Wednesday evening, the Denver Pioneers men’s basketball (2-) traveled to Laramie, Wyoming to face the University of Wyoming Cowboys (6-1). Denver trailed by 10 points at halftime but faded dramatically in the second half, eventually falling by 42 points. The Cowboys operated in the paint, scoring 52 of their 101 points and were +13 on rebounds while shooting a sizzling 56.1%. The margin of defeat against Wyoming was the worst in 160 meetings between the two teams.

Wyoming went on an early 9-0 run to lead 9-4 at the first commercial break. Denver shot 25% from the field, going 0-6 from downtown. A Gabe Oldam layup stopped the Cowboy run after a four-minute drought. The Cowboys went on another scoring run, 8-0, before Oldham stopped that scoring run again. At the midway mark of the first half,  the Pioneers trailed 20-13 on Zane Nelson make from beyond the arc. A Carson Johnson three-point make closed the gap to four points but Wyoming pulled away again, 27-19 with five minutes left in the half. Zane Nelson picked up his third foul and headed to the bench. DU went cold from the field as Wyoming pushed the lead to 12 points before a pair of Carson Johnson free throws cut the gap to ten, 37-27. During the first half, Denver was plagued by poor shooting from beyond the arc (2/14), three fewer rebounds, and 26 points-in-the-paint by Wyoming.

Denver faded in the second half. Wyoming opened with a quick 6 points before a Julius Rollins dunk stopped the run. The Cowboys kept pouring it on, 50-29, when DU called timeout to stop the bleeding from a 13-2 Cowboy run with 16:22 remaining. Denver trailed by 18 points five minutes into the half, 54-36. Another 8-0 run by Wyoming pushed the lead to twenty-five, 63-38, before a pair of charities from Sean Wysocki halted the scoring spree. Denver’s defense could not get stops, as the Cowboys scored from distance and in the paint, and built a 27-point lead at the midway mark.  Denver trailed by 32 with five minutes left as the Cowboys poured it on, shooting close to 70% in the half.  A layup by Wyoming’s Uriyah Roja pulled Wyoming above the century mark in the rout. Final score 101-59.

The poor second half was likely a combination of factors – an excellent Wyoming team and a road-weary DU team playing 48 hours after playing #2 Arizona. Still, there remains concern about Denver’s size and defense, especially against tall, athletic teams. Defense is likely to be a challenge for this team, even in the Summit League. Denver has a week off to recharge before a home game against Eastern Washington next Wednesday. It will be interesting to see if their defensive performance improves with some rest and home cooking.

Feature Photo: Boone with Wyoming’s Kenny Sailors who innovated the modern jump shot.