Wyoming Rally Falls Short in 73-70 Loss to UNLV in MW Tournament

Cowboys erase 16-point deficit but can't complete comeback in first-round defeat

Mar. 12, 2026 at 1:37am

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The Wyoming Cowboys mounted a strong second-half comeback after falling behind by 16 points in the first half, briefly taking the lead, but ultimately fell short 73-70 to the UNLV Runnin' Rebels in the first round of the 2026 Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship.

Why it matters

Wyoming had won five of its last seven games heading into the tournament, raising hopes for a deep postseason run, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome against the eighth-seeded Rebels.

The details

Wyoming struggled early, falling behind 37-21 before halftime, but opened the second half on a 17-5 run to cut the deficit to one. The Cowboys later took a 58-55 lead during a 10-0 run, but UNLV regained control late. The teams traded the lead in the final minutes, with Wyoming's final shot attempt coming up short.

  • The game was played on Wednesday in the first round of the 2026 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship.
  • Wyoming finished the season 18-14 overall after winning five of its final seven games.

The players

Sundance Wicks

The head coach of the Wyoming Cowboys basketball team.

Gavin Gores

A forward for the Wyoming Cowboys who led the team with 15 points and 5 rebounds, scoring 11 of his points in the second half.

Damarion Dennis

A sophomore for the Wyoming Cowboys who added 13 points and a team-high 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.

Nasir (Naz) Meyer

A freshman for the Wyoming Cowboys who finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds.

Leland Walker

A senior leader for the Wyoming Cowboys who recorded 8 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

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What they’re saying

“We had two shots at the end of the game that were both good looks. I'm not going to sit up here talking about would've, should've, could've… I'm going to tip my cap to UNLV. They came out with hair on fire in the first half, and that really kind of put us on our heels. We had a big hole to dig out of, which is a testament to our guys who have been resilient all year long.”

— Sundance Wicks, Wyoming head coach

“They played an unbelievable second half to put us in position to go make the plays. We did that with a sophomore in Damarion Dennis and two freshmen in Gavin and Naz and a heck of a senior leader in Leland Walker.”

— Sundance Wicks, Wyoming head coach

“We're not going to shed any tears up here right now, because we're going to try to keep playing postseason basketball. That's our No. 1 goal is to try to play with this team for as long as we can.”

— Sundance Wicks, Wyoming head coach

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.