Wyoming

Takeaways from Texas Tech's dominant 96-49 win over Wyoming

Published

1 year ago

November 13, 2024

Takeaways from Texas Tech’s dominant 96-49 win over Wyoming

Texas Tech basketball got revenge from last season’s football blunder in Laramie, downing Wyoming by a massive margin, 96-49, Monday night at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock.

Here are the initial takeaways from the action…

Hawkins, Anderson make Texas Tech debuts

It might have taken two games, but the Red Raiders were finally able to experience the joys of having a point guard on the floor again, doubly, in fact.

After missing Tech’s first two contests with lower body injuries, both Minnesota transfer Elijah Hawkins and Oak Hill true freshman Christian Anderson donned the scarlet and black against Wyoming.

The impact of both was felt immediately on both ends of the floor. Hawkins brought a new flair and tempo to the offense that had yet to be seen, while Anderson contributed 9 points as an efficient operator in his own right.

Where their impacts were felt the most, however, was perhaps on the defensive side of the court. Both Hawkins and Anderson proved to be active defenders and their contributions help aid the steady flow of rotations that kept fresh legs on the court at all times.

Defense takes significant step forward

Scoring the ball will likely never be this Texas Tech team’s biggest issue this season. The Red Raiders are hard-wired to score at all three levels behind a bevy of guards who can score on the perimeter, a big in Jadyn Toppin who has a soft hook down low and a guy like Darrion Williams who can will himself to score anywhere.

Defensive is where the cracks have appeared, but Wednesday’s action was a step in the right direction for the Red Raiders.

Through a combination of Wyoming’s lack of a true flow on offense and a revitalized aggressiveness from the Red Raiders, the Cowboys were dysfunctional in Lubbock.

To end the first half of action, Wyoming had turned the ball over nearly as many times as it had gotten a shot up, giving away possession 17 times and chunking up an attempt 19.

What made the difference was Hawkins and Anderson being available for Tech, with Grant McCasland and his staff able to mix up lineups and get a true feel for what the team looks like in game settings.

Toppin records first Red Raider double-double

Jadyn Toppin is the kind of player who elevates a team’s ceiling when the calendar turns to the third month of the year.

The sophomore had already turned in a pair of stellar performances, but followed those up with his first double-double in a Texas Tech jersey against the Cowboys. Toppin ended the first half with 16 points and 8 rebounds, snagging the mark early in the second half of action.

The Dallas native’s strongest asset is his left-handed hook shot, a mix of both his finesse and ability to move defenders in the paint.

In all, Toppin finished with 24 points on 10-for-15 shooting and 12 points, looking dominant again down low.

Tech moves to 3-0, look to conclude homestand v. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

After a lackluster showing against Northwestern State that was more so the by-product of a lack of bodies, the Red Raiders finally got a taste of what this team’s true self looks like.

To say getting Hawkins and Anderson back is significant would be an understatement.

A 23-4 run across five minutes near the end of the second half put the game even further out of reach than it had been and the Red Raiders cruised onto victory No. 3.

Up next on the slate is the last of Tech’s four-game homestand, welcoming Arkansas-Pine Bluff to the confines of the 806. After that, the Red Raiders will travel to Brooklyn to take part in the Legend’s Classic against St. Joe’s, with a matchup against old conference foe Texas in the realm of possibilities.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Travels to Face Utah State For 93rd Meeting – SweetwaterNOW

Published

6 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Travels to Face Utah State For 93rd Meeting – SweetwaterNOW

LARAMIE — Wyoming heads back on the road Wednesday night for a 7 p.m. Mountain West matchup at Utah State, marking the 93rd all-time meeting between the longtime conference rivals.

The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Fans can listen to the game across the Cowboy Sports Network’s 26 radio affiliates with Keith Kelley calling play-by-play and Kevin McKinney providing color commentary. In Sweetwater County, you can listen to the game on KUGR 104.9 FM

The Cowboys enter the contest at 12-8 overall and 3-6 in conference play after a 66-62 home win over San Jose State on Saturday. Wyoming is averaging 79.6 points per game, fourth in the Mountain West, while allowing 72.2 points per contest. The Cowboys are shooting 47 percent from the field and lead the conference at 37.5 rebounds per game, including more than 12 offensive rebounds per outing.

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Utah State comes in with a 16-3 overall record and a 7-2 mark in league play. The Aggies lead the Mountain West in scoring at 83.7 points per game and are allowing 68.3 points per night. Utah State is shooting 51 percent from the field, one of the top marks nationally and best in the conference, while holding opponents to 41 percent. The Aggies also average 17.7 assists per game.

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Wyoming is led by Leland Walker, who is averaging 15.1 points per game along with a team-high 3.7 assists per contest, ranking fifth in the conference. Walker scored a career-high 30 points against Boise State last week. Nasir (Naz) Meyer is contributing 13.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range. Khaden Bennett is averaging 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and ranks fourth in the Mountain West at better than 85 percent from the free throw line.

Utah State’s MJ Collins leads the Mountain West in scoring at 19.3 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc with 42 made 3-pointers. Mason Falslev adds 16.5 points per game and a team-high 5.9 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the field.

Wyoming is 18-25 all-time at Utah State, with its last win in Logan coming in 2022. The Aggies won both meetings last season, with the two games decided by a combined seven points.

Wyoming returns home Saturday to host Colorado State in the first edition of the Border War at 7:30 p.m. inside the Arena-Auditorium.

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Wyoming

Sage-grouse local working groups swiftly disbanded by Game and Fish

Published

18 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Sage-grouse local working groups swiftly disbanded by Game and Fish

WYOMING — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has announced that it is retiring the Sage-Grouse Local Working Groups (LWG) as of Jan. 31, just one month after the Trump administration released a Greater Sage-grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment for Wyoming. “The LWGs were a direct response to the 2003 Wyoming Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan,” the […]

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Wyoming

Utah State faces Wyoming following Collins’ 20-point outing

Published

1 day ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Utah State faces Wyoming following Collins’ 20-point outing

Wyoming Cowboys (12-8, 3-6 MWC) at Utah State Aggies (16-3, 7-2 MWC)

Logan, Utah; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Utah State plays Wyoming after Michael Collins Jr. scored 20 points in Utah State’s 65-61 victory over the Colorado State Rams.

The Aggies are 7-1 in home games. Utah State scores 83.7 points while outscoring opponents by 15.4 points per game.

The Cowboys are 3-6 in conference matchups. Wyoming ranks third in the MWC with 34.5 rebounds per game led by Nasir Meyer averaging 5.2.

Utah State scores 83.7 points, 11.5 more per game than the 72.2 Wyoming allows. Wyoming averages 7.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.2 more makes per game than Utah State allows.

The matchup Wednesday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams in conference play.

TOP PERFORMERS: Drake Allen is averaging 6.4 points, 5.1 assists and 1.9 steals for the Aggies. Collins is averaging 18.1 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 48.4% over the last 10 games.

Leland Walker is averaging 15.1 points and 3.7 assists for the Cowboys. Meyer is averaging 1.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Aggies: 8-2, averaging 82.9 points, 31.2 rebounds, 16.9 assists, 8.2 steals and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 51.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.0 points per game.

Cowboys: 4-6, averaging 71.2 points, 32.1 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 5.5 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 43.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.6 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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