LAS VEGAS — Wyoming’s season came to an end in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament on Wednesday as the Cowboys struggled from beyond the arc in a 66-61 loss to No. 8 seed San Jose State at the Thomas & Mack Center.
In Sundance Wicks’ first year as head coach, ninth-seeded Wyoming (12-20) fought back from a 22-point deficit but ultimately couldn’t overcome a slow start and cold shooting from deep. The Cowboys finished just 2-of-19 (10.5%) from 3-point range and shot 42.4% from the field. Meanwhile, the Spartans (15-18) hit eight 3-pointers and capitalized on 14 Wyoming turnovers, scoring 15 points off those mistakes.
Jordan Nesbitt led Wyoming’s comeback attempt, scoring 14 of his 16 points in the second half. He cut the deficit to single digits with a steal and layup that made it 46-39. The Cowboys missed their first 11 attempts from beyond the arc before Nesbitt finally connected on a 3-pointer with 9:03 remaining to bring UW within four, 48-44.
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Cole Henry, who finished with 11 points, kept Wyoming within striking distance with a pair of buckets inside, and Obi Agbim’s 3-pointer with 21.9 seconds left trimmed the deficit to 64-61.
Agbim, who scored 12 points, had a chance to tie the game after a San Jose State turnover but missed a contested 3-pointer. He then fouled out with 3.4 seconds remaining, sealing the Cowboys’ fate.
Wyoming fell into an early 12-0 hole, committing three turnovers that led to eight quick points for the Spartans. Agbim’s mid-range jumper put the Cowboys on the board, and Dontaie Allen’s three-point play cut the deficit to 12-5.
San Jose State responded with an 18-3 run, capped by back-to-back 3-pointers from Donavan Yap and Sadaidriene Hall, pushing its lead to 32-10. Hall finished the first half with 15 points, knocking down three 3-pointers, as the Spartans took a 38-22 advantage into the break.
Wyoming lost both regular-season matchups against San Jose State, falling 67-58 on Jan. 25 in San Jose and 83-73 in Laramie on Feb. 22. Despite Wednesday’s loss, the Cowboys still lead the all-time series 22-6.
San Jose State advances to face No. 1 seed New Mexico in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 1 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network.
