LARAMIE — The Wyoming basketball programs split results Tuesday night, as the Cowboys stayed unbeaten with a 79-65 home win over Austin Peay, while the Cowgirls dropped their road opener at UT Arlington, 64-44.
In Laramie, the duo of Damarion Dennis and Uriyah Rojas combined for 42 points to power the Cowboys to their first 3-0 start since the 2021-22 season.
“We got tougher in the second half and give Austin Peay credit our guys weren’t ready to handle the pressure in the first half,” Wyoming head coach Sundance Wicks said. “I’m proud of the second half effort and our helpers (assists) were good and we did a great job defending the three-point line. The competitive effort for 40 minutes needs to be better, but I’m never going to be upset about a win.”
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Rojas led all scorers with a career-high 22 points, hitting six 3-pointers, while Dennis added a career-best 20 points, five rebounds, and a team-high five assists. Freshman Gavin Gores recorded a career-high 10 points with three dunks, and Abou Magassa led all players with a career-high 11 rebounds.
Wyoming shot 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep, while holding the Governors to 36 percent shooting overall and 22 percent from beyond the arc. The Cowboys controlled the glass with a 45-37 advantage and dished out a season-high 21 assists on 27 made baskets.
After leading 37-35 at halftime, the Cowboys opened the second half on a 10-0 run to take a 47-35 lead. Austin Peay responded with a run of its own, but Dennis and Rojas sparked the Cowboys late to secure the win.
The Governors were led by Zyree Collins with 19 points and Tate McCubbin with 15.
Wyoming returns to the Arena-Auditorium on Saturday at 7 p.m. to host Portland.
In Arlington, the Cowgirls fell to UT Arlington after the Lady Mavs shot a scorching 10-of-15 from 3-point range, including 67 percent from beyond the arc. Wyoming struggled offensively, shooting 33 percent from the floor and 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from deep.
UT Arlington opened the game with three straight 3-pointers to take a 14-4 lead, but the Cowgirls battled back with a 10-2 run to trail just 16-14 after the first quarter. Wyoming tied the game once in the second at 23-23 before UTA closed the half on a 5-0 run to lead 28-23 at the break.
The Lady Mavs opened the third quarter with another 8-0 run to extend their lead to double digits and never looked back, building a 14-point advantage and holding off UW the rest of the way.
Madi Symons scored a career-high 10 points for the Cowgirls, marking her first career double-digit game, while also adding seven rebounds and four assists. Malene Pedersen led Wyoming with 11 points, and Logann Alvar and Payton Muma each chipped in seven. Liv Blomkvist and Aurore Eyango scored their first career points for UW.
UT Arlington shot 49 percent from the floor and held a 16-4 edge in fast-break points, while Wyoming led 22-14 in points in the paint.
The Cowgirls (1-1) continue their three-game road swing Friday at Santa Clara, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. Mountain Time.
