Wyoming Cowboys looking to bust New Mexico’s bubble in the Pit

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – There’s stress on the Mountain West contenders to beat the last-place Pokes.

Head coach Jeff Linder famous that Wyoming acquired Boise State’s finest shot throughout Saturday’s loss by which standout level guard Marcus Shaver returned from harm after sitting out towards San Diego State.

The reigning champion Broncos are thought of a bubble staff by most to NCAA Event bracketologists.

The Cowboys (7-17, 2-10) can probably spoil New Mexico’s postseason plans with a win on Tuesday evening on the Pit (8 p.m., CBS Sports activities Community).

The Lobos (18-6, 8-3), who escaped with a 76-75 win on Dec. 31 in Laramie, had been among the many “final 4 in” the sector, based on ESPN’s newest bracket projection.

New Mexico has misplaced three consecutive video games, together with a resume-damaging 89-77 defeat at Air Pressure, coming into this must-win sport versus UW.

Linder’s counterpart, Richard Pitino, stated Jaelen Home will likely be a game-time determination after sitting out towards the Falcons with a hamstring harm.

“The offense was high-quality. The protection was abysmal,” Pitino informed the Albuquerque Journal after Air Pressure shot 66% from the sector with 50 factors within the paint. “Collectively, defensively it was actually poor. So, we’ve acquired to observe this movie and we set to work our butts off to attempt to right it by Tuesday.”

UW fell to 0-6 in true street video games with the loss to Boise State. Hunter Maldonado led the staff with 14 factors however is coping with a left arm harm.

Linder stated Maldonado “will likely be OK” after his newest harm scare. The Pokes have seven scholarship gamers obtainable and guard Kenny Foster (again) is predicted to be cleared quickly.

“Whenever you play within the Pit, and Coach Pitino in a brief period of time has that place rocking and rolling once more, it’s one of many hardest locations to play within the nation,” Linder stated. “It’s additionally a spot too the place guys are going to be excited to play due to the setting.

“Off the Boise sport our guys are in a very good place. Apart from a couple of performs right here or there we felt that sport was quite a bit nearer than what the rating indicated.”

Jeremiah Oden (14 factors), Xavier DuSell (13 factors) and Brendan Wenzel (12 factors) additionally scored in double figures, however the Pokes allowed the Broncos to shoot 52% within the second half, together with 75% (6-for-8) on 3-pointers.

“I believe we’re making steps in the best path. It’s only a sluggish grind with the 12 months we’ve been having,” Wenzel stated. “We will’t even have full practices. We’ve simply acquired to maintain going. We’re all collectively, we’re all working laborious to realize the identical objective.”

UW trails the all-time sequence with New Mexico 77-71, together with a 24-46 report in Albuquerque.