Cowboys Head South Saturday for Border War Part II
LARAMIE -- Sundance Wicks said Moby Arena features one of the best atmospheres in the Mountain West.
With 8,000 bearing down on you, Wyoming's head coach added, the intimidation factor is there.
He wouldn't have it any other way.
"The whole crowd is on you," Wicks said Thursday. "It's not spread out, right? It's just kind of vertical. So you feel like you're in a cage fight, which I like. I could do without the little "Ram-meter," whatever that is, but I feel like you're in a cage fight when you're there.
"It'll be a Border War. It's a big game for them. It's a big game for us. I know they don't want to go 0-2 in this, and we sure would like to go 2-0."
The Cowboys Saturday will make the trip south to Colorado State for the second meeting -- and the 246th all-time -- of this storied rivalry. The game is set for a 2 p.m. start on the Mountain West Network.
It is the third contest between the schools on Valentine’s Day with the record standing at one win each.
Last year's tilt in Fort Collins, which will be 366 days ago on Saturday, was anything but romantic. CSU, led by future NBA star Nique Clifford's 22-point outing, routed the Cowboys, 88-53. The Rams connected on 14-of-24 from beyond the arc and jumped out to a commanding 29-6 lead.
Wicks didn't forget.
"I remember the post they had after the game last year where it was like the Allen Iverson stepping over Ty Lue (picture)," he said. "I remember that stuff. I still have that as a screensaver. So, you know, for me, during Border War week, I look at that stuff and I show it to our guys. This is what I think of. I'll probably think of that forever."
One month later, CSU claimed a Mountain West Tournament title and punched its ticket to March Madness.
If Wyoming pulls off this upset it will have to do it with just "two-and-a-half" forwards, Wicks added, referring to Gavin Gores, who will miss his second straight game with a left hand injury. Abou Magassa will be available, but is still dealing with a tender Achilles. Guards Matija Belic (ankle) and Jared Harris (toe) are still sidelined, too.
Fans can watch, listen to the contest, as well as follow stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 26 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network with Keith Kelley on the call and Kevin McKinney on Color.
About The Teams
Wyoming heads into the contest with a 13-11 overall record and a 4-9 mark in conference play after falling at home to Mountain West leader Utah State on Saturday. The Pokes average 77.8 points per game this season and allow 73 per night. Wyoming is averaging only 69.3 points per game in conference play.
The Pokes are grabbing 36.4 rebounds per game this season to lead the conference. The Cowboys are grabbing just over 12 offensive rebounds per game, which also leads the MW. Wyoming ranks fourth in the conference with 17 made free throws per game and shoots 79 percent at the line in conference play.
The Rams head into the contest with a 14-10 overall record and a 5-8 mark in conference play. Colorado State has posted two-straight wins coming against San Jose State and Air Force. The Rams average 75.8 points per game and allow 70.4.
CSU shoots 49 percent from the field and averages 10.1 threes per game this season to rank first in the MW and No. 36 in the nation.
About The Players
Wyoming is led in scoring this season by Leland Walker at 14.9 points per game for ninth in the MW. He also adds a team-high 3.6 assists per game, which ranks sixth in the conference. Nasir (Naz) Meyer adds 12.8 points per game this season and adds a team-high tying 4.8 rebounds per game.
Khaden Bennett, who netted a season-best 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in January's 68-57 win over the Rams, adds 10 points per game and is tied for the team lead with 4.8 rebounds per night. He has scored in double-figures in three-straight games. Damarion Dennis adds 9.7 points per game for the season and is shooting 50 percent from the field.
Colorado State is led in scoring by Kyle Jorgensen at 12.4 points per game. He is shooting 44 percent from behind the arc this season. Brandon Rechsteiner adds 11.4 points per game and has 36 helpers this season.
Josh Pascarelli adds 11.1 points per game and has knocked down 59 threes this season. He went 0-for-8 from the field, including 0-6 from deep, in Laramie. Carey Booth leads the team with 5.9 rebounds per game and adds 10.2 points per game.
About The Series
The Cowboys lead the all-time series with the Rams 140-105 in a series that dates back to 1911. The Pokes are 54-62 all-time in Fort Collins.
Up Next
The Cowboys return home on Tuesday to battle Fresno State at 6:30 p.m. in a contest on the MW Network. Tuesday’s game will feature $5 tickets and a free souvenir cup and fountain drink for the first 1,000 fans.
* A UW press release contributed to this report
POKES: The Seven Best Games In The History Of The Wyoming-CSU Border War Rivalry (Naturally, they were all Wyoming wins)
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