Cowboys Drop Regular Season Finale at No. 18 San Diego State, 67-50

* University of Wyoming press release

SAN DIEGO, Calif., -- The Wyoming Cowboys could not overcome a strong defensive effort from No. 18 San Diego State in a 67-50 loss to the Mountain West Champion Aztecs on Saturday evening in Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

The Pokes were held to 34 percent from the field in the contest.

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Hunter Maldonado made college basketball history becoming the first player in NCAA Division I to score at least 2,000 points, grab over 800 rebounds and hand out over 600 assists.

"Viejas Arena is one of the toughest places to play in the country,” UW head coach Jeff Linder said. “Most of our guys have never played a game here with fans. As much as you prepare for it, SDSU plays different at home and play with great energy.”

Wyoming was led by Jeremiah Oden with 17 points in the game. It was his 11th game in conference play in double-figures. Xavier DuSell added 16 points in the game for his 13th game this season in double-figures. He went an impressive 4-of-5 from the three-point line.

The Cowboys shot 38 percent from behind the arc in the contest but were held to only six made free throws. San Diego State shot 43 percent from the field and 47 percent from behind the arc. The Aztecs held a strong advantage on the glass winning the boards by a mark of 40-28.

The Pokes overcame an early 7-0 run by the Aztecs with a pair of threes with Brendan Wenzel and DuSell, making it a 7-6 game with 14:58 left in the first half. The Aztecs would later hold the Pokes scoreless for over seven minutes and built a 19-8 lead with under eight minutes left in the first frame.

Caden Powell ended the run for the Pokes with a slam, but the Aztecs would build the lead to 24-10. Oden added a free throw and later a drive to make it a 24-13 game with under five minutes left in the half. SDSU went on a 6-0 run over eighty seconds and took a 30-13 lead with Kenny Foster halting the run with 2:49 left in the first half.

DuSell added a triple and threw a pass down low for an Oden bucket for a 34-20 SDSU lead with under a minute left in the first half. Oden ended the first half with a jumper and made it a 34-22 game at the half.

Hunter Thompson opened the half with a bucket and made it a 10-point game at 34-24. SDSU added a quick 6-2 run and made it a 40-25 game with under 15 minutes left in the contest. Wyoming would cut the Aztec advantage to 11 points, but Adam Seiko went on an 8-2 run himself and made it a 48-31 game with 12 minutes left in the contest.

San Diego State would make 5-of-6 field goals and built a 56-33 lead at the eight-minute mark of the second half. DuSell added his third triple of the game and made it a 56-36 contest with 7:45 left in the game. The Pokes went on a 5-0 run and made it a 58-41 game thanks to a triple from Wenzel and free throws from Powell.

DuSell added his fourth three pointer of the game and made it a 63-47 game with 3:23 remaining on the clock. Oden later knocked down a three-pointer from a 64-50 game for SDSU with 2:34 left, but Matt Bradley knocked down a triple and the Aztecs went on to take the game by a score of 67-50.

The Aztecs were led by Jaedon LeDee with 21 points in the contest going an impressive 8-of-9 from the field. Seiko added 14 points in the game.

The Cowboys return to action on Wednesday and will be the 11-seed in the Mountain West Championship facing sixth-seeded New Mexico in a 5 p.m. MT. contest in a Frist Round matchup. The contest will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.