Wyoming’s Washington Earns MW Player of the Week

The news was twice as nice Monday for the Wyoming Cowboys. In addition to being ranked in the USA Today Coach's Poll released Monday, Sr. Leonard Washington earned honors from the conference after his double-double in the Pokes win at SMU last week.

Leonard Washington was named the Mountain West Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, as announced by the league office Monday. The weekly accolade is the second of Washington’s career and first for a Poke this season.

Washington registered 19 points and 11 rebounds while leading the Cowboys to a 59-56 road win at SMU last Wednesday for the best start in program history at 13-0. The senior forward scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, including 13 in the final seven minutes, as the Cowboys rallied from a late four-point deficit to hand the Mustangs their first home loss of the season.

With Wyoming trailing, 46-42, and just over six minutes left to play, Washington hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Pokes up, 48-46. He later added three more points off two offensive rebounds to break two ties and give Wyoming a slim 57-56 edge with 24 seconds remaining. With 14 seconds left on the clock, Washington stole the ball near mid-court and recorded a fast-break dunk that gave the Pokes a three-point cushion and their final margin of victory. Over the final 6:10 of the game, Washington was 4-of-5 from the field, 2-of-2 beyond the arc and 3-of-4 at the free throw line with one block, one assist, one steal and two offensive rebounds. He scored 13 of UW's final 17 points in the contest.

For the game, Washington went 6-of-15 from the field, 2-of-4 from behind the arc and 5-of-9 at the free throw line with two assists, two blocks and two steals in 35 minutes of action. For the season, he ranks ninth in the MW in points (15.1), fifth in rebounds (8.8), second in blocks (2.0) and third in field goal percentage (52.8).

Wyoming continues it season by hosting Boise State on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium. You can listen to Cowboy basketball on Y95 Country Wednesday starting at 7:30 pm. The post-game call-in show, "Cowboy Talk," makes its basketball season debut following the network broadcast. David Settle will host the show.