Another strong defensive effort helped the Wyoming Cowboys to a 65-41 win over the Stetson Hatters Wednesday night at the Arena Auditorium.

For the first time since January 1982, the Cowboys have held four straight opponents under 50 points. They are allowing only 47 points per game this season.

Head coach Larry Shyatt said,

"I thought our defense, especially in the first half, was about as good as its been all year."

Wyoming (5-0) pushed out to a 19-8 lead about seven minutes in. Riley Grabau hit three early 3-pointers, and the Pokes defense allowed only two field goals during that same stretch.

The Cowboys kept Stetson in check and built a 33-16 edge by halftime. The Hatters had only one field goal in the last 12:31 of the first half. In fact, they shot only 18 percent on field goals.

UW steadily built on the lead during the second half. A 15-6 spurt midway through the period put the game away. The Pokes biggest lead was 57-30 with 6:03 left.

Larry Nance Jr. led the way with 15 points and 4 rebounds. It was the 42nd time he's scored in double figures in his career. The only other Cowboy to reach double digits was Josh Adams with 11.

Wyoming shot 54.5 percent (24-44) from the field. They've shot over 50 percent in all five wins thus far. The Cowboys were also a plus 11 on the glass. They enjoyed a 32-14 advantage on points in the paint and scored 19 points off 18 turnovers by the Hatters.

Stetson (2-4) was led by Kentwan Smith with 16 points. They shot only 34 percent from the floor.

Shyatt added, "I was very happy that we were able to get a lot of guys a lot of minutes, because playing four games in eight days it's important for us to utilize that bench."

The Pokes return to action Saturday. They host the New Mexico State Aggies, who have been to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons and four of the last five. Tip-off is at 4:30 p.m. in Laramie.

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