Cowboys Fall Short at Utah State

Jalen Moore scored 23 points to lead five Aggies in double figures, and Utah State defeated the Wyoming Cowboys 81-74 Saturday night in Logan, UT.

Moore made a key three-pointer with 39 seconds left to seal it for the Aggies. That was after a basket from Jeremy Lieberman had brought the Pokes within 74-70 with about a minute remaining. Four free throws provided the final margin.

“I thought it was a game for anyone to take. They capitalized more on the opportunities presented to them,” UW head coach Allen Edwards said in a university release. “We have to do a better job on the glass and have to do a better job defending the three point line. This is a tough place to play on the road, and they play well here, but I was pleased with our effort.”

Utah State had gone up 70-65 with a 6-0 spurt. The Cowboys answered with Justin James wrap around the back one-handed dunk to pull within two, 70-68. On the next Aggies possession, Moore made a key jumper for a 72-68 lead.

The back-and-forth game featured 16 lead changes and 10 ties.

Utah State (11-13, 5-8) shot 44.6 percent. They also had a 41-26 edge in rebounding. That led to 14 second chance points. The Aggies went 23-27 at the foul line.

Wyoming (16-10, 6-7) was led by Louis Adams with 16 points. Lieberman added 11, while Jason McManamen scored 10. UW shot 45.8 percent from the field, which included 40 percent from beyond the arc, where Cowboys went 12-of-30. They were helped by 13 points off 11 Utah State turnovers.

The Pokes return to action Tuesday for the first edition of the Border War versus rival Colorado State. The game is in Laramie at 7 p.m.