and allow 73 per night, while scoring 69.3 points per game in league play. Wyoming leads the conference in rebounding at 36.4 per game and offensive rebounding at just over 12 per contest, and ranks fourth in the Mountain West with 17 made free throws per game while shooting 79 percent at the line in conference play.
Colorado State comes in at 14-10 overall and 5-8 in conference play, riding a two-game winning streak with victories over San Jose State and Air Force. The Rams average 75.8 points per game and allow 70.4, shooting 49 percent from the field. Colorado State leads the Mountain West and ranks 36th nationally by averaging 10.1 made 3-pointers per game.
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Leland Walker leads Wyoming in scoring at 14.9 points per game and adds a team-high 3.6 assists per contest. Nasir (Naz) Meyer averages 12.8 points and is tied for the team lead with 4.8 rebounds per game, while Khaden Bennett is averaging 10 points and has scored in double figures in three straight games. Damarion Dennis adds 9.7 points per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field. Wyoming leads the all-time series with Colorado State 140-105 and is 54-62 all-time in Fort Collins. The Cowboys took the first meeting in Laramie, 68-57.
Meanwhile, the Wyoming Cowgirls return home Saturday to host Boise State at 2 p.m. in a matchup with the Mountain West’s top-scoring offense. Wyoming is coming off an 82-72 road win Wednesday at UNLV, the Cowgirls’ first road win over the Lady Rebels since 2020. Wyoming made 16 3-pointers in the win, the fourth-most in program history, and had three players score 20 or more points in the same game for the first time since February of 2015, also against UNLV.
Malene Pedersen tied a season high with 26 points, while Henna Sandvik scored 25 and Jane Rumpf added 20 in the victory. Payton Muma recorded five assists for her sixth game this season with at least five assists, and Wyoming finished with 21 assists, marking the fifth time this season the Cowgirls have recorded 20 or more assists in a game. Wyoming ranks second in the Mountain West averaging 14.1 assists per game and assists on 66 percent of its field goals this season.
Pedersen is averaging 17 points per game this season and leads the Mountain West in conference scoring at 17.4 points per game. She has scored in double figures in 44 consecutive games, the fourth-longest active streak in the country. The Cowgirls are tied for first in the Mountain West with 3.96 blocks per game and lead the league in conference play at 4.53 blocks per contest, with Jane Rumpf and Heidur Karlsdottir ranking first and second, respectively, in conference-only blocks per game.
Boise State leads the Mountain West in scoring at 71.6 points per game and also tops the league in assists at 16.1 per contest. The Broncos are led by Tatum Thompson at 14.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, while Dani Bayes and Natalie Pasco are also averaging double figures. Boise State leads the all-time series 22-17 and won the first meeting this season in Boise, 77-40, but Wyoming has won the last five meetings in Laramie.
