Cowboys Run Away From Cougars in Second Half for 85-70 Win

LARAMIE -- Wyoming made 11 three pointers and shot nearly 51 percent from the floor to run away from BYU in the second half Saturday for an 85-70 win in Laramie.

The Cowboys became the second straight team to make better than 50 percent of their shots from the floor and from three-point range against the Cougars. The 11 treys equaled a season high for a BYU opponent this season.

BYU battled Wyoming to a 43-43 tie entering the break as Mekeli Wesley had 16 first-half points and Terrell Lyday added 12. BYU got down by seven points in the first six minutes of the second stanza but then scored seven consecutive points to even the score at 56-56 on a Michael Vranes layup with 12:08 remaining.

But the Cougars, who had played two nights earlier in Fort Collins while Wyoming awaited them, ran out of steam as the Cowboys went on a late run to put the game away. BYU was still within four points at 65-61 with seven minutes to go before the Cowboys out scored BYU 20-9 to take their largest lead of 15 at the final buzzer.

Wesley scored a game-high 25 points to lead BYU, followed by Lyday with 17 and Vranes and Christensen with 10. The Cougars shot 41 percent for the game, including 39 percent on threes, and for the second straight game had only single-digit assists with nine. Wesley handed out a team-best three assists.

BYU coach Steve Cleveland started freshman guard Marc Roberts for the first time this year. Roberts played nine minutes and had two assists and one rebound. He took only one shot and did not score. Cleveland played 11 players in the game.

Marcus Bailey and Josh Davis had 15 for the Cowboys, followed by Chris McMillian with 14 and Brett McFall with 11. Wyoming made 51 percent from the floor and 11-22 threes while out rebounding the Cougars 38-34.

BYU, now 16-9 on the year, falls to 5-7 in the Mountain West Conference while Wyoming improves to 7-5 in conference play and 17-10 overall.

Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
Brigham Young vs Wyoming
02-26-00 4:07 p.m. at Arena Auditorium - Laramie, Wyo.
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VISITORS: Brigham Young 16-9, 5-7
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
15 WESLEY, Mekeli...... f  9-19   2-6    5-8    1  3  4   3  25  3  2  0  2  31
25 NIELSEN, Eric....... f  0-1    0-0    1-2    1  5  6   3   1  0  1  1  1  17
05 ROBERTS, Marc....... g  0-1    0-1    0-0    0  1  1   3   0  2  2  0  0   9
13 VRANES, Michael..... g  4-5    2-3    0-0    1  3  4   3  10  0  0  1  0  29
24 LYDAY, Terrell...... g  5-11   2-6    5-6    0  4  4   1  17  1  3  0  3  35
02 RIVERS, Silester....    2-9    0-0    1-4    5  4  9   1   5  0  1  0  0  19
04 CHRISTENSEN, Todd...    3-6    3-6    1-2    0  0  0   3  10  2  0  0  0  22
10 ALLEN, John.........    1-2    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   0   2  0  0  0  0   6
31 MONTAGUE, Matt......    0-2    0-0    0-0    1  3  4   0   0  1  3  0  2  22
42 COOPER, NATHAN......    0-2    0-0    0-2    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  1   8
50 NIELSEN, David......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   2   0  0  0  0  0   2
   TEAM................                         1  1  2
   Totals..............   24-58   9-23  13-24  10 24 34  20  70  9 12  2  9 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-32  .438   2nd Half: 10-26  .385   Game:  .414  DEADBALL
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  6-9   .667   2nd Half:  3-14  .214   Game:  .391  REBOUNDS
F Throw % 1st Half:  9-14  .643   2nd Half:  4-10  .400   Game:  .542    7,1
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HOME TEAM: Wyoming 17-10, 7-5
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
00 JONES, LeDarion..... f  4-9    0-0    1-3    3  1  4   3   9  1  3  1  0  24
44 BAILEY, Marcus...... f  6-9    1-2    2-3    0  2  2   3  15  3  4  0  1  32
22 DAVIS, Josh......... c  7-10   1-2    0-1    2 11 13   3  15  5  1  2  1  34
05 BLAKES, Anthony..... g  2-8    0-3    0-0    0  3  3   0   4  3  1  0  2  23
10 McMILLIAN, Chris.... g  5-12   3-5    1-2    2  4  6   1  14  6  3  0  1  34
14 McFALL, Brett.......    4-9    3-7    0-0    0  1  1   3  11  0  1  0  1  24
33 LOSTETTER, Antone...    0-0    0-0    2-2    1  1  2   1   2  0  0  1  0   9
40 FRENCH, Justin......    1-2    1-1    6-8    0  3  3   0   9  1  0  0  0  13
52 MANN, Bradley.......    2-2    2-2    0-0    0  2  2   2   6  0  3  0  0   7
   TEAM................                         2     2
   Totals..............   31-61  11-22  12-19  10 28 38  16  85 19 16  4  6 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-29  .517   2nd Half: 16-32  .500   Game:  .508  DEADBALL
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  6-10  .600   2nd Half:  5-12  .417   Game:  .500  REBOUNDS
F Throw % 1st Half:  7-13  .538   2nd Half:  5-6   .833   Game:  .632     2
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Officials: Mark Reischling, Randy McCall, and Greg Burks
Technical fouls: Brigham Young-None. Wyoming-None.
Attendance: 11147
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Brigham Young.................   43   27  -   70
Wyoming.......................   43   42  -   85