Wyoming

11-0 second-half run powers No. 20 Utah State to blowout win over Wyoming

Published

2 years ago

January 10, 2024

11-0 second-half run powers No. 20 Utah State to blowout win over Wyoming

Utah State came into Tuesday night’s game with a target on its back after getting ranked in the Top 25 for the first time this season. And for the first 20 minutes, it appeared that the Cowboys might have the 20th-ranked Aggies in their sights.

But after leading by just two points at halftime, Utah State exploded for an 11-0 run to open the second half and cruised to an 83-59 victory over Wyoming.

“I think we came out a little bit sluggish after the emotional win (Saturday over then-No. 13 Colorado State),” USU guard Darius Brown II noted. “But after halftime, we knew we had to get better and just come out and put our stamp on the game.”

The Aggies (15-1 overall, 3-0 in the Mountain West) have now won 14 straight games, which serves as the longest current winning streak in the country. Houston, which opened the season 14-0, suffered its first loss of the year Tuesday at Iowa State.

Utah State head coach Danny Sprinkle, who is off to the best start of any first-year basketball coach in USU history, has yet to lose a game in the Spectrum at the helm of the Aggies.

“Unbelievable crowd again,” Sprinkle said. “I appreciate everybody coming, especially with the blizzard outside. But the Spectrum never lets you down. The place was rocking.

“When we started making that run and finally got some stops and some steals and some run-out dunks in that second half, the place was just electric. They win games for us.”

Brown, who secured a double-double with more than 13 minutes left in the game, ended up with 13 points, 11 assists and just one turnover, while junior forward Great Osobor, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Week, finished with 20 points and eight rebounds.

The duo, who both transferred from Montana State when Sprinkle was hired away from the Bobcats last spring, combined for 13 of USU’s first 16 points of the game, then caught fire again at the start of the second half. After Osobor scored on the left side of the basket, sophomore center Isaac Johnson knocked down his second 3-pointer of the game to extend USU’s advantage to 40-33.

Brown buried a 12-foot jumper a few minutes later, then after Johnson snared a defensive rebound, he fired a pass ahead to a streaking Osobor for a breakaway slam dunk that extended USU’s lead to 44-33.

That led to a massive eruption from the crowd of 8,214 people who braved an early-evening snow squall in Cache Valley to reach the Spectrum, but Wyoming head coach Jeff Linder elected not to call timeout. That proved to be a mistake when Brown promptly came up with a steal to trigger another fast break that resulted in another transition dunk for Osobor.

“Great’s one of my best friends and my roommate, and we have great chemistry together,” Brown said of Osobor. “We talk about a lot of things with each other — and not just basketball — and really know how to communicate with each other, and that goes a long way on the floor.

“I know where he’s going to be, and he knows where I’m going to be. We had a great relationship at Montana State that’s just carried over.”

The Aggies, who ended up totaling 24 assists, 11 steals and outscoring the Cowboys 14-0 on fast-break points, scored 30 of the first 42 points of the second half in just 12 minutes to leave Wyoming (8-8, 1-2).

“In the first half, obviously, you put yourself in a position going in the half, and the problem is it’s not a 20-minute game, it’s a 40-minute game,” Linder said. “… I give Coach Sprinkle and their team credit. It’s not like they’re a team where they go out there and wow you with their athleticism, just freaky talented. But what they do have is they got their starting five, they don’t make a lot of mistakes.

“And it starts with Darius Brown and Great Osobor, two guys that were Big Sky players. Darius Brown started his career at Northridge in the Big West and then the Big Sky, and that’s what guys don’t realize is how good players are, like winning players, and that’s what those two guys are. They set the tone.”

After making just one of nine 3-point attempts in the first half, the Aggies went 5-for-13 from beyond the arc in the second half, while shooting nearly 61% overall from the field.

Johnson finished with 10 points, and starting guard Mason Falslev contributed nine points and three assists.

The Cowboys’ leading scorer, Sam Griffin, who came into the game averaging more than 18 points a game, finished with just seven points on 3-of-9 shooting. Senior forward Mason Walters led the visitors with 17 points, and senior guard Akuel Kot totaled 14 points.

“Wyoming had our respect,” Sprinkle said. “I had a bunch of people say, ‘Hey, is there going to be a letdown after Colorado State?’ We’re not good enough to have a letdown. I love our guys’ mindset of getting better. They came on Sunday and we turned a page. We barely talked about Colorado State. It was over and they locked into the scout and what we needed to do to be successful tonight, and they did it.”

The first-place Aggies will put their winning streak on the line Saturday afternoon at UNLV.

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Wyoming

Wyoming High School Softball Regional Tournaments 2026

Published

11 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming High School Softball Regional Tournaments 2026

Sheridan will play in the North Regional Tournament at Gillette, while the South Regional Tournament will be played at Rock Springs.

North Regional Tournament at Gillette:

Checking record vs. highest team in the quadrant not involved in the tie, Thunder Basin gets the #1 Northeast seed over Campbell County, because the Lady Bolts went 3-1 vs. Sheridan, whereas the Lady Camels went 2-2.

Friday, May 15th:

(#1 NE) Thunder Basin vs. (#4 NW) Jackson – 11am

(#2 NW) Natrona County vs. (#3 NE) Sheridan – 11am

(#2 NE) Campbell County vs. (#3 NW) Kelly Walsh – 1pm

(#1 NW) Cody vs. (#4 NE) Worland – 1pm

Semi-Finals:

Thunder Basin/Jackson winner vs. Natrona County/Sheridan winner – 3pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.

Campbell County/Kelly Walsh winner vs. Cody/Worland winner – 5pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.

Consolation Round:

Thunder Basin/Jackson loser vs. Natrona County/Sheridan loser – 3pm LOSER OUT!

Campbell County/Kelly Walsh loser vs. Cody/Worland loser – 5pm LOSER OUT!

Saturday, May 16th:

TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.

2 10am winners vs. each other – 1pm 3rd Place

TBA vs. TBA – 1pm 1st Place

South Regional Tournament at Rock Springs:

Friday, May 15th:

(#1 SW) Laramie vs. (#4 SE) Torrington – 11am

(#2 SE) Cheyenne East vs. (#3 SW) Green River – 11am

(#2 SW) Rock Springs vs. (#3 SE) Wheatland – 1pm

(#1 SE) Cheyenne Central vs. (#4 SW) Cheyenne South – 1pm

Semi-Finals:

Laramie/Torrington winner vs. Cheyenne East/Green River winner – 3pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.

Rock Springs/Wheatland winner vs. Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne South winner – 5pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.

Consolation Round:

Laramie/Torrington loser vs. Cheyenne East/Green River loser – 3pm LOSER OUT!

Rock Springs/Wheatland loser vs. Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne South loser – 5pm LOSER OUT!

Saturday, May 16th:

TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.

2 10am winners vs. each other – 1pm 3rd Place

TBA vs. TBA – 1pm 1st Place

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Wyoming

Jackson resident Rebecca Bextel announces campaign for Wyoming governor

Published

23 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Jackson resident Rebecca Bextel announces campaign for Wyoming governor

CASPER, Wyo. — Jackson resident Rebecca Bextel has announced her candidacy for governor, seeking the nomination of the Constitution Party.

Bextel, a small business owner, framed her campaign as a challenge to the established political system in Wyoming. She said she intends to provide a conservative alternative for voters who believe the Republican primary often favors candidates who compromise on their principles.

“My run for Governor as the Constitution Party candidate aims to allow conservatives two lanes for the same race, just like the Democrats,” Bextel said in a statement.

Her platform prioritizes energy production, Second Amendment rights, school choice and efforts to reduce government regulation. Bextel also emphasized a focus on election integrity, calling for voter identification requirements and increased transparency.

The announcement comes on the heels of a controversy during the 2026 legislative budget session in Cheyenne. In February, the Wyoming House of Representatives voted unanimously to form a special committee to investigate Bextel’s actions after she handed out campaign donation checks to several lawmakers on the House floor.

Bextel acknowledged delivering the checks, which she said were from a Teton County donor. She maintained there was no wrongdoing in “delivering lawful campaign checks” while at the Capitol. Legislators initiated the inquiry to determine if the actions violated the state constitution or constituted legislative misconduct.

While Wyoming House investigators cleared lawmakers of wrongdoing, Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak’s parallel investigation was still ongoing as of April.

Bextel previously served as a precinct committee person and state committeewoman within the Republican Party. She unsuccessfully sought the top leadership position of the Wyoming Republican Party last year. She said her decision to join the Constitution Party arose from her observations of political insiders and party machinery in Cheyenne.

The Constitution Party plans to hold a state convention on June 18 and 19 to nominate candidates for the general election ballot.

Others filing to take the seat Gov. Mark Gordon is vacating include Sheridan resident Gabriel Green, a Democrat, and Republicans Brent Bien, Sen. Eric Barlow and State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder. A fourth Republican, Joseph Kibler, withdrew his announced candidacy in April.

The primary election is set for Aug. 18. The general election will be Nov. 3.

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Wyoming

Wyoming High School 3A Soccer Scoreboard for May 11-16, 2026

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming High School 3A Soccer Scoreboard for May 11-16, 2026

It is the last week of the 2026 regular season for Class 3A girls’ and boys’ soccer teams in the Cowboy State. Only the top four from each conference will advance to next week’s state tournament in Gillette. These last regular-season matches could impact where teams finish in the league standings. That would shape the first-round matches at the state tournament. The week begins with a rescheduled girls’ match from an earlier postponement. The rest of the slate is Thursday through Saturday.