The Cowboys and Cowgirls Face Fresno State

The Wyoming basketball teams will battle Fresno State in mid-week Mountain West action tonight in Laramie and Fresno, CA.

The Wyoming Cowboys (15-9, 5-6) have yet to win back-to-back conference games this season. Coming off a nine-point win at Air Force last Saturday, the Pokes face a Bulldogs team that beat them earlier this season, 85-70. UW is currently in a three-way tie for sixth the MW standings.

Fresno State (14-9, 6-5) is just above Wyoming in fifth place. The Bulldogs enter tonight’s game off a loss at home to San Diego State, 70-67, last Saturday.

Cowboys head coach Allen Edwards knows Fresno State is very aggressive on the defensive end.

“The way we played against Air Force goes well against that. Our guys just have to be able to handle the pressure while trying to move the basketball and still continue to attack.”

This game pits a strength against a strength for both teams. UW is second in the MW in field goal percentage defense, as they allow opponents just 39.1 percent from the field. Fresno State is second in field goal percentage on offense in the conference at 46.9 percent shooting.

Game time is a 7 p.m. from the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie.

The Wyoming Cowgirls (17-5, 9-2) seek their third straight win, as they’re in Fresno, CA to face the Bulldogs. UW won the first meeting in Laramie on Jan. 4 in a 70-48 blowout.

Fresno State (13-9, 6-5) is tied for fourth in the MW standings. The Bulldogs have won their last two games coming into tonight’s game. Junior Bego Faz Davalos is averaging 14.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and is the reigning MW Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.

Wyoming head coach Joe Legerski said nothing’s changed with Fresno since the first meeting. This is the same group.

“They’re going to attack you on the inside. They’ve got a couple of perimeter players that shoot the ball extremely well. You’re going to have to be able to handle them changing up defensively. They’ll guard you in man for a while. They’ll box press you into a zone. It’s one of the challenges of being able to go on the road and trying to play at the same level you’ve been playing at.”

This match-up features two of the top three teams in the Mountain West in shooting. The Cowgirls lead the conference at 44.6 percent from the field, while the Bulldogs are third at 41.5 percent.

Tip-off is at 8 p.m. from the Save Mart Center in California.