Dennis and Rojas Power Cowboys Past Austin Peay, 79-65
- University of Wyoming Athletics Press Release
- 47 minutes ago
- 3 min read
LARAMIE, Wyo. (Nov. 11, 2025) – The duo of Damarion Dennis and Uriyah Rojas combined for 42 points to power the Wyoming Cowboys past Austin Peay 79-65 on Tuesday evening in the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. The Cowboys move to 3-0 on the young season and 3-0 for the first time since 201-22.
“We got tougher in the second half and give Austin Peay credit our guys weren’t ready to handle the pressure in the first half,” Wyoming head coach Sundance Wicks said. “I’m proud of the second half effort and our helpers (assists) were good and we did a great job defending the three-point line. The competitive effort for 40 minutes needs to be better, but I’m never going to be upset about a win.”
The duo of Dennis and Rojas went 16-of-27 from the field. Rojas led all scorers with a career-high 22 points including six three pointers. Dennis also scored a career-high 20 points and added five rebounds and led the team with five assists. Freshman Gavin Gores recorded a career-high 10 points slamming home three dunks. Abou Magassa added a career-high 11 rebounds to lead all players.
The Pokes shot 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from behind the arc. UW held the Governors to 36 percent from the field and 22 percent from behind the arc. The Cowboys dominated the glass with a 45-37 advantage and added 13 offensive rebounds for the third-straight game with 10 or more offensive boards. The Pokes also recorded a season-high 21 assists on 27 made baskets.
Both offenses struggled in the opening minutes of the contest, Magassa added a pair of buckets for a 4-2 lead three minutes into the game. Gores added a triple to build the lead 8-4 and then added a slam for a 10-4 lead, as UW went on a 7-0 run.
Austin Peay would battle back making it a two-point contest at 14-12, but the Pokes used the free throw line and the paint to build a 21-13 contest halfway through the opening frame. Wyoming would wind up holding the Governors scoreless for nearly three minutes for a 23-14 score with under eight minutes left in the first half.
The Cowboys went scoreless for over four minutes with Austin Peay going on a 11-0 run to take a 25-23 lead. Gores ended the drought with a thunderous slam for a 25-25 game. Rojas would addback-to-back triples and five Wyoming a 33-30 lead, but it was short lived after an and-one play by the Govs.
The Pokes would take a 37-35 at the half holding the Govs to 33 percent from the field, but Austin Peay forced 12 Cowboy turnovers.
The Cowboys opened the second half on a 10-0 run in the first minute of the half to take a 47-35 lead. The Governors responded with a run of their own this time at 10-0 to make it a 47-45 score with under 16 minutes left.
Rojas would help the Pokes build a 53-48 advantage with under 13 minutes left, as he got to double-figures for the first time in his career. It was a back-and-forth affair from there with Austin Peay making it a one score game on numerous occasions.
Dennis fueled the Cowboys on both ends of the floor and helped the Pokes push the lead to eight points at 65-57 with under seven minutes left. Rojas added a deep three to make it a nine-point contest.
Rojas added his fifth three pointer and Dennis added a transition slam for a 73-61 lead with four minutes left. The Pokes would then turn up the pressure late holding Austin Peay defensively to take the 79-65 win.
The Governors were led by Zyree Collins with 19 points. Tate McCubbin added 15 points, as one of the top shooters in the Atlantic Sun was held to 3-of-10 from behind the arc.
The Cowboys return to action on Saturday hosting Portland at 7 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.
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