Laramie – Utah coach Ray Giacoletti knew his team would have to play strong inside to beat Wyoming.
So far this season, that has not been an easy task. The Cowboys lead the league in rebounding margin (plus-5.7 per game) and blocked shots (7.4 per game).
But without Justin Williams, Wyoming had no answer for Utah inside. Williams, who ranks No. 2 in the nation in blocked shots with 106 in 19 games, aggravated an ankle injury against San Diego State on Saturday and was forced to sit out against the Utes.
Bryant Markson and Luke Nevill took advantage Wednesday night, each scoring 19 points as Utah beat Wyoming 71-63 in Mountain West Conference play.
The Utes dominated down low, outrebounding Wyoming 28-13 and outscoring the Cowboys 16-4 in the paint in the first half.
Utah held a 29-15 halftime lead, as the Cowboys were held to a season low.
“It was our focal point to outrebound them tonight. It might be a little misleading without Williams playing because he is so dominant,” Giacoletti said. “But I am happy with how we hit the boards, because if we don’t rebound with this Wyoming team, we lose the game.”
It was only the third victory in the past 10 road contests for Utah (10-9, 3-5 MWC).
“We expect to win at home,” Wyoming coach Steve McClain said, “but this is a year that there isn’t much difference between teams.
“Whether you’re at home or on the road, if you don’t play well this season, you’re going to get beat.”
Wyoming (11-10, 4-4) was down by as many as 17 points in the second half before going on a 13-3 run to pull within 41-34 with 11:04 left.
Steve Leven’s running jump shot later in the half highlighted a 15-7 Wyoming run that made the score 61-56 with 1:30 remaining, but Utah held on, making eight of its last 10 free throws.
Brandon Ewing led Wyoming with a career-high 26 points, including 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.
