Wyoming Cowboys Seek Road Victory, Mountain West Momentum Against South Dakota State
The University of Wyoming men’s basketball team aims to close out non-conference play with a crucial road win against South Dakota State on Monday night, a contest that head coach Sundance Wicks views as vital preparation for the upcoming Mountain West Conference schedule.
Wicks, in his second year leading the Cowboys, anticipates a nostalgic return to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he previously experienced a heartbreaking NCAA Division II national championship loss as an assistant coach at Northern State in 2018. “It’s an environment now when it’s packed,” Wicks remarked, describing the venue’s energetic atmosphere. “The fans are right on you and it’s a fun environment and it kind of gives you the old Hinkle Fieldhouse vibes. I’m really excited for our guys to see it.”
Despite being designated as a neutral site, the Cowboys (8-2) are expected to face a heavily pro-Jackrabbits (7-5) crowd of approximately 3,500 supporters. This presents a significant challenge for a Wyoming team that struggled on the road last season, posting a 3-10 record away from the Arena-Auditorium. “It’s a big deal. We don’t have to frame this game any other way: We have to win away from home,” Wicks emphasized. “We didn’t do it last year and we have to start doing it. As a program to take the next step we have to win away from home.”
The Cowboys have demonstrated improvement this season, bolstered by 12 new players, and recently achieved an 8-0 record at home, including a dominant 106-79 victory over South Dakota six days ago. However, they faced narrow defeats in their first two true road games, losing to Sam Houston State (78-70) despite a strong offensive showing, and falling just short against No. 20 Texas Tech (76-72). A key area for improvement has been free throw shooting, as the team missed 13 attempts in the loss to Sam Houston State.
Leading the charge for Wyoming is senior point guard Leland Walker, averaging 14.1 points and 4.0 assists per game. True freshman Nasir (Naz) Meyer has also emerged as a scoring threat, recently achieving a career-high 26 points against South Dakota and currently averaging 12.3 points and 4.6 rebounds. The Cowboys’ backcourt rotation is further strengthened by Khaden Bennett (10.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg), Damarion Dennis (9.4 ppg), and Uriyah Rojas (8.7 ppg).
South Dakota State will counter with a frontcourt led by 6-foot-7 forward Matthew Mors (7.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg), 6-10 Alec Squires (4.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg), and 6-10 Damon Wilkinson (11.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg). Wicks anticipates a physical matchup, characterizing it as a “chess match” and a valuable opportunity to prepare for the challenges of the Mountain West. “It’s going to give us a Mountain West type look, in my opinion, which is why we scheduled this before league play.”
The game also holds personal significance for Wicks, a Rapid City, S.D. native, who will be supported by family and friends in the stands. He previously competed against the Jackrabbits four times during his playing career at Northern State, averaging nearly 13 rebounds and nine points in those contests. “The Jackrabbit contingency travels really well in South Dakota and I don’t expect it to be any different when they’re coming in for this game,” Wicks acknowledged.
Following Monday’s contest, the Cowboys will return to Laramie to begin Mountain West play against Grand Canyon at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Arena-Auditorium.
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