by staff–17 Nov ’15
The University of Wyoming men’s basketball team was within six points of Indiana State midway through the second half, but the Sycamores pulled away for a 70-55 win on Monday night in the Hulman Center. Senior guard Josh Adams moved into UW’s career top 10 in assists, but the Cowboys (1-1) couldn’t win their road opener of the 2015-16 season.
“This team is new,” UW head coach Larry Shyatt said. “This team plays new. The games are going to be a little faster, possessions are going to go quicker and we are going to have to learn how to win when those jump shots aren’t falling.”
The Pokes trailed by 16 points early in the second half before junior guard Jason McManamen nailed back-to-back threes. The spark led to a 10-2 Wyoming run that pulled the Pokes within 42-36, but that would be as close as the Cowboys would get. The Sycamores (1-1) responded with a 16-3 run of their own to go ahead by 19 at 58-39 with six minutes left.
Wyoming shot just 35 percent (19-of-55) from the field, 23 percent (7-of-30) from deep and 53 percent (10-of-19) at the free-throw line. Indiana State didn’t hit much better at 38 percent (22-of-58) from the field and 25 percent (7-of-28) beyond the arc, but earned a 47-35 advantage on the boards for an 8-1 lead in second-chance points.
Individually, Adams posted 13 points, six rebounds, and three steals, while his five assists moved him to 10th in UW’s records book with 275. He also notched his 59th career double-figure scoring game. Junior guard Jason McManamen was the only other Cowboy in double figures at 10 points, thanks in part to three triples, to go with three rebounds. Sophomore Hayden Dalton contributed eight points and five rebounds.
It was the same story in the first half, as Wyoming owned a 13-10 lead midway through the frame, but Indiana State crafted a 19-2 run to close the period for a 29-15 halftime lead. The Pokes got just one field goal, an Adams layup, in the final 10 minutes of the first half and finished the from shooting just 20 percent (5-of-25) from the field and 13 percent (2-of-16) from beyond the arc. The Sycamores outrebounded the Cowboys 28-16 in the first half, including 6-0 on the offensive glass.
The Pokes return to the Arena-Auditorium to host New Mexico Highlands on Thursday at 7 p.m. MT.
