LARAMIE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Cowboys, the 11th seed in the Mountain West, will take on sixth seed New Mexico in the first round of the conference tournament on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
The Cowboys head into the game with a 9-21 overall record and a 4-14 mark in conference play.
New Mexico, meanwhile, enjoyed a 14-0 start to the season, and was the last team in the nation to suffer a defeat. The Lobos finished the Mountain West season with a 8-10 overall record after falling on the road at Colorado State in the regular season finale. The Lobos average 81.2 points per game, connecting on 48.6% of their field goal attempts and 36.3% of their shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
The Pokes are led in scoring by senior Hunter Maldonado’s 14.8 points per game. He adds 4.2 assists per game and recently became the first player in NCAA History to record at least 2,000 points, 800 rebounds and 600 assists. Jeremiah Oden adds 9.4 points per game and scored a career-high 28 points against Nevada. Hunter Thompson leads the Pokes with 5.4 rebounds per game. Xavier DuSell provides some range for the Cowboys, shooting 46% from behind the arc in conference play to lead the league.
New Mexico boasts a three-headed scoring attack, led by Jamal Mashburn Jr., who pours in 19.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Jaelen Houseaverages 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and a team-best 4.7 assists per contest. And Morris Udeze chips in 16.4 points and a team-high 9.2 rebounds per game.
The winner between Wyoming and New Mexico will advance to the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament where No. 3-seeded Utah State awaits.
