The Wyoming Cowboys returned to the Arena-Auditorium on Thursday and delivered a dominant 92-55 victory over Bellarmine. Wyoming shot an impressive 65.5 percent from the field and made a season-high 14 three-pointers, improving to 5-0 at home this season.
The Cowboys shot a blistering 75.9 percent in the first half, marking their best shooting half since December 22, 2013, when they shot 84.2 percent in the second half against Northern Colorado. It was their best first-half shooting performance since December 17, 2003, when they shot 77.8 percent against Tennessee State.
“We had the right mentality tonight, and the guys came out with an edge,” said UW head coach Sundance Wicks. “We saw good process and good results, which is what we want. This group has been persistent in sticking with the process, and great preparation drove our success.”
Wyoming’s 65.5 percent shooting from the field was their best since the season opener against Northern New Mexico last year. The Cowboys also hit 50 percent of their three-pointers, a season-best, marking their second game with double-digit three-pointers. Bellarmine, in contrast, shot just 38.8 percent from the field and made only five threes, despite averaging over 10 per game. Wyoming also dominated on the boards, holding a 34-17 advantage.
Obi Agbim led the Cowboys with a season-high 28 points, shooting 10-of-13 from the field and 8-of-10 from three. He also contributed five rebounds and five assists. A.J. Wills added 13 points and a career-high seven assists. Matija Belic, making his first start for Wyoming, scored a season-high 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Cole Henry and Touko Tainamo each chipped in 11 points, and Abou Magassa led the team with nine rebounds, tying his career high.
Belic helped Wyoming jump to an early 6-2 lead, and the Cowboys then went on a 13-0 run over 3.5 minutes, capped by three three-pointers to lead 19-4 with seven minutes gone in the game. The team continued to build its lead, pushing it to as much as 25 points with a series of three-pointers from Agbim, leading 51-15 with just under six minutes remaining in the first half.
A dunk by Agbim and a three from Jordan Nesbitt, followed by an and-one play from Henry, stretched the lead to 52-23, and the Cowboys took a 52-28 advantage into halftime, shooting 75 percent from the field.
In the second half, Agbim hit his fourth three-pointer to push Wyoming’s lead to 61-34. The Cowboys extended their advantage to 30 points, reaching 66-36 with 14 minutes remaining after a jumper by Wills. Wyoming went on a 10-0 run, with Tainamo and Wills both reaching double figures during the stretch, making it 71-36.
Bellarmine cut the lead to 74-47 with just under 10 minutes left, but Agbim answered with his seventh three-pointer of the game to halt the Knights’ momentum. Wyoming then went on another 8-0 run, capped by an and-one play from Magassa, bringing the score to 82-47.
Despite a late rally from Bellarmine, the Cowboys held firm and closed out the game with a 92-55 win. The Knights were led by Kenyan Goodin, who scored 13 points.
Wyoming will wrap up non-conference play on Sunday with a road game at Cal State Fullerton, scheduled for a 3 p.m. MT tip-off on ESPN+.
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