Aztecs Prove Too Much and Keep Cowboys Winless in Conference
San Diego State shot 52 percent from the field and pulled away from Wyoming to remain undefeated on the season with a 72-52 victory in Laramie Wednesday night.
Malachi Flynn scored 19 points to lead three Aztecs in double figures. Yanni Wetzell was a perfect 7-7 from the field and 3-3 at the foul line for 17 points. Jordan Schakel added 11 points.
Wyoming (5-12, 0-5) hung tough for the first 15 minutes of the game. A Hunter Maldonado 3-pointer trimmed San Diego State’s lead to 18-15 at the 7:50 mark of the first half. The Aztecs had an eight-point lead until they scored one basket over six minutes.
San Diego State (16-0, 5-0) then got hot. A 14-2 run over the next four minutes pushed their advantage to 32-17.
Hunter Thompson of UW had a dunk and a tip-in at the buzzer, which pulled the Pokes within 32-21 at halftime.
The Aztecs stretched their lead to 17 points early in the second half. They made five of their first six shots (83%). The Cowboys never got closer than 13 points the rest of the way. The lead reached 23 points before the final margin.
Maldonado led Wyoming with 18 points and seven rebounds. Thompson finished with 15 points. The Pokes shot 33 percent for the game. They had 11 turnovers that led to 16 points for San Diego State.
The Aztecs also knocked down 8 triples and held a 30-27 edge in rebounding.
Wyoming returns to action Saturday at home against UNLV. Tip-off is at 5 p.m.
Wyoming Cowgirls
The Wyoming Cowgirls dropped their second straight Mountain West game, this one at San Diego State Wednesday night, 67-60, in overtime.
The Aztecs' Taylor Kalmer made a 3-pointer with one second left that forced overtime. After Wyoming made the first basket, they were out-scored 13-4 the rest of OT.
The Cowgirls lost despite a career-high 28 points from Tereza Vitulova. Taylor Rusk added 11 points and nine rebounds for UW.
Wyoming had a 30-23 lead at halftime. They struggled and scored only four points in the third quarter, but still had a chance to win. A 10-0 run in the fourth quarter highlighted by triples from Rusk and Alba Sanchez Ramos gave the Cowgirls a 53-47 lead. Two missed shots, a turnover, and a missed free throw kept San Diego State within striking distance. After Vitulova made her second free throw with 10 seconds left, it set the stage for Kalmer's heroics.
San Diego State (8-9, 3-2) had five players in double figures. They were led by Zayn Dornstauder with 18 points off the bench. The Aztecs shot 45.5 percent for the game.
Wyoming (7-7, 3-2) shot 41 percent from the field. They were only 2-8 in overtime.
The Cowgirls play at UNLV Saturday at 4 p.m., Mountain Time.