Cowboy Down Norfolk State in Defensive Struggle, 75-67

University of Wyoming Athletics Press Release
Nov 23, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Nov 25, 2025

LARAMIE, Wyo. (Nov. 23, 2025) – The Cowboy used a strong defensive performance in the opening 20 minutes but were held without a bucket in the final five-plus minutes as the Pokes would hold on for a 75-67 win over Norfolk State on Sunday afternoon in the Arena-Auditorium. The Pokes move to 5-1 on the season and are 10-0 in non-conference home games under head coach Sundance Wicks.

“The dream was the first half; it was a slow-paced game we knew that was going to happen and we had it right where we wanted it,” UW head coach Sundance Wicks said. “The nightmare of a coach is the process was wrong in the second half, and you have to play two halves.”

Wyoming was led by four players in double figures led by Adam Harakow with a season-high 18 points off the bench for his second game in double-figures this season. Damarion Dennis added 15 points for his fourth game in double-figures. Khaden Bennett added 13 points and led the team with six assists. Leland Walker added 15 points for double-figures in three-straight games. He went over 400 career assists in the contest. He led the team with seven rebounds.

“Adam is such a fiery competitor,” Wicks said.” We played him because he was ready as he was running into adversity last week and he earned success.”

The Pokes were held to 38 percent from the field in the contest and shot only 35 percent from the field in the second half. The Pokes knocked down nine threes in the game and were 24-of-31 from the free throw line for 77 percent. Norfolk State shot 39 percent from the field and shot 72 percent from the line going 21-of-29. Wyoming held a 41-30 advantage on the glass and scored 21 points off 16 offensive rebounds.

The Pokes would take a 5-4 lead in the first 90 seconds using a 5-0 run fueled by a Dennis steal and layup and a triple from Matija Belic. The Pokes added a few more triples this time from Dennis and Bennett and built a 11-6 lead with under 16 minutes left in the half.

Gavin Gores added an and-one off a slam and Jared Harris added a pair of free throws for a 16-10 lead, as it was an 11-0 run with Norfolk State going scoreless for over five minutes. The Pokes would struggle from the field with the Spartans making it a 18-11 game halfway through the first half.

Harakow helped build the lead to 24-13 with back-to-back buckets for the Pokes near the seven-minute mark of the opening half. Wyoming went without a bucket for four minutes but used the free throw line for a 12-point lead with under four minutes left in the half.

The Pokes closed the first half on a 12-3 run and took a 39-23 lead into the half holding Norfolk State to 30 percent from the field in the frame.

Walker added five points in the early goings of the second frame to give Wyoming a 47-23 lead, as UW went on an 8-0 run to open the half with Harakow adding a triple. The Pokes would maintain the 20-point advantage forcing the Spartans to 1-of-9 for a stretch with 13 minutes left in the game.

Norfolk State made four-straight shots and made it a 56-40 game with under 10 minutes left in the contest. In total the Spartans went on a 10-0 run and made it 56-47 contest with just over seven minutes left. The Pokes responded with a free throw from Harakow and a triple from Bennett to make it a 60-47 contest.

But the Spartans made five-straight buckets and used a pair of free throws to make it a 65-58 game with just over four minutes left. Walker made it a 67-58 game at the line with under two minutes left. The teams traded free throws for a 69-62 contest with a minute left.

The Pokes used the line and pushed the lead to 11 points with 36 seconds left. The Pokes would maintain the lead at the line and took the contest 75-67

Norfolk State was led by Anthony McComb III and Elijah Jamison with 19 points apiece.

The Pokes host Front Range foe Denver on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. MT inside the Arena-Auditorium.