LARAMIE — Wyoming basketball had contrasting results over the weekend, as the Cowboys grinded out a hard-fought 81-66 victory over Tennessee State, while the Cowgirls were unable to maintain their strong start, falling to BYU 76-63 after a challenging second half.

Cowboys Secure 81-66 Win Over Tennessee State

The Wyoming Cowboys displayed defensive resilience in their 81-66 win over Tennessee State on Sunday afternoon at the Arena-Auditorium. The win marked head coach Sundance Wicks’ 50th career victory, led by guard Obi Agbim’s impressive 24-point performance.

“Facing a tough team like Tennessee State was a great test,” said Wicks. “While our tempo was good early on, unnecessary fouls slowed the game down. We defended the three-point line well and stayed solid on ball screen defense.”

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Agbim was highly efficient, hitting 10-of-13 from the field, including a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Jordan Nesbitt added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Kobe Newton contributed 11 points off the bench along with a career-high five assists. Overall, the Cowboys shot 53% from the field, going 9-of-18 from three-point range, and held Tennessee State to just 37% shooting, marking their second consecutive game holding opponents under 40% from the field.

The Cowboys established an early lead, as Agbim’s three-pointer opened scoring and a dunk from Nesbitt extended the lead to 8-4. Wyoming maintained its advantage through the first half, eventually entering halftime up 43-28, thanks to contributions from Newton and an 8-0 run late in the half.

In the second half, Agbim and the Cowboy defense kept Tennessee State at bay, despite a late surge that cut Wyoming’s lead to six. The Cowboys responded with a 10-0 run, securing the win. Tennessee State was led by Brandon Weston with 18 points, while Amir Langlais contributed a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Wyoming now looks to keep the momentum as they face Texas Tech on Wednesday in a 6 p.m. matchup broadcasted on ESPN+.

Cowgirls Fall to BYU After Strong Start

In Provo, Utah, the Wyoming Cowgirls started strong against BYU on Saturday but ultimately fell 76-63 after a dominant second half by the Cougars. Wyoming led 40-27 at halftime after a stellar first-half performance, shooting 47% from the field and forcing 11 turnovers.

Tess Barnes and Malene Pedersen led the early effort, scoring 11 and 10 points, respectively, while Allyson Fertig nearly secured a double-double by halftime with nine points and 10 rebounds. BYU struggled in the first half but surged in the third quarter, opening with an 11-1 run that cut the Cowgirls’ lead and left Wyoming struggling to respond.

BYU outshot Wyoming significantly in the second half, hitting 60.7% from the field and 9-of-11 from deep. Fertig led the Cowgirls with 22 points and 18 rebounds, marking her 15th career 20-point game, while Pedersen and Barnes added 15 and 11 points, respectively. Wyoming finished shooting 39% overall and 9-of-28 from three, compared to BYU’s 51% shooting and 11-of-17 from three.

The Cowgirls return home to face Regis on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., looking to rebound and secure their first win of the season.