LOGAN, Utah – Slow it down to speed it up.
 
That was the theme of the shrewd game plan Sundance Wicks and his staff drew up for Wyoming entering the Mountain West opener against unbeaten, high-scoring Utah State on Wednesday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
 
Larry Shyatt was smiling somewhere.
 
The Cowboys played disciplined, inspired basketball in the Cache Valley during the 70-67 loss to the Aggies, which kept the raucous crowd of 8,420 on the edge of its seats until Jordan Nesbitt's half-court shot at the buzzer rimmed out.
 
This UW squad with 10 newcomers, despite falling to 5-3 on the season, is developing chemistry and dreaming about what could be possible in March as Wicks demands fighting together for 40 minutes.
 
"We've got a chance," Wicks told the Pokes in visitors' locker room. "You guys have grown as a (expletive) team!"
 
During practices leading up to the trip and Wednesday morning's shoot around, Wicks made it clear he wanted to shorten the game by taking the shot clock down on the offensive end and then making Utah State work hard to get open looks on the other end.
 
"What we learned is we can compete with anybody," Wicks said. "I really believe that, especially when we play slow, slow, which is an identity I want. I want us to play slow on offense and slow and stingy on defense. I think we got a little bit of that accomplished tonight."
 
Obi Agbim executed the plan to near perfection from the point guard position, finishing with 17 points, 10 assists and one turnover in 37 minutes.
 
"He ran us; he got us into everything we needed to get into tonight," Wicks said. "This was a pretty complex attack just because attacking that zone is hard. We made them go man a couple times. That's what a QB does, QB1, Obi1, you have to be able to direct traffic and make all the right plays. …
 
"It was a growth game for him."
 
UW, which was shooting only 29.1% on 3-pointers through seven games this season, finished 12-for-26 (46.2%) behind the arc.
 
Kobe Newton knocked down five 3s, including four in the final 5 minutes. The senior guard gave the Pokes a 59-58 lead and cut the Aggies' six-point lead in half by draining his final deep shot with 6 seconds left.
 
Dontaie Allen was 3-for-4 behind the arc and Nesbitt finished 3-for-6, including his desperation heave after making a steal on Utah State's baseline on the final possession.
 
"Law of averages," Wicks said. "Coming into this season we were projected to shoot better from 3 just based on our roster. I knew we were due, and I knew Utah State couldn't keep up their hot shooting streak. The law of average is going to play out."
 
The Aggies (8-0) were averaging 89.4 points and made 37.6% of their 3s coming in. UW held them nearly 20 points under their average and to 5-for-17 (29.4%) shooting behind the arc.
 
Utah State was 19-for-26 at the free throw line while UW was 7-for-9.
 
"We made it the game we wanted to make it and put pressure on them and showed that our guys can compete with some of the top teams in the country," Wicks said. "I know our ceiling is really high and we can get so much better."
 
The Cowboys will play at South Dakota next Tuesday and BYU on Dec. 14 in Salt Lake City before finally playing a home game against Bellarmine on Dec. 19 at the Arena-Auditorium.
 
Wicks wants the slowly building crowds to grow into a din similar to the noise UW faced at the Spectrum. The return of the "Dome of Doom" would help speed up the evolution of this gritty team.
 
"I hope Poke fans are encouraged by these guys' effort and how tough they played," Wicks said. "When we get back to the Double A, the Dome of Doom, we've got to start getting as loud as the Spectrum. I thought their crowd was into the game in crucial moments and always ready.
 
"We're going to need that Double A advantage. The altitude is there now let's bring the attitude as well."
 
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