LAS VEGAS – The University of Wyoming men’s basketball team suffered a loss in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Wednesday. Ninth-seeded Fresno State staged a comeback to clinch a 77-73 victory over the eight-seeded Pokes at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Bulldogs advance to the quarterfinals and face top-seeded Utah State on Thursday at 1 p.m. Wyoming concludes its season with a 15-17 overall record.
Akuel Kot led the Pokes with 23 points, while Sam Griffin contributed 19 points and six assists, and Brendan Wenzel added 15 points. Mason Walters grabbed nine rebounds for Wyoming.
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Isaiah Pope paced Fresno State with 22 points, while Donavan Yap Jr. scored 16 points coming off the bench.
Fresno State closed the game on a 12-1 run, overcoming a 72-65 deficit with 3:20 remaining in the game. Wyoming struggled to score down the stretch, managing only one free throw from Kael Combs in the final minutes.
The Pokes started strong with a pair of three-pointers to take a 6-5 lead early in the game. However, turnovers and defensive lapses allowed Fresno State to stay within reach. The Bulldogs capitalized on scoring runs to keep the game tight throughout both halves.
In the end, despite efforts from Wyoming’s key players, Fresno State’s late surge secured the victory.
