DeMarco
Tuesday's Play
15 Dime - Wyoming
Wyoming closed out a 13-3 home campaign with consecutive regular season losses to BYU and New Mexico, but the Cowboys redeemed themselves a bit with a 75-67 upset of the Lobos as a 10-point underdog in the Mountain West Tournament before bowing out with a 13-point loss to eventual champion Utah. A 19-13 record wasn't good enough to earn an NIT bid, but they got invited to the CBI Tournament instead where for $60,000 the school earned the right to host tonight's opening-round game against Northeastern. Not only does it give Wyoming's three seniors another chance of ending their career on a winning note, but it gives the team a huge homecourt advantage as Northeastern, which hails from the Boston area, had to made the 2,000-mile journey on less than 24 hours notice, arriving in Laramie late last night.
Making matters worse for the Huskies: they're going to be playing tonight at 7,000 feet above sea level. As Wyoming freshman Afam Muojeke noted, "I know on my (first) visit, I was ready to pass out. The altitude is crazy here."
Northeastern likes a slower tempo game; Wyoming wants to run and will attack the Huskies' zone defense. The Cowboys averaged 80 points at home this season.
After a strong start in Colonial Conference play, the Huskies faded down the stretch, losing five of their final seven games on the floor and seven of nine versus the oddsmakers, getting knocked out of their conference tournament by a 10-point underdog, Towson, in the opening round.
Wyoming is 13-3 SU and 8-3 ATS at home this season with an average winning margin of 10 points a game. The only losses came against the aforementioned Utes and Lobos, plus conference tournament runner-up San Diego State. With a victory tonight the Cowboys would notch their first 20-win campaign in six years.