
Pokes Living, Dying by The Three in Conference Play
LARAMIE -- If it seems like Wyoming has been attempting plenty of shots from behind the arc over the last few outings, your eyes aren't deceiving you. They have.
Boss's orders.
Sundance Wicks said the magic number is 30.

His team has eclipsed that in the previous two games: one, a road loss at San Jose State, the latter an 83-72 escape job last Tuesday night against Fresno State in overtime. They connected on just 6-of-31 in that setback by the bay. Led by five makes from leading scorer Obi Agbim, the Cowboys drained a season-high 17-of-36 in their home arena.
Live by the three, die by the three. That has been the name of the game.
For Wicks and his staff, however, the analytics say fire away.
"That's when we're being ultra aggressive, and our guys are really looking at the rim," Wicks said Friday morning, accompanied by a grin and a shoulder shrug.
Wyoming has the second-best three-point percentage in the Mountain West through 10 league games, converting at a .389 clip (93-of-239).
When they reach double figures in this all-important category, the record sits at 3-1, the lone loss coming at Utah State. When that number is only nine or less, the Cowboys are just 1-5. The one victory came at Air Force. Without the services of Agbim, who was sidelined with a high-ankle sprain, the visitors drilled 9-of-13 from deep.
Wicks will often refer to analytics and numbers, but he often relies on what he likes to refer to as "manalytics." You don't need a formula to tell you Dontaie Allen has been one of the most-deadly shooters from the outside since the calendar flipped to conference play.
Same can be said for Kobe Newton and Agbim. Matija Belic and Jordan Nesbitt can get in on the act, too.
Allen has the second-best percentage in the league, connecting on .472 of his shots. That's 25 triples on just 53 attempts. Agbim has unleashed 51 in just eight outings. He's sunk 22.
Newton could be the "X-Factor." When he gets going, traditionally, so does his team.
"I think a lot of teams, just the scouting report is out," Wicks said, referring to the 6-foot-2 senior from Portland, one of the few holdovers from Jeff Linder's 2023-24 roster. "They try to run you off the line. You know, in Mountain West Conference play, I think he's either made one or two, two-point shots in his entire time here.
"... He got a floater versus Fresno. Like, you might get one, but that's after you shoot your threes, because we need to grab it. You have to have guys like that."
Newton is shooting nearly 38% from deep. He's hit 19 triples against conference foes, including four in Tuesday night's thriller over the Bulldogs. He's averaging just over four attempts per game. Wicks wants to see that number up around six to eight -- at least.
"Guys that can shoot, you want them to shoot shots," Wicks added. "The numbers are in your favor on that side of it. You could be 2-for-9, right? But all of a sudden you hit back-to-back (threes), and you're 4-for-11. Great. Shooters can't be gun shy.
"When they get that great-rhythm look, you got to reward it, and you got to be able to knock those bad boys down, because that's the stuff that makes us different right now in the Mountain West is our ability to shoot the three-point ball."
Wyoming (11-10, 4-6) will head to San Diego Saturday to take on the Aztecs (14-5, 7-3) inside Viejas Arena, a place this program has won a game since 2007. Brian Dutcher's squad, per usual, also features the league's top-ranked defense, including limiting opponents to just .287 from deep.
Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.