James lifts Wyoming past San Jose St. 81-71 SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Justin James had 25 points and 11 rebounds as Wyoming topped San Jose State 81-71 on Wednesday night. Jake Hendricks added 20 points for the Cowboys. A.J. Banks had 13 points for Wyoming (7-23, 3-14 Mountain West Conference), which snapped its six-game losing streak. Trevon Tayloradded 10 points. Noah Baumann had 27 points for the Spartans (4-25, 1-16). Michael Steadman added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Craig LeCesne had three assists. The Cowboys improve to 2-0 against the Spartans on the season. Wyoming defeated San Jose State 59-46 on Jan. 23. Wyoming finishes out the regular season against New Mexico at home on Saturday. San Jose State finishes out the regular season against Fresno State on the road on Saturday.
James Reaches 2,000 Points in 81-71 Victory over San Jose State James becomes sixth player in MW history to reach 2,000 FINAL STATS SEASON STATS BUY TICKETS Next Game: University of New Mexico 3/9/2019 | 4 p.m. ESPN3 LIVE STATS LISTEN LIVE FULL SCHEDULE ROSTER SAN JOSE, Calif. (March 6, 2019) – The Cowboys held San Jose State to 27 percent from the field in the second half in a 81-71 win over the Spartans in the Event Center in San Jose on Wednesday. Senior Justin James reached an impressive plateau becoming the sixth player in the history of the Mountain West to score 2,000 points. "I thought everyone played a part tonight night," Wyoming head coach Allen Edwardssaid. "Some big roles and some small, but everyone played a role tonight. I was so proud of what we were able to do defensively in the second half especially after not playing a lot of man," Edwards said. "It was a complete team win. I gave the team a challenge to bring great energy and they gave myself and the staff great energy." James added 25 points for his 27th game in double-figures and the 90th of his career. He also added 11 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season and the 15th of his career. He now has 2,002 career points. "Jake (Hendricks) and Justin (James) were special tonight and A.J. Banks played well defensively in the second half," Edwards said. "To get 2,000 points speaks to the type of player he has become. He is so unselfish, but finds ways to score. Saturday will be a big night and opportunity for our fans to come out and support our seniors." Freshman Trevon "TJ" Taylor added 10 points for his eighth game in double figures this season. Junior guard Jake Hendricks added 20 points for his 10th game in double-figures. He finished the game with six triples and has six in back-to-back games. Junior guard A.J. Banksfinished with 13 points for his third game in double-figures this season. Wyoming had four players in double-figures for the first time since Denver on Dec. 11. Wyoming shot 46 percent from the field on the night and held SJSU to 36 percent. Wyoming hit 11 threes on the night for back-to-back game double-digit threes. The Pokes also grabbed 40 rebounds for the most in conference play this season. Hendricks, Thompson and Banks got the Pokes off to a 9-1 lead in the opening three minutes off play using the three-ball. In fact, after missing the first attempt of the game, Wyoming would hit three-straight. Taylor would get hot for the Pokes getting into double-figures halfway through the half. Taylor helped the Pokes build a lead as high as 14 points at 17-3. But the Spartans would start knocking down shot and cut the deficit to 23-16 with 10:23 left in the opening half. Noah Baumann would hit four-triples helping make it a four-point contest at 31-30 with five minutes left in the first half. The Spartans would take the lead a minute later on a layup from Craig LeCense. The Pokes would find their offensive rhythm to close the second half with a 6-0 run in the final minute with threes from James and A.J. Banks to make it a 42-37 Wyoming lead at the break. Each team shot 50 percent from the field in the opening frame. The Pokes would maintain their advantage in the early goings of the first half and built an eight point advantage at 52-44. Banks would push it to 10-points with another alley-oop jam with 14:40 left in the game. The Spartans would use the free throw line to make it a six point game at 56-50 with 12 minutes left. The Pokes would go scoreless for nearly three minutes allowing the Spartans to close the gap at 58-54 until Hendricks hit a three pointer and a layup from Brandon Portermade it a 63-54 game with 7:37 remaining. But the Spartans would battle back using an 8-0 run to make it a 63-62 game with five minutes to play. SJSU would make three-straight field goals during the run. Hendricks knocked down his fifth three of the game to give Wyoming some breathing room at 68-64 with 4:33 remaining. Hendricks would hit his sixth three of the game to put the Pokes up by six at 71-65 with 2:26 remaining. After struggling from the line the whole game the Pokes would make it when it counted and took the 81-71 win. San Jose State was led in scoring by Baumann with 27 points. He finished with seven three-pointers for the evening. He was held to only one triples in the second half. The Cowboys return home on Saturday hosting New Mexico for Senior Day. Seniors Justin James and Jordan Naughton will be honored before the contest. The game is set for a 4 p.m. start that will feature up to 50 percent off all concessions in the Arena-Auditorium.
UW MEN’S BASKETBALL Justin James preps for 'emotional' cap to prolific UW basketball career LARAMIE — Justin James has entertained himself as much as he has the thousands of fans that have poured into the Arena-Auditorium over the last four years. There was Wyoming’s game against Cal his freshman season when James, sharing the floor with two future NBA draft picks in Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb, knocked down a 3-pointer to make things interesting late in a 78-72 overtime loss. Last season, on his 21st birthday, James went off for a career-high 33 points to lead the Cowboys to their first home win over a ranked team in four years in a 104-103 double-overtime win over eventual Mountain West regular-season champion Nevada. This season, James set a new career-high with 36 points against the Cowboys’ biggest rival in a comfortable win over Colorado State on Feb. 9. “I’ve had a lot of fun games in my career,” he said. James will get one more game in front of the home fans. Whether he will classify it as fun amid Wyoming’s trying season remains to be seen, but in a building where James has made some of the fondest memories of his prolific career, it will certainly run the gamut of emotions. James and fellow senior Jordan Naughton will be recognized before the Cowboys’ regular-season finale against New Mexico on Saturday as part of Senior Day festivities, where the program will honor a career that ranks among the best in its history. James is fourth on Wyoming’s all-time scoring list, surpassing the likes of Reggie Slater, Eric Leckner, Larry Nance Jr. and Josh Adams this season to get there. James is just the fourth player in program history and the sixth in league history to score 2,000 career points. His 2,002 points are the fifth-most in MW history. Should he score at least 30 points Saturday — something he’s done twice already this season — he’ll pass former Fresno State standout Marvelle Harris for No. 4 on that list. “It’s going to be emotional for sure,” James said. “It’s been a great four years here at the university. I’ve learned a lot. I’m grateful for all the time I spent here.” For everybody involved, it’s hard to believe it’s almost over. “It flies by,” Wyoming coach Allen Edwards said. “It really does.” Hidden talent Edwards had never heard of James until he received a Facebook message five years ago. It was from a friend, who informed Edwards that one of his old college buddies had a son who was putting up big numbers in the Florida prep ranks but wasn’t getting much attention from Division I schools. The message included a highlight video of James, but Edwards, then an assistant on Larry Shyatt’s staff who recruited his native Florida for the Cowboys, needed to see him in person. “OK, cool,” Edwards recalled thinking. “The next time I get down that way, I’ll make sure I stop in and get a chance to see him.” Edwards got his first live look at James after his junior season at St. Lucie West Centennial High, where James averaged 21.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists that season. Edwards watched James play a pick-up game at the school’s gym and saw a lanky, skilled wing that stuck out almost too easily from the rest of the competition. “It was JJ and like a bunch of little kids,” Edwards said. “They were high-school kids, but everybody was little. I’m looking at it and saying, ‘Everything looks right, but he ain’t really playing against nobody.’ You can get fooled sometimes by that.” Seeking more exposure and more interest from high-major programs, James played on the AAU circuit in Florida and was already entertaining the idea of making the move from public-school ball to a private school, a higher level of competition in Florida. James transferred from St. Lucie West Centennial to Oldsmar Christian School just outside of Tampa for his senior season. Playing with and against a bevy of Division I signees that have gone on to play at Florida and Kansas just to name a couple schools, James received numerous mid-major offers during his lone season at Oldsmar. Mississippi State eventually offered while in-state Southeastern Conference power Florida ramped up its interest. But most of that attention came after James had already committed to Wyoming, which offered James a scholarship before his senior season. James thought long and hard about the opportunity Mississippi State gave him to play in the SEC (Florida didn’t offer him a scholarship), but he stuck with his pledge and signed with the Cowboys. “Coach Edwards, when he was an assistant coach when he was recruiting me, I was the main priority,” James said. “We had a great relationship from the start. Them having their eyes on me before everybody else did, I kind of took that as they were attracted.” It’s been a gradual progression ever since. James immediately joined the Cowboys’ rotation during the 2015-16 season, averaging 5.2 points in 15.6 minutes per game. He led Wyoming in scoring at 16 points per game as a sophomore before upping that to 18.9 points a game last season on his way to first-team all-MW honors. He also posted career-highs at the time in field-goal percentage (47.2), rebounding (6.0) and assists (3.1). “He’s a better decision maker,” Edwards said. “Last year, it was more about scoring for him. Actually the last two years. He defends a lot better and rebounds a whole lot better. That was my thing to him going into the year, and that was even the feedback he got from the NBA level: You have to be more complete.” Bittersweet ending James grew into a bonafide NBA prospect with the numbers he put up last season along with his 6-foot-7, 190-pound frame. He tested the waters last summer by putting his name in the draft without hiring an agent, but he ultimately withdrew it in favor of one last season with the Cowboys, though this isn’t how he envisioned it playing out. Personally, it’s arguably the best of James’ career. He’s the MW’s leading scorer at 21.6 points per game and is on pace for career-highs in rebounding (8.5) and assists (4.5), but he’s been one of the few bright spots amid a season for Wyoming that’s been marred by mass attrition and futility. The Cowboys lost fellow all-league performers Hayden Dalton and Alan Herndon to graduation after last season while five players that started this season as part of the rotation were lost by mid-December to injuries, suspensions or personal decisions to leave the team, leaving James to do most of the heavy lifting. James, who’s led Wyoming in scoring in all but five games, has accounted for 33.1 percent of the Cowboys’ points this season. That’s despite being the overwhelming focus of every team’s scouting report. James routinely draws double teams in the opposition’s effort to get the ball out of his hands and make someone else in Wyoming’s eight-man rotation beat them, but James is often able to avoid those traps. He’s also taken 33.1 percent of the Cowboys’ shots and 41.3 percent of their free-throw attempts. Those percentages could be higher considering how often James handles the ball, and there are times he’s forced the issue. His 40.7 field-goal percentage is on pace to be the lowest of his career while his 123 turnovers are already a career-high, but James said the season has been a lesson in patience to continue to try to get his teammates involved. “Sometimes I do get frustrated because most of the time, there’s a hand in my face, but I’m playing basketball,” James said. “The ball is my hands a lot to make decisions for this team, so I really can’t ask for more than that.” It’d be hard to imagine where Wyoming would be without James’ production. Without a win over UNM (13-16, 7-10 MW) and a couple more in next week’s MW tournament, the Cowboys (7-23, 3-14), who’ve already lost more games than any team in program history, will finish with their lowest win total since the 1973-74 team won just four games. Yet James has pushed through to do about all he can do, ranking in the top 7 in the MW in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals while playing more minutes than anyone in the league on a nightly basis (38.1). “Not only has it (surprised me), but for him to come back ready to go the next time,” Edwards said. “At some point, you’re saying that he’s got to be saying, ‘I just … I don’t know, Coach.’ And within all of this, he still practices. That’s why I say he’s passing something down to these younger guys. Even though he’s playing 40 minutes basically a night, he still wins sprints. He’s still the hardest-working player on our team and yet he’s carrying the heaviest load.” But there’s not much about the last four years James would change. “I’ve grown as a man and given myself an opportunity to play at the next level. I’ve also won a (CBI) championship,” James said. “I’m grateful for this university, and I’m happy with the decision I made.”
Kevin's Commentary: Justin James Justin James is a special basketball player. His career at Wyoming has placed him among the elite Cowboys in the history of the sport. There have been just three others his equal. His accomplishments are well-documented. He is one of four Cowboys to score at least 2,000 points in his career. Only six players in the history of the Mountain West have done it. He has produced a marvelous senior season. He leads the Mountain West in scoring (21.6 points per game). He is the league's sixth-best rebounder (8.5 rebounds per game). He is fourth in the league in assists (4.5 assists per game) and he leads the league in steals (1.5 steals per game) and minutes played (1,143). He has put up some amazing numbers, especially on a team that has struggled to find victories. But Justin James is so much more than those numbers. He is a special person. He has become someone I didn't see coming when he came to Laramie as a freshman out of Florida. He became a leader, and the consummate teammate. Players like James do not come down the road very often. People like him come along even less. There are a variety of routes an athlete can take when a season goes south. Most of them are not good. They basically aren't willing to play, and especially play hard. Justin James chose the correct way to do it. Believe me, with the injuries he's suffered, it would have been easy for him to watch from the sideline. There's no way he would do that. As the Cowboy season got steadily longer, he became stronger, he became an even better leader, an even better teammate. Not only has he carried the Cowboys on his back the best he could, he also he has been there for a group of young Cowboys. He has talked to them, encouraged them and helped them. I have never seen any Cowboy in all my years here rise above a tough situation like he has. The ultimate competitor, I cannot imagine how difficult this season has been on him, his last as a Cowboy. "It's been tough," he says. "But what are you going to do? I love the game, I love the competition, and I love the challenge. If you are a competitor you embrace every game as an opportunity. You give it everything you have." That's Justin James. As a freshman, and even as a sophomore there was little indication that he would become such a leader. "Shooting the ball was on my mind more than anything else," Justin says with a grin. "I thought that's what it was all about. I always had a lot of confidence that I could do that." When did the light come on, then? "It was the middle of my junior year when it began to dawn on me that this year would be my year, and that it was my turn to lead the team. I started thinking more about the program, than just shooting the ball all the time," he smiles. "Coach Edwards also really helped me. We talked a lot about it. He helped me prepare mentally for this season, and how I could impact the team as a leader. We knew there would be a lot of new players, some of them very young. Leadership would be extremely important. "I really believe I was built to be a leader. So I really worked on making sure that part of me came out." It certainly has. I have watched many practices, and have been around the team while on the road all season long. His upbeat nature, his willingness to help his young teammates, and his ability to make people feel good despite what was happening around him have been extremely impressive. He treats everyone on the team—even the radio broadcasters—like family. "I'm a family guy," he says. "What I love about Wyoming is that feeling of family. Everyone around here respects everyone. They care about you. I will never forget that." I got a dose of his engaging personality early on. At the end of one of our first road trips of his freshman season, we got off the plane to one of those Laramie blizzards...snowing like crazy, wind blowing it sideways across our path. We were giving our players rides back to the Arena-Auditorium, and Justin and a couple other freshmen were in my car. As we were driving back to town (and barely able to see the road), he asked me how long I had lived in Wyoming? I told him all of my life. He was quiet for a moment, then he said, "wow, have you ever heard of Florida?" and then he just cracked up. There's no question Justin James has a glittering future in the game of basketball. But what will he do when the ball stops bouncing? "I'll probably end up in South Florida. That's where all of my family is, and I want to be around them." He hesitates, and then says that his girlfriend—Cowgirl track star Jerayah Davis—"may have something to say about it. Let me change that, Jerayah WILL have something to say about it," he laughs. "I know this, I will come back to Wyoming to visit. This school has given me so much. It'll always be in my heart." And tomorrow will be the last time he plays in the Arena-Auditorium. That will be a sad day for me. I have so enjoyed watching him play for the Cowboys. But I've enjoyed being around him even more. All of Wyoming should be there to thank him. It won't be, but it should. So I'll say it for everyone, 'Thank you Justin, you have been one, great Wyoming Cowboy!'
Cowboy Offense Comes Alive in 88-81 Senior Day Win Over New Mexico James leads Pokes with 28 points FINAL STATS SEASON STATS POSTGAME NOTES AND QUOTES FULL SCHEDULE ROSTER LARAMIE, Wyo. (March 9, 2019) – The Cowboy offense featured five players in double-figures with seniors Justin James and Jordan Naughton combining for 38 in a 88-81 win over New Mexico on Saturday afternoon in the Arena-Auditorium on Senior Day. It marked the first time the Pokes had five play score in double-figures, as the 88 points was a season best. "J.J. (Justin James) has been special all year, and tonight was no different," Wyoming head coach Allen Edwards said. But what we saw tonight was some of the younger and newer members of our team show what they can be in the future. To watch A.J. Banks have 20 points and five assists,that was a growth moment for him. (Hunter) Thompson found his shot tonight, and he was really good. Jordan Naughton was really good in his 17 minutes, and obviously Jake (Hendricks) is always a threat when he is out there on the floor." "I thought everybody who got in the game tonight did a good job, especially with the physicality that New Mexico brings to the court," Edwards said. "We would have rather not given up the 16 offensive rebounds to the Lobos, but I admired the fight of our guys tonight." James led Wyoming with 28 points for the night in his final game in the Arena-Auditorium. He now has 2,030 points and is 20 away from passing Flynn Robinson for third all-time at Wyoming. He is also two points shy of passing Marvelle Harris for fourth all-time in the MW scoring. He also added his 10th double-double of the season with 12 rebound. "I love both of those seniors. I know Jordan (Naughton) has dealt with injuries throughout his career," Edwards said. "But getting to know him over his career has been a great experience. Obviously tonight was special for him. I thought he did a great job finishing around the rim, and protecting the rim on the defensive end. And what can you say about J.J. (Justin James), not just in the way he plays but with the way he has led this group of young guys this season. He will go down as one of the great Cowboys of all time, and he has been a pleasure to coach." Naughton added 10 points on senior night going a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. Junior guard A.J. Banks added a career-high 20 points and added five assists on the night for a career high. Redshirt Hunter Thompson added 14 points on 3-of-4 from behind the arc and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Junior Jake Hendricks added 11 points and three assists. The Pokes shot 52 percent from the field on the night and 40 percent from behind the arc. Wyoming was 24-of-29 from the free throw line including 20 in the second half for 83 percent. The Lobos held a 42-30 advantage on the glass and had 18 second chance points. The Cowboys opened up by taking a 5-0 lead all coming from senior Justin James. New Mexico's Carlton Bragg got the Lobos on the board and scored the next five to make it five all through the first media timeout. A basket by Jake Hendricks ended an almost four minute scoring drought for UW followed by a Hunter Thompson three to extend the lead to five, 11-6. The Lobos scored ten of the next 15 points to even things up at 16 just under 12 minutes in the half. Over the next four minute stretch, Wyoming increased its lead to eight, 29-21, with a 13-5 run. James would score seven of those points during that time. A three by Vance Jackson slowed down the Cowboys, but a dunk by AJ Banks and free throws by Thompson made it double-digit contest, 34-24, with 6:35 left in the half. The Lobos stormed back with ten unanswered to tie it up at 34-34, but a brief Cowboy run made it a three point game, 39-36. New Mexico hit back to back buckets to take its first lead of the game 41-39 with 2:28 left on the clock. With time winding down, Banks hit a three to put UW back on top, 42-41, headed in to the break. Both teams shot over 40 percent from the field in the first half. Wyoming was 15-of-32 (.469) from the field while the Lobos were 13-of-29 (.448). Out of the break, the teams traded scores with neither one gaining a big lead. With the score tied up at 45 all, the Cowboys scored six of seven points to build a six point advantage, 52-46. The Lobos closed the gap to three, 54-51, with 14:13 to go on the clock. Wyoming kept its composure and behind baskets from Thompson and Brandon Porter made it a seven-point game, 60-53. UNM tried to chip away and closed the gap to four, 64-60, capped off by a Bragg basket. The Cowboys responded with a 6-0 run to increase the lead back to double-figures, 70-60. Mathis hit a three to end an almost four minute scoring drought. UW scored seven of the next nine points to get the lead back to 12, 77-65, with 4:12 left. The Lobos pushed back and had two baskets and a pair of free throws to make it 77-71. Wyoming hit 11 of 12 free throws to close out and on to the 88-81 victory. The Pokes return to action on Wednesday as the tenth seed heading in to the Mountain West Championship in Las Vegas
Justin James Named All-Mountain West by Conference Media James led the MW in scoring at 21.8 points per game LARAMIE, Wyo. (March 11, 2019) – Wyoming's Justin James has been voted All-Mountain West First Team by members of the media who cover the conference. The all-conference awards as voted by the head coaches will be announced Tuesday. James, a native of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., led the MW in scoring at 21.8 points per game, as that number also ranks No. 20 in the nation this season. He also ranked fifth in the conference at 8.6 rebounds per night. James also added 4.4 assists per night for fourth in the conference. He led the conference in field goals made with 220 on the season. An excellent offensive talent, James led the MW in free throws made at 189. He has scored 675 points this season and has scored 2,030 career points for fourth in Wyoming history and fifth in MW history. He is two points away from passing Marvelle Harris for fourth in conference history. A defensive threat, James added a league best 1.5 steals per game. He grabbed 7.5 defensive rebounds per game to rank second in the Mountain West and No. 20 in the nation. The Pokes return to action on Wednesday as the tenth seed heading in to the Mountain West Championship in Las Vegas against seventh seed New Mexico for a 2:30 p.m. MT start. For the complete All-Mountain West Conference team as selected by Mountain West Conference media see @GeoffGrammer on Twitter.
Justin James shines one last time at home in Wyoming's Senior Day win Davis Potter davis.potter@trib.com Mar 11, 2019 Updated 9 hrs ago Facebook Twitter Email LARAMIE — Justin James walked over to the scorer’s table, grabbed the microphone and let it all out. Wyoming’s do-everything senior guard addressed the 4,113 fans that showed up Saturday to watch one of the program’s greats play his final game inside the Arena-Auditorium, thanking them for their support. He then voiced appreciation for his parents, who made the trip from Florida to Laramie for the Senior Day festivities, his teammates, and his coach, Allen Edwards, whom James has forged a strong bond with ever since the former played a pivotal role in signing James as an under-the-radar prospect five years ago as an assistant on Larry Shyatt’s staff. “I just want to say thank you guys for all the love,” James said as he winded down his minute-long speech. “It’s been great, and I’ll always be a Cowboy. Go Pokes.” James then walked toward his teammates, chest-bumped a couple of them and walked off his home floor as a winner. Like he has so often this season, James starred in Wyoming’s 88-81 win over New Mexico in both teams’ regular-season finale. He took 24 shots and made 11 of them en route to a game-high 28 points, giving him 2,030 for his illustrious career. “I was just anxious to get the game started. I felt like it was just too much pregame stuff,” James said. “Once the ball went up in the air, I was fine. And after we got the win, obviously I was super excited not just for the team but just for this great program we have.” Didn’t have the greatest seat for this (frontal view on the jumbotron in the background is better), but Justin James addresses the crowd here at the Arena-Auditorium after Wyoming’s win as his coaches and teammates look on. pic.twitter.com/cbNHNu805f — Davis Potter (@DavisEPotter) March 10, 2019 The win not only avenged the Cowboys’ 30-point loss in the teams’ first meeting back on Jan. 19 in Albuquerque but also gave them their first winning streak of the season. Wyoming, which locked up the No. 10 seed for the Mountain West tournament earlier this week with its win over San Jose State, will go for its third straight win in a rubber match with UNM in the opening round Wednesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. James also snatched 12 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season for the Cowboys, who got one of their more balanced offensive efforts of the season to shoot 52 percent from the field. A.J. Banks added a career-high 20 points while Hunter Thompson (14), Jake Hendricks (11) and fellow senior Jordan Naughton (10) also finished in double figures, helping offset the advantage UNM had on the interior with 6-foot-10 forward Carlton Bragg, who finished with 22 points and 20 rebounds — both career-highs. “I thought this time around we had a little bit more patience, and we had a little bit more of a contribution from other guys,” Edwards said. “Banks himself scoring 20 points and having five assists and three turnovers but more importantly stepping up the free-throw line and putting them in during a critical time.” Makuach Maluach added 18 points as the Lobos scored 34 of their points in the paint and outrebounded Wyoming by 12 (42-30). But the Cowboys shot 60 percent from the field in the second half and led by as many as 12 with 3:24 left. New Mexico put full-court pressure on the Cowboys, whose season-long issues taking care of the ball resurfaced to make things interesting down the stretch. Wyoming, which turns it over at the second-highest rate in the MW, committed turnovers on each of its next four possessions as the Lobos threatened to trim the deficit to four with less than 2 minutes left. Maluach tried to keep UNM’s momentum going with authority when he drove in for a dunk, but Banks — a good five inches shorter than Maluach at 6-foot-2 — met UNM’s sophomore wing at the rim for the block. TJ Taylor was fouled on Wyoming’s next possession and sank both free throws to push the Cowboys’ lead to 79-71 with 1:38 left, and Wyoming never led by less than seven the rest of the way. The Cowboys made 11 of their final 12 free throws and shot 83 percent (24 of 29) from the charity stripe for the game. “It was kind of just off instinct,” Banks said of his block. “I’m real eager to jump up and challenge guys, and I did it. I was a little scared. I didn’t know he missed it until a little bit after, but I think if he would’ve made that, that probably would’ve been a big change for them and gave them momentum closing out the game.” Said James, “I told him that was the play of the game.” James was hot from the start, scoring Wyoming’s first five points and knocking down half of his first 14 shots. He had 17 points in the first 11:52 and finished the first half with 20 points, helping the Cowboys lead by as many as 10 in the opening 20 minutes. The inside-out combination of Bragg, who had an 11-point, 10-board double-double before the break, and Maluach kept UNM close before James drove to draw the Lobos’ defense in the waning seconds and dished to Banks, who knocked down a corner 3 to send Wyoming to a 42-41 halftime lead — one the Cowboys maintained to end their trying regular season on a high note.
COWBOYS OPEN MW CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST SEVENTH SEEDED NEW MEXICO Story Links POSTSEASON GUIDE TOURNAMENT CENTRAL The tenth-Seeded Cowboys open the 2019 Air Force Reserve Mountain West Basketball Championship on Wednesday against New Mexico at 2:30 p.m. MT in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev. It will mark back-to-back games against the Lobos, as Wyoming took the regular season finale in Laramie by a score of 88-81 on Saturday. The contest will be available on the Mountain West Network with Nate Kreckman on play-by-play and Marty Fletcher on color. Fans can watch, listen and follow love stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 25 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, as Dave Walsh and Kevin McKinney will call the action. A Look at the Matchup Wyoming heads into the game with a 8-23 overall record and a 4-14 mark in the MW. The Pokes shot 52 percent from the field in the regular season finale on Saturday against the Lobos. Wyoming has had 10 or fewer turnovers in three-straight games, as Wyoming is averaging 14 per game on the season. The Pokes have been solid at the free throw line this season at 73 percent. The Pokes shot 83 percent against the Lobos on Saturday. Wyoming ranks second in the MW in free throw percentage. The Lobos head to Vegas with a 13-17 overall record and finished 7-11 in MW play for seventh in the final standings. New Mexico has won two of the last three contest with the only loss coming at the hands of the Pokes on Saturday. New Mexico ranks second in the conference with 788 three-point attempts on the season. The Lobos have connected on 275 of those attempts ranking second in the league and No. 65 in the nation. UNM averages 11.3 offensive boards per gam, which ranks second in the MW. The Lobos grabbed 16 on Saturday in Laramie. Each Team's Leaders Wyoming is led in scoring, rebounding and assists by senior guard Justin James. He was the MW overall scoring champion at 21.8 points per game, which ranks No. 23 in the nation. He grabs 8.6 rebounds per game for fifth in the MW and adds 4.4 assists per game for fourth in the league. He also leads the MW in steals at 1.5 per game and has 46 on the season. He has 2,030 career points and needs two more to pass Marvelle Harris for fourth in career scoring in MW history. Junior guard Jake Hendricks adds 10.9 points per game and leads the Pokes with 64 three pointers on the year. Hendricks is averaging 35.9 minutes per game, which ranks second on the Pokes behind James. Junior guard A.J. Banks adds 5.1 points per game and has scored in double-figures in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. He added a career-high 20 points on Saturday. The Lobos are led in scoring by Anthony Mathis at 14.7 points per game. An excellent three point shooter, Mathis is second in the league at 3.4 makes per game and has made 102 on the season. He ranks No. 18 in the nation with his 3.4 makes per game. Vance Jackson adds 12.3 points per game on the season. He also ranks ninth in the MW averaging 7.1 rebounds per game to lead the Lobos. About The Series The Cowboys trail in the all-time series 68-72 in a series that dates back to 1950. The Pokes and Lobos have met six times on neutral floors with the series tied at 3-3. The Lobos defeated the Pokes in the quarterfinals by a score of 85-75. Up Next The winner will move on to the quarterfinals of 2019 Air Force Reserve Mountain West Basketball Championship facing second-seeded Utah State on Thursday at 7 p.m. MT.
Justins block in the first half of today’s game against New Mexico could put him back in SportsCenters top 10 GoWyo!
Cowboys Fall to Lobos in First Round of Mountain West Championships James leads all scorers with 31 FINAL STATS WYOMING POSTGAME QUOTES POSTGAME NOTES SEASON STATS FULL SCHEDULE ROSTER LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 13, 2019) – The Cowboys held an 11-point halftime lead, but couldn't hold off New Mexico's comeback in the second half, falling 78-68 in the first round of the 2019 Air Force Reserve Mountain West Championships. The Cowboys end the season 8-24 overall, while New Mexico improved to 14-17. "I thought obviously in the first half we played some of our best basketball, defending, also rebounding the basketball, even within their pressure," Wyoming head coach Allen Edwards said. "I thought they tried to speed us up, which I thought, at times, I thought they were successful. But the second half I thought, again, some self-inflicted wounds. I thought we got a little bit careless with the basketball and wasn't assertive, in a sense o trying to attack their pressure but also being smart on the other end after taking it and getting it across half court." Senior Justin James had a game-high 31 points, the third time this season he eclipsed the 30-point barrier. James moved into fourth place all-time in scoring in the Mountain West with 2,061 points, passing former Fresno State Bulldog Marvelle Harris. James also moved into third all-time at Wyoming, passing Flynn Robertson. James had a team-high seven rebounds and tied junior AJ Banks for the team lead with four assists. Senior Jordan Naughton added 10 points, reaching double-digit scoring for the fifth time this season. Junior Jake Hendricks scored nine points, all coming from beyond the three-point line. Both offenses got out to a slow start in the opening four minutes of the contest. James led the Pokes to an early 7-4 lead with five points and added an assists on a bucket from Banks that opened the contest. Hendricks helped extended the Pokes lead to six points at 12-6 with 14:18 left in the first half. His basket was following a sweet low post move by redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson for his first basket of the contest. James hit an NBA range three with 11:06 left in the half to push the Wyoming lead to 11 points at 19-8. To that point of the ball game, the Pokes held the Lobos to 15 percent from the field going 2-of-13. The Pokes would build the advantage to 26-11 on yet another James three, as he was fouled and added a free throw. The Lobos followed with an 8-3 run to make it a 29-19 game with 7:20 left in the first frame. It was led by New Mexico's first three pointers of the game. New Mexico would cut it to as little as seven points, but a three from Hendricks a pair of freebies from Banks would give UW a 34-22 advantage with 4:19 left in the frame. Wyoming would hold the Lobos scoreless for 4:20 and push an advantage to 16 points at 38-22. The Pokes would ride that momentum into half time for an 11-point lead at 38-27. The Lobos opened the second half forcing three turnovers and cutting into the Pokes lead. New Mexico made it a six point game at 40-34. But Banks and James helped push the lead back to 13-points with a 7-0 run to make it a 47-24 lead for the Pokes with under 15 minutes remaining. The Lobos would hold the Cowboys scoreless for over five minutes and went on a 15-0 run to take a 49-47 lead with just under ten minutes remaining. The Lobos went five of six from the field during that stretch of play. After James tied the game at 49-49 with his 21st point of the game, passing Flynn Robinson for third in UW history, the Lobos would go on a 5-0 run to build a 54-49 advantage. The Pokes would cut the deficit to three points twice, but an and-one from Keith McGee made it a 61-55 game with 5:29 left. The Pokes would four of five attempts and made it a one-point game at 62-61 with 3:24 left, as Naughton slammed home a dunk. But a 6-0 run by New Mexico led by a pair of dunks lifted the Lobos to the 78-68 win. The Lobos were led by Vance Jackson with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Makuach Maluach scored 13, Keith McGee scored 12 and Carlton Bragg added 10 points.
Justin James moves up in UW record books By Robert Gagliardi rgagliardi@wyosports.net Mar 14, 2019 Updated 10 hrs ago LAS VEGAS – Justin James’ college career came to an end Wednesday, but not before moving up in the record books at the University of Wyoming and the Mountain West. James scored a game-high 31 points in the Cowboys’ 78-68 loss to New Mexico in the first round of the Mountain West Men’s Basketball Championships on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center. That moved James past guard Flynn Robinson (1963-65) into third place on UW’s career scoring list with 2,061 points. James moved past Fresno State guard Marvell Harris into fourth place on the MW’s career scoring list. James scored 706 points this season, second only to guard Josh Adams’ 740 points in 2015-16. Against New Mexico, James was 8 of 19 from the field, 4 of 7 from 3-point range and 11 of 16 from the free-throw line. James’ 710 career free-throw attempts are third in UW history, and his 200 shots from the charity stripe this season are tied for fourth for most in a season. James played 38 minutes, and his 38.13 minutes per game were third-most in the country. James also played in his 131st game for the Cowboys, which is tied for the second-most in school history with center Eric Leckner (1985-88). The leader is forward Alan Herndon with 133 from 2014-18. Earlier this week, James was a first team All-MW selection by the media, a second team choice by the coaches and was named to the All-District VIII team by the United States Basketball Writers Association. Third-year coach Allen Edwards had other things to say about James aside from his production on the court. “What he did from a leadership standpoint is going to be well-impacted by these young men,” Edwards said.
