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Weber State's Dyson Koehler (4) drives past Wyoming's Sam Griffin on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Laramie, Wyo.

Paul Grua, WSU Athletics

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Weber State's Steven Verplancken Jr. (11) shoots a 3-pointer over Wyoming's Cam Manyawu (5) on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Laramie, Wyo.

Paul Grua, WSU Athletics

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Weber State's Dillon Jones (2) drives against Wyoming's Cam Manyawu on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Laramie, Wyo.

Paul Grua, WSU Athletics

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Weber State's Blaise Threatt (0) drives against Wyoming on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Laramie, Wyo.

Paul Grua, WSU Athletics

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Weber State's Dillon Jones (2) sizes up Wyoming's Brendan Wenzel (1) on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Laramie, Wyo.

Paul Grua, WSU Athletics

❮ ❯

Wyoming started Saturday night’s men’s basketball game against Weber State shooting 13 of 19 from the field. By the final buzzer, WSU had outshot the Cowboys by 56.4% to 49.1%.

Weber State ended the first half with a defensive lockdown, started scoring nearly at will, and blazed past Wyoming for an 84-71 road victory.

“We got settled into the road trip and played much better tonight,” WSU head coach Eric Duft said. “Three guarantee games and two wins (this season), that’s a good experience.”

All five starters scored in double figures for Weber State (6-4), which claimed its first double-digit road win against a current Mountain West Conference team in the last 25 years, and only the fourth road win overall against an MWC team in the last 20 years.

Dyson Koehler re-upped his career-high from one week ago by totaling 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting while adding five rebounds — kept from his first 20-point performance when taking a flagrant foul in the final two minutes and leaving the game with a bloody nose.

Dillon Jones added 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, dictating the action in some key stretches. Steven Verplancken Jr. added 16 points, Alex Tew came alive for 14 points and Blaise Threatt totaled 13 points and four assists.

KJ Cunningham tallied the rest of WSU’s points with five, adding three rebounds and three assists, off the bench.

WSU started 6 of 15 from the field through nine minutes but shot 25 of 40 in the final 31 minutes — and finished with a 15-of-15 mark at the foul line. The Wildcats shot 7 of 15 from the 3-point line.

Kobe Newton capped Wyoming’s 13-of-19 start (68.4%) with a 3-pointer to put the home team up 29-25 at the 8:02 mark of the first half. The Cowboys (6-4) finished shooting 15 of 38 (39.5%) from that point.

WSU’s ensuing rally was keyed by dunks. After two freebies, Koehler dunked to get things started. Following Threatt adding a drive and a 3-pointer, Tew and Koehler dunked on consecutive possessions late in the half. Wyoming coach Jeff Linder drew a technical foul and Verplancken ended a 19-4 run with two free throws for a 44-33 halftime lead.

Tew scored on a lob layup and Jones dropped a floater home to start the second half, bulging the run to 23-4 and WSU’s lead to 48-33.

Wyoming went nine minutes without a field goal as Weber State eschewed backup centers when Tew wasn’t on the floor.

“We just said hey, we’re selling out and we went small,” Duft said. “That was the only way we felt like we could guard them, just make sure they weren’t in rhythm … and if they’re taking tough 3s and making tough twos, we’ll live with that.

“They had eight assists on 28 baskets. So that was our whole goal was make them one-on-one players and then rebound the ball.”

The rest of the game ebbed and flowed as the Cowboys, led by Akuel Kot’s 24 points and Sam Griffin’s 22 points, twice staged runs to get the lead down to five points.

But Weber had an offensive answer each time — something the Wildcats couldn’t find in several games, both wins and losses, this season.

The first came immediately after the 48-33 margin. Kot used tough shotmaking to score six in a 10-0 run to get the score to 48-43.

Koehler had the first answer, scoring in the paint and from the 3-point line on consecutive possessions to push it to 53-43 with 14:11 left.

“He had some terrific cuts and finishes tonight,” Duft said about Koehler.

The Cowboys kept pushing. Verplancken made the first of two 3s to answer a Wyoming triple and that helped stem the tide some as the home team scored 20 points over an eight-minute stretch. The Cowboys again whittled the margin to five when Kot made a jump shot for a 60-55 score.

The answer to that came on both ends. Finally forcing Kot into a tough miss, Tew cleaned up the rebound and, on the other end, Jones eyed Cunningham on a crosscourt post pass. The fifth-year senior knocked down a wing 3-pointer to end the Wyoming run.

Wyoming’s final push came with Griffin scoring on a drive and then a deep 3-pointer to cut it to 69-60. Verplancken immediately responded on a 3-pointer with 4:48 left and effectively ended the game, considering how well WSU shot at the foul line.

Weber State’s final pre-Christmas nonconference game is at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, against NAIA foe Park Gilbert (Arizona). Kids get in free.

Big Sky Conference play begins with a home series Dec. 28 and 30 against Montana and Montana State, then pauses for the Big Sky-Summit Challenge. WSU hosts South Dakota State in a premier matchup on Jan. 3, then travels to Oral Roberts on Jan. 6.

WOMEN’S STREAK ENDS

Weber State women’s basketball saw its three-game win streak end Saturday at Air Force when a tied first quarter gave way to a convincing, 70-58 Falcons victory in Colorado Springs.

Milahnie Perry toasted the nets for Air Force (7-4), shooting 11 of 19 for 27 points.

Jadyn Matthews totaled 11 points and seven rebounds, and Daryn Hickok added 11 points, six rebounds and four steals, to lead Weber State (3-8).

Air Force led by 20 with 3:55 left.

WSU next plays at No. 11 Utah on Thursday.