Wyoming
Colorado State basketball completes stunning comeback against Wyoming
CSU got ‘tougher’ to grab comeback win over Wyoming
CSU men’s basketball coach Ali Farokhmanesh said the Rams got tougher in the second half to pull off win over Wyoming.
A refuse-to-lose effort.
The Colorado State men’s basketball team was teetering on the edge of a really rough loss but the Rams dialed into a new level of determination to wrestle this one away.
The Rams were down 10 points in the second half to rival Wyoming on the cusp of a tough season sweep to their biggest rivals.
Then CSU buckled down and dominated the end the game to grab a 79-68 win at Moby Arena on Feb. 14.
Here are takeaways from the game.
CSU responded to Wyoming’s talk
Wyoming (13-12, 4-10 Mountain West) was full of plenty of chatter after a home win over the Rams at the end of January.
Leland Walker said the Rams “were getting the belt” and coach Sundance Wicks lauded the “sucks to be a CSU Ram” chant heard at Arena Auditorium.
This week Wicks was annoyed at a radio program that pointed out Khaden Bennett overperformed his stats in that game (he scored 22 after coming into the game just shy of 10 points per game).
Wicks also said he was displeased with a photo CSU used celebrating a win over Wyoming last season.
CSU (15-10, 6-8 MW) refused to get into a battle of words with coach Ali Farokhmanesh calling it “just another game” ahead of the second Border War.
That, obviously, is not true and CSU played like it, especially late on.
“You can’t act like it’s another game because it’s really not,” said CSU forward Carey Booth, who tied a career-high with six blocks. “Obviously, it means more. It’s great to get wins in games against Wyoming.”
Farokhmanesh wanted the team to respond with play on the court and it worked out in a strong win for the Rams.
“They were motivated,” Farokhmanesh said of his team. “I think they were motivated just in general, but yeah they were motivated. There were some things that were said that were kind of disrespectful. That’s up to them. But for us, we’re just going to play basketball and be about us and talk about us and it’s about us more than it’s about them.”
Colorado State’s toughness finishes Wyoming
Wyoming led 57-47 with 12:37 to go in the game. There was a timeout shortly after that and Farokhmanesh challenged the group to buckle down.
Buckle down they did.
Wyoming scored just 11 points the rest of the way, shooting 4-21 (19%) in the final 12-plus minutes. The Cowboys missed their final eight shots of the game and 14 of their final 15.
“I thought we got tougher. It wasn’t a whole lot of game plan stuff,” Farokhmanesh said. “We really just got tougher.”
It was a great response from the Rams.
CSU had gone down nine points in the first half as well, while also losing sharpshooter Josh Pascarelli to injury.
That minute lineups got shuffled but the Rams responded with players filling key roles.
Booth’s six blocks disrupted Wyoming and forced the Cowboys to alter drives to the lane. Jevin Muniz carried a huge workload (36 minutes) with Pascarelli injured and scored 15 points on 6-8 shooting, while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing three assists.
Kyle Jorgensen scored nine of his 11 points after halftime.
Wyoming was switching defensively, leaving the Rams with size mismatches that encouraged inside play. CSU scored 30 paint points, but also drew 26 fouls.
The Rams shot 25-30 (83%) from the line, while Wyoming had just eight free throw attempts.
“We know we’re a good 3-point shooting team, but if they’re going to switch everything we’ve got to take advantage of mismatches and keep driving the ball to the paint,” CSU guard Jase Butler said.
CSU outscored Wyoming 32-11 in the final 12:37 of the game. Wyoming shot just 32% in the second half and scored 28 points in the final 20 minutes.
Jase Butler’s growth shows in game-winning performance
Butler likely takes the crown of MVP for the game, with a career-high in points (18) and assists (six). He also had three rebounds and three steals, while hitting 11 of 12 free throws.
He was an eye-popping plus-25 in 30 minutes on the floor against Wyoming.
The sophomore is a former four-star recruit who transferred into CSU from Washington (he was recruited by CSU out of high school, too) and has become a do-it-all for the Rams.
“You just trust Jase. He’s Jalen Lake to me,” Farokhmanesh said, referencing the four-year Ram who graduated after last season.
“A lot like Jalen Lake where you trust him on the court, you trust him in those situations to make plays and he came up with every play tonight.”
Butler’s versatility is key. He had a big steal to spark the second half comeback. He can guard multiple positions, he can shoot the ball (40% on 3’s this season) and he’s one of CSU’s best cutters and drivers.
With limited minutes last season at Washington, Farokhmanesh likened the early part of this season to being Butler’s freshman season and now he’s on to being a true sophomore as his game grows.
“I thank Coach Ali for the trust in me,” Butler said. “I think the more reps I get, the better I get.”
Sports reporter Kevin Lytle can be found on social media on X, Instagram and Threads @Kevin_Lytle and on Bluesky.
WYOMING — Governor Mark Gordon hosted an impromptu panel discussion earlier this week with state veterinarians and the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) to initiate communication efforts relating to the New World screwworm.
A statement from Gordon’s office says that there are no reported outbreaks of the flesh-eating New World screwworm in the U.S. outside of previously confirmed cases in Texas and New Mexico. Gordon called the session to increase lines of communication about the screwworm ahead of Wyoming’s peak summer travel, backcountry and rodeo season. Included in the panel were State Veterinarian Dr. Hallie Hasel, State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Allen, and WDH Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Emily Curren.
“There are no reported cases in Wyoming; however, Texas and New Mexico are tracking instances, so it is important to keep all citizens informed — including pet owners, campers, rodeo athletes, and sportsmen, in addition to our ag, ranching and wildlife communities.” Gordon said in the statement. “I’m satisfied with the extensive outreach regarding NWS that has been ongoing to our ag, livestock, and wildlife professionals.”
Gordon and the panelists fielded questions and heard commentary from various professionals, including Wyoming Department of Agriculture Director Doug Miyamoto, Director of Wyoming Game and Fish Department Angi Bruce, and Wyoming Livestock Board Director Steven True.
New World screwworm is a deadly, flesh-eating parasite that was previously eradicated in the United States and hasn’t been seen in Texas since 1966. An outbreak of the insects in Panama spurred a state of emergency in 2023, and a case of the screwworm was confirmed in southern Mexico in 2024. The female flies lay their eggs in open wounds of mammals, and the livestock industry is fearful of potential impacts on cattle and beef production.
Below are the key takeaways from the discussion, per Gordon’s statement.
- There are no reported outbreaks of New World screwworm in Wyoming.
- New World screwworms feed on and lay eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals, including humans.
- Transmission to humans is very rare.
- New World screwworm is not a food safety issue.
- Livestock and domesticated animals should be checked regularly — daily if possible.
- Contact a veterinarian or medical doctor if open wounds are painful and persistent.
- Keeping fly populations under control at rodeo events protects animals and people.
- Protocols for safe animal transport are currently in place in Wyoming.
- Wildlife and game populations are being monitored for early indicators of fly strikes.
JACKSON, Wyo. – Jackson Hole Public Art (JHPA) is proud to announce the
public installation of 250 Portraits, a community art project featuring self-portraits created and submitted by Wyoming residents from across the state. Launched in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the project invited Wyomingites of all ages and backgrounds to submit portraits of themselves or other Wyoming residents, resulting in a vibrant and deeply personal collection of artwork.
Portraits were submitted by artists ranging in age from 5 to over 80, representing residents from 16 of Wyoming’s 23 counties. Participants included individuals, families, school groups, and educators who worked with their students to take part. The result is a wide-ranging snapshot of the people who call Wyoming home, from young children just beginning to express themselves through art to lifelong residents reflecting on decades of experience and identity.
The portraits are now on display in five large-scale grid installations located throughout downtown Jackson. They can be found at the Center for the Arts, JH Book Trader, the Antler Inn, the alley at Pinky G’s, and the Jackson Hole Elks Lodge. The exhibition will remain on view throughout the summer, giving locals and visitors alike the opportunity to take in the full collection at their own pace.
The exhibit, 250 Portraits, was designed to highlight both individual identity and collective belonging, weaving together faces from communities large and small into a single, statewide visual portrait of Wyoming’s people. By placing the work in accessible, high-traffic locations in downtown Jackson, JHPA hopes to spark conversation among residents and visitors about what it means to be part of a community that spans such a wide and varied landscape.
A self-guided walking map is available to help visitors navigate between the five sites and experience other public art projects throughout Jackson. For more information and to access the 2026 Public Art Map, visit https://www.jhpublicart.org/art/2026map.
Pair your portrait with an audio story! Please consider adding your voice to another state-wide project celebrating the stories of everyday Wyomingites: Re-Storying the West.
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