LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowboys officially open the 2025-26 basketball season Monday, hosting Northern State at 6:30 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.
The game marks Wyoming head coach Sundance Wicks’ first matchup against his alma mater, as well as the first-ever meeting between the Cowboys and the Wolves.
Fans can watch or listen to the game and follow live stats on GoWyo.com. The broadcast will air across the 26 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, with Keith Kelly and Kevin McKinney on the call. You can listen to the game in Sweetwater County on KUGR 104.9 FM.
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Wyoming comes into the season after a pair of exhibition wins, defeating Northern Colorado 69-65 and College of Idaho 111-63. The Cowboys return one starter in forward Matija Belic, along with fellow forward Abou Magassa. Wicks added 12 newcomers to the roster this offseason, including seven transfers.
In the win over College of Idaho, Wyoming shot 56.2% from the field, held a 44-29 edge on the glass, and limited the Coyotes to 36.4% shooting.
Northern State is looking to bounce back from a 2-26 season under second-year head coach Matt Wilber. One of the top NCAA Division II programs historically, the Wolves have claimed 13 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) regular-season titles since the mid-1980s. Northern State dropped a 112-74 decision to Murray State in its only exhibition game this season and was picked to finish 13th in the NSIC preseason poll.
Wyoming was led in its most recent exhibition by Nasir “Naz” Meyer with 18 points, followed by Damarion Dennis and Khaden Bennett with 12 each, and Uriyah Rojas with 11. Belic led the Cowboys with six rebounds, while Bennett added five. All 15 players scored in the victory.
Leland Walker, who has eclipsed 1,000 career points, scored seven against College of Idaho after leading Wyoming with 20 points in the win over Northern Colorado.
For Northern State, Joshua Book scored 14 points in the exhibition against Murray State, while Simon Akena and Marshawn Smith added 13 and 10, respectively. Former Cowboy Ben Bowen started for the Wolves, contributing four points.
Monday’s matchup marks the first meeting between the programs but carries personal connections. Wicks was a two-time All-NSIC first-team selection at Northern State, where he scored 1,174 points and grabbed 665 rebounds. He was also a two-time All-NSIC performer in the 400-meter hurdles.
Cowboy assistant coach Nic Reynolds will face his brother, Nelson Reynolds, who plays guard for the Wolves.
The Cowboys return to action Nov. 8, hosting Cal State Fullerton at 2 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium. The game will stream on the Mountain West Network.
