BOULDER, Colo.—Wyoming showed Colorado its defense is for real.
Adam Waddell had a game-high 17 points, Leonard Washington scored 16 points and Luke Martinez scored 14 as the Cowboys beat Colorado 65-54 on Friday night.
Spencer Dinwiddie had 16 and Andre Roberson and Carlon Brown had 10 each for Colorado, which saw its 27-game nonconference home win streak stopped.
“That was as disappointing a loss as I’ve been a part of in a long, long time,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “Wyoming came in here and took it from us.”
Wyoming (9-1) came into the game ranked third in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 49.4 points a game. The Cowboys haven’t yet allowed a team to score 60.
Colorado (5-4) began the second half 2 for 10 with five turnovers and was held without a field goal for more than nine minutes before Roberson’s tip-in with 8:16 left broke the streak.
By then, the Cowboys had built a double-digit lead on the strength of a 13-0 run. Waddell, who was scoreless in the first half, started the surge with six points and Martinez hit his fourth 3-pointer to give Wyoming a 49-37 lead with 8:41 left.
“I didn’t think we were too pretty and I’m sure Colorado at that point did not think they were playing pretty, but it was a good slugfest,” Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt said.
Roberson’s rebound basket cut the lead to 10 points, but Waddell hit another layup, then Martinez stole the ball from Nate Tomlinson, who picked up a technical in frustration.
Dinwiddie hit two 3-pointers and a layup to bring the Buffaloes within 56-48 with 4:09 left. Colorado had a chance to cut it to three, but Jeremy Adams was called for charging with 1:21 left and the Cowboys hit their free throws in the final minute.
“In the second half we were able to get off ball screens and we were able to get into an offensive groove,” Waddell said. “They got up on us in the second half but we were able to pull through it.”
Colorado shot 33 percent in the second half and 44 percent for the game.
“We didn’t have the energy we needed to have in the second half,” Brown said. “We didn’t bring that emotion or intensity and it ended up costing us.”
Wyoming broke a 23-game road losing streak. The Cowboys’ last road win was a 65-62 victory at Air Force Academy on Feb. 28, 2009.
“The win feels good but we talk about it all the time—we’re a different team,” Waddell said. “We’re not the team we were two years ago.”
Colorado led 35-32 after a jumper by Roberson but then went 5:57 without a point. Wyoming managed just four points in that stretch to lead by one before two free throws by Damiene Cain ended the scoring drought.
Colorado raced to a 14-4 lead in the first 5:30 but the Cowboys came back behind the shooting of Martinez. Martinez hit three straight 3-pointers and Wyoming tied it at 14.
The Buffaloes went back ahead 25-20, but four points by Washington sparked an 8-1 run that gave the Cowboys a 28-26 lead.
Martinez had nine points in the first half and Washington had eight to lead Wyoming.
Dinwiddie led Colorado with eight points in the first half and Brown, who had a career-high 31 against Wyoming when he played for Utah two years ago, scored seven.
Wyoming has won five straight against Colorado.
