(UW Athletics release)
LARAMIE, Wyo. – The Cowboys will entertain the No. 23 Nevada Wolf Pack to the Arena-Arena Auditorium on Wednesday at 9 p.m. It will be the first time a ranked team has been to the ‘Dome of Doom’ since No. 5 San Diego State fell to the Cowboys 68-62 on Feb. 11, 2014.
Wednesday’s game will be a Gold Rush as fans are encouraged to wear Gold. The first 1,000 students will receive a free shirt. Wednesday’s game is also Coaches vs. Cancer with UW coaches wearing tennis shoes and special laces. The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The contest will be available on ESPNU or the WatchESPN App with Anish Shroff on play-by-play and Dino Gaudio on color. Fans can watch, listen and follow live stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 25 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network. Dave Walsh will have the play-by-play alongside Kevin McKinney on the color.
A Look at the Matchup
The Pokes head into the contest with a 12-7 overall record and a 3-3 mark in the Mountain West after downing Utah State 85-77 on Saturday. The Pokes continued their success at the free throw line hitting 21-of-25 attempts including six-straight to close the game at Utah State. Wyoming is third in the conference and No. 19 in the nation in made free throws with 250 this season. UW shoots 75 percent from the line for second in the league.
Wyoming is shooting 43 percent from the field on the season and average 8.4 three pointers per game on the season. Opponents are shooting 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from behind the three point line.
The Wolf Pack are 13-3 on the season and 7-0 in conference play after downing Boise State 74-68 on Saturday at home. Nevada leads the conference and ranks No. 20 in the nation in scoring margin outscoring opponents by nearly 13 points per game. The Wolf Pack are second in the conference in three point percentage at 41 percent, which ranks No. 17 in the nation.
Nevada is an unselfish squad leading the conference with 350 total assists. That number ranks No. 18 in the nation. With their unselfish play, the Wolf Pack also take care of the basketball with 10.8 turnovers per game ranking No. 18 in the nation.
Each Team’s Leaders
The Pokes are led in scoring by junior guard Justin James. He leads the Cowboys at 17.3 points per game this season for sixth in the MW. He is sixth in the MW in made free throws with 86 on the season. Senior forward Hayden Dalton adds 17.2 points per game for eighth in the league. He also leads the Pokes in rebounding at 8.3 per game, which ranks fifth in the league.
Senior forward Alan Herndon adds 12.9 points per game and went over 1,000 career points at Utah State on Saturday. He leads the conference in total blocks at 44, which is No. 29 in the nation. Senior guard Louis Adams adds 9.5 points off the UW bench.
The Wolf Pack are led in scoring by Caleb Martin at 19.7 points per game. That number ranks second in the league. He is shooting 46 percent from behind the three point line this season. Jordan Caroline adds 16.7 points per game and is the team leader in rebounds at 9.1 per game for fourth in the MW. Cody Martin adds 12.8 points per game alongside Kendall Stephens.
About the Series
The Cowboys lead the all-time series 13-6, but Nevada has won the last four meetings between the schools including a 92-83 win on Jan. 3. The Pokes boast a 7-3 record against the Wolf Pack in Laramie.
Up Next
Wyoming hits the road on Saturday heading to San Jose State for a 3 p.m. start on the Mountain West Network.
