Wyoming Picks Up First Road Win Since Last January

LARAMIE -- The last time Sundance Wicks stepped foot in this building, he was helping lead his alma mater to its first national championship game appearance as an assistant coach.

Northern State, on the heels of a thrilling 105-99 double-overtime victory over Queens (N.C.) in front of more than 3,500 inside the famed Sanford Pentagon, didn't cut down the nets the following night in Sioux Falls.

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The blue-and-white confetti that slowly floated from the ceiling instead rained on Ferris State, after a Darin Peterka's last-second three wouldn't drop.

A banner was on the line that day back in 2018. A statement needed to be made Monday night in Wicks' return trip to the eastern plains of South Dakota.

New team, new mission -- "You've got to win away from home."

Wyoming did just that, rolling over South Dakota State 87-72 and capping its non-conference slate with an overall record of 9-2. Those blemishes both came in the state of Texas, a pair of close calls at Sam Houston State and Lubbock, home of the then No. 20 Red Raiders.

"It's a big deal. We don't have to frame this game any other way," Wicks said ahead of this meeting with the Jackrabbits. "... We didn't do it last year, right? We have to start doing it, the program has to take the next step. We've got to win away from home. And, until that happens, I'm going to feel like we're just where we are, but we are not taking the right step to get to where we need to be."

The last victory away from Laramie came 328 days ago.

That was a 63-61 upset over UNLV inside the Thomas and Mack Center, a place that has been a house of horrors for the Cowboys in recent memory. Nine straight road losses followed.

How did they get over the hump?

A 25-point outburst from a rookie certainly didn't hurt.

Naz Meyer, just hours after being named the Mountain West's Freshman of the Week for the third time in his initial 10 collegiate games, connected on 10-of-14 shots from the field, including sinking four triples. The Los Angeles product also pulled down seven of Wyoming's 38 rebounds in the outing.

Point guard Leland Walker finished with 13 points and five assists, and Khaden Bennett chipped in with 11 and snagged a team-best nine boards.

The Cowboys also went a combined 17-of-20 from the free-throw line.

"We told our guys, the job's not done," Wicks told the local media postgame. "We've got to finish the non-conference (season). This was going to be a test for us to be able to go into league play on the 20th versus Grand Canyon. We had to prove that we could go on the road and win. And the guys did it.

"So, in the locker room, we kind of celebrated a little bit. But then we're right back to business."

This program won just 12 games last winter. That was with a rag-tag roster that Wicks put together in roughly a month's time after being hired in May.

He was able to shop for the groceries this offseason.

It shows.

Wyoming's guard-heavy lineup shot 54% from the field and added 10 three-pointers. Despite a size mismatch, the visitors claimed the battle of the boards by 17. Nine of those came on the offensive end of the floor.

SDSU features two big men in its starting five. Damon Wilkinson, another 6-foot-10 center, comes off the bench. Wyoming's fast, twitchy lineup weaved its way to a 34-22 scoring advantage in the paint.

That's been happening all year. All of the above.

What hadn't taken place, though, was walking out of a foreign gym with a higher number on the scoreboard.

Wicks said there was plenty of purpose behind scheduling this game at this time. He wanted his guys to feel the pressure inside an intimate road atmosphere. He also has ultimate respect for the Jackrabbits, a program that has been to the NCAA Tournament seven times since 2012.

He said this would give his team the best look at what's to come, a gauntlet that for the last time will include the likes of San Diego State, Boise State, Utah State and, quite possibly, Border War rival Colorado State.

"(This is) a nasty league, as you well know," Wicks said. "But this was a great precursor for that. And I'm glad we played this game because we needed to feel that physicality and kind of that grind it out."

The Cowboys and Lopes will meet Saturday inside the Arena-Auditorium. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.

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