The Wyoming Cowboys returned to Arena Auditorium to defeat the San Jose State Spartans 84 to 69.
The Pokes kicked off the game by winning the toss-up and scoring the first points of the game
“I think we came into this game with the same focus we have every game,” coaching staff member Marc Rodgers said. “We move the ball around a lot in the paint and create space for our shooters.”
Several players sank shots from beyond the arc in the first half, led by Senior guard Drake Jeffries who made five 3-pointers in a row before cooling off.
Jeffries leads the conference in 3-point percentage at 49.5%. He scored 15 of the first 42 points and kept the pace the entire throughout the first half.
Within 12 minutes of the start of the half, Jeffries had 15 points and had yet to miss a 3-pointer.
“A lot of people don’t give our defense credit because we tend to score often, but our defense is another factor that enables us to win games,” Rodgers said.
Senior forward Hunter Thompson, who had 4 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal, shared his team’s perspective on defense.
“In our program, part of the reason why we win is because we take pride in our defense,” Thompson said. “We know we’re good offensively, and that we have so many great shooters, but we know the ‘X factor’ in games is defense.”
While it was initially an uphill battle for the San Jose State Spartans in the second half, the game turned into a back and forth battle between the two teams each vying for the lead.
Led by Omari Moore, Shon Robinson, and Trey Anderson, the Spartans shortened the Wyoming lead to just 2 points within the first five minutes of the second half.
However, the Pokes battled to regain the lead after several foul calls and turnovers on the Spartan side resulting in a 7-0 run for the Pokes.
Senior guard Hunter Maldonado came to life in the second half for the Cowboy squad tallying 20 points and 12 assists.
Sophomore guard Brenden Wenzel also aided in securing the victory for the Cowboys, shooting 5 for 5 from the field and 2 for 2 from behind the arc.
The now 14-2 Wyoming Cowboys move forward to play in Arena Auditorium again against the New Mexico Lobos on Jan. 22.
This was the Cowboys’ first game back in Arena Auditorium since their matchup against Utah Valley on Dec. 11.
