Cowboys to host UNLV

The Wyoming Cowboys will look to close the first half of the Mountain West Conference season on a winning note, hosting UNLV Runnin’ Rebels at 8 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium. It will be televised live by The Mtn.

The Cowboys return home after a tough road loss at Air Force this past Saturday. With that loss, the Pokes fell to 9-12 overall and 2-5 in the MWC.

UNLV has won three consecutive MWC games and five of their last six league games. They are currently 17-4 overall and 5-2 in the conference. The Runnin’ Rebels are receiving votes in both national top-25 polls. Earlier this season, they peaked with a No. 18/17 national ranking on December 7.

With UW’s two leading scorers out at Air Force, Desmar Jackson stepped up in a big way. The true freshman led the Pokes by scoring 21 points for the second consecutive game.

Sophomore A.J. Davis is UW’s third leading scorer with 10.4 ppg and junior Djibril Thiam is also averaging double figures with 10.1 ppg.

Sophomore Afam Muojeke (16.8 ppg) is out for the remainder of the season and sophomore Adam Waddell (10.8 ppg) missed last Saturday with a sprained ankle. Waddell’s status for Wednesday’s game will be a game-time decision.

UNLV is led by junior guard Tre’Von Willis, who is the second leading scorer in the MWC with 17.4 ppg. Sophomore forward Chace Stanback is adding 10.4 ppg. Stanback is also UNLV’s top rebounder (5.4 rpg), while sophomore guard Oscar Bellfield leads the team in assists (4.9 apg). Junior guard Derrick Jasper (6.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.9 apg) will miss the next few weeks with a knee injury.

The Cowboys will be looking for consecutive wins over the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels for the first time since 2003. The Cowboys won the last meeting in the series, 77-68, last February in Laramie. That win broke a four-game UNLV winning streak. The last time the Cowboys were able to string consecutive wins together over UNLV was between the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. During those two seasons, Wyoming beat UNLV four consecutive times.

UNLV leads the overall series 24-14, but Wyoming has posted a record of 11-6 in Laramie.