[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]
Game Recap: Fresno State 65, Wyoming 50
Robinson and Williams lead Fresno State to a road win in Laramie.
Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire
A mixture of youth and veteran leadership lifts Bulldogs over Cowboys.
The Mountain West has had it’s fair share of surprises this year, as the level of competition in the conference seems to be a bit more spread out than most expected. With San Diego State looking like the clear leader in the Mountain West and everyone else just looking for a chance to give them their first loss of the season, most are fighting for wins and better seeds in the conference tournament at this point with a shot at an automatic bid. But in Laramie on Saturday afternoon we found a 5-12 (1-5) Fresno State Bulldogs team taking on a 5-14 (0-7) Wyoming Cowboys team for a chance at a win and upward movement in the conference standings.
It was a tough night shooting for both teams but the Cowboys struggled since the get go, shooting just 34% on the night and trailing 31-16 at halftime. Wyoming made a late run run keeping up with Fresno State 34-34 in the second half but it wasn’t enough. Senior Jake Hendricks had 12 points for Wyoming on 4-11 shooting from deep while Kwane Marble II, a freshman also had twelve points on the night and was a key part of that second half run by the Cowboys. Allen Edward’s squad is still looking for their first win in conference play while also dealing with a now six game losing streak since re-entering conference play on January 1st.
Fresno State is trying to fight it’s way out of the bottom of the Mountain West and with more wins like this one that may be possible, but it also may be easier said than done with a tough five game stretch ahead of them. The Bulldogs can worry about the future tomorrow as they leave Laramie with a win in a less than packed dome of doom and the Rams on the Horizon. Justin Hutson’s team is in a bit of rebuilding mode this season, but the future is bright with freshmen like Orlando Robinson who poured in 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks against the Cowboys and senior leaders like New Williams also contributing with 16 points beside them on the court.
The future for both squads may look brighter than their current positions in the conference standings, but both have the ability to make noise in a vulnerable Mountain West and make some team’s resumes weaker while attempting a post season appearance.
Up Next,
Fresno State:
Next week takes Fresno State west to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State on Wednesday, January 22nd at 7:00 PM. They split the series last year but in true Colorado State fashion the Rams won at home in Moby Arena, The Bulldogs look to begin a sweep of the series on Wednesday.
Wyoming:
The Cowboys head south to Viejas Arena on Tuesday to attempt what 18 different teams have failed to do so far this season, take down the San Diego State Aztecs. This game airs at 9:00 PM MT being on the west coast, so stay up with us or go to sleep and check out Mountain West Wire in the morning, we got you covered.
