Cowboys Can’t Overcome First Half Surge in Road Loss at SDSU, 72-63
- University of Wyoming Athletics Press Release
- 13 hours ago
- 4 min read
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Feb. 3, 2026) – The Wyoming Cowboys could not overcome a late first half surge by San Diego State in a 72-63 loss to the Aztecs on Tuesday evening inside Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif. SDSU, who came into the game tied for first in the MW closed the first frame on a 11-2 run to drop the Cowboys to 13-10 overall and 4-8 in conference play.
"You have to be your best when your best is needed and against good teams you need your entire team to be needs to be pretty solid and we got some good games from our role guys, but we needed others to step up tonight," UW head coach Sundance Wicks Said. "I give the guys credit and we should some grit and toughness and that showed me a little spark."
The Pokes were held to 32 percent from the field on the night. UW added nine threes and were 9-of-32 for 28 percent. The Aztecs shot 45 percent from the field and made 23 free throws in the contest. SDSU held a 35-29 lead on the glass and were fueled by 14 points off of 14 Cowboy turnovers.
Wyoming was led in scoring by Khaden Bennett with 14 points for double figures in back-to-back games. Wyoming was 9-0 this season when Bennett had scored 10 or more points. Damarion Dennis added 14 points for his third game in double-figures in the last four games. Uriyah Rojas added 11 points off the bench for his fifth game in double-figures this season. Gavin Gores added eight rebounds to lead the team.
The Pokes race out to a 5-0 lead in the first two minutes with Bennett adding a triple followed by a jumper from Leland Walker. The Aztecs responded with a 6-0 run over three and a half minutes to take the lead. Gores ended the run with a bucket for a 7-6 game with 15 minutes left in the first frame.
The Aztecs continued the hoot shooting going 5-of-7 from one point, but a Walker three pointer made it a 12-12 game with just over 12 minutes left in the first half. The Aztecs defense held the Pokes without a point for over two and a half minutes building a 15-12 lead halfway through the half.
Wyoming held the Aztecs without a basket for nearly three minutes making it a 15-14 contest. The Pokes went on a 5-0 run thanks to transition dunk from Dennis followed by a three by Bennett for a 19-17 lead with 6:20 left in the half. But that run was answered with an 8-0 run by SDSU for a 25-19 lead.
Cowboy turnovers and the free throw line made it a 35-24 lead for the Aztecs at the half. SDSU shot 50 percent from the field in the frame. Wyoming was held to only 32 percent and recorded nine turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
The Aztecs moved the lead to 40-24 in the early goings of the second half with the Pokes going without a bucket for over four minutes to open the half with the Pokes going without a point for the final two and a half minutes of the first frame.
The Pokes went on a 9-0 run over two minutes and made it a 40-33 game with 13 minutes left. Bennett and Rojas highlighted the run with a pair of triples, along with Kiani Saxon's layup off a slick pass from Dennis.
Wyoming fouls led to the Aztecs building the lead back to double digits at 48-35 halfway through the second frame, and pushed the lead to 15 points seconds later. Reese Dixon-Waters made it a 56-40 game, as UW went without a bucket for nearly five minutes. Dennis ended the run with a three-pointer.
Wyoming made it a 10-point game at 58-48 with a fast break slam from Gores as part of an 8-2 run for the Pokes with under six minutes left. But SDSU regained the lead by attacking the paint and using the line, taking a 65-48 lead with under four minutes left.
A three-pointer by Dennis to get to double figures made it a 67-55 game with 2:18 remaining. But a and-one play by SDSU made would lift the Aztecs to the 72-63 win.
The Aztecs were led by Waters with 23 points on the night. He was 6-of-10 from the field and added nine made free throws. Miles Byrd added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
The Cowboys return to action on Saturday, hosting Utah State in the Arena-Auditorium at 6 p.m. Saturday's contest will be a Gold Out, as fans are encouraged to wear gold to the Dome of Doom.
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