Cowboys to open MWC with CSU

The Wyoming Cowboys will look to take the momentum of opening Mountain West Conference play with three of the first four games at home, when they host rival Colorado State Wednesday night (6 p.m.) in the Arena-Auditorium.

The game will be televised live by The Mtn.

“It’s always nice to open at home, but to open against our rival is big," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "We need the arena to be rocking on Wednesday night. We hope our fans will come out again on Wednesday -- we need them."

The Cowboys enter MWC play after posting a 7-7 non-conference record. The Rams went 9-5 in non-conference play.

Two statistics jump out for the Cowboys thus far including free throws and steals. The Pokes currently lead the nation in made free throws (336) and rank second in attempts (454). They also rank 10th in the NCAA in steals per game with 10.6.

The Cowboys have been led by sophomore Afam Muojeke, who is the second leading scorer in the MWC with 17.6 points per game. He has scored at least 15 points in six straight games and has now reached double-figure scoring totals 32 times in his career.

Sophomore A.J. Davis looks to stay hot for the Cowboys. Last week, he scored 18 points against Akron and a career high 26 against Adams State. Davis currently ranks No. 2 in the MWC and No. 46 in the NCAA with 2.2 steals per game.

The Pokes will also receive a nice boost this Wednesday as sophomore guard Arthur Bouedo will be eligible. Bouedo missed the first 14 games of the season due to an NCAA ruling on his amateurism.

In looking at Colorado State, the Rams’ lineup features three players who are scoring in double figures. They are led by freshman guard Dorian Green who is averaging 13.7 points, as well as a team high 2.4 assists per game. Junior forwards Travis Frankin and Andy Ogide are respectively averaging 11.9 and 11.4 points a game. The Rams are coached by Tim Miles, who is in his third season.

This will mark the 212th meeting between Wyoming and Colorado State on the basketball floor. It is the longest series for both teams, with Wyoming holding a 127-84 advantage. The Cowboys have had a great deal of recent success, winning four of the last five meetings. In games played in Laramie, the Cowboys are 76-37.

Following Wednesday’s game, the Cowboys will close out their current four-game homestand by hosting San Diego State on Saturday. The Aztecs and Cowboys will tip off at 4 p.m. in a game televised by The Mtn.