11/13/2026 11:21:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Pokes Insider
Wyoming needs same effort at DU as displayed at North Carolina
LARAMIE – The Cowboys competed the way Sundance Wicks wanted them to.
Wyoming out-rebounded North Carolina 43-37, including a 19-10 edge on the offensive glass, during Tuesday's 76-63 loss at the Dean E. Smith Center.
UW's third-year head coach said there might have been too much adrenaline flowing through the Pokes' collective bloodstream as the visitors shot 25.8% from the 3-point line and 36.5% from the field.
"Mike Mora shot one all the way back to Laramie. So did Renars (Sondors)," Wicks said of some of the misses. "A couple of those guys got this stuff running through them. You don't get to be able to be poised in those pressure-packed situations until you get in them over and over again."
The Cowboys (2-1), who attempted just two free throws compared to 18 for the Tar Heels (3-0) on Tobacco Road, gained confidence in defeat against an uber-talented blue blood roster coached by NBA champion Michael Malone.
UW has another road game on Saturday against Denver at Hamilton Gymnasium (1 p.m., ESPN+).
"It was an absolute treat to go out (to North Carolina) and compete. What I loved about it most was our guys went up there and were looking at all this (history) and they went in there and they had a job to do, and they did it," Wicks said. "They played their ever-loving butts off. To go get 19 (offensive rebounds) on a $22 million roster and have them on the ropes, you hit a couple more shots and that's a different ballgame.
"I told our guys in practice if you don't believe you have the ability to go be a good team you're crazy. You can be a good team, but you've got to do it every single time and now we've got to do it against DU, and you've got to do it the next game."
Nasir (Naz) Meyer had 17 points, Sondors added 12 points off the bench, Mora grabbed eight rebounds and Khaden Bennett added seven rebounds to lead the effort in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The Pioneers (0-2) also competed well on the road early in the season, losing at Wisconsin (75-68) and UC Riverside (64-60). Carson Johnson averages 19.0 points per game, and Kam Martin adds 11.5 points per game.
UW won last season's matchup 101-59 in Laramie. Denver was 9-5 at home last season.
"I told our guys to take the experience we got at North Carolina and the feel of that game and to be able to carry that over again," Wicks said. "We've had some pretty good carry over here for the last three games and carry that type of physicality and that type of intentionality with winning plays and defense and rebounding on the road."
The Cowboys lead the all-time series 108-52, including a 72-66 overtime win during their last trip to Denver in 2019. The programs signed a seven-year home-and-home agreement to play every season through 2031.
UW will host Sam Houston next Tuesday in the Arena-Auditorium (6:30 p.m., MW+).
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.
Wyoming out-rebounded North Carolina 43-37, including a 19-10 edge on the offensive glass, during Tuesday's 76-63 loss at the Dean E. Smith Center.
UW's third-year head coach said there might have been too much adrenaline flowing through the Pokes' collective bloodstream as the visitors shot 25.8% from the 3-point line and 36.5% from the field.
"Mike Mora shot one all the way back to Laramie. So did Renars (Sondors)," Wicks said of some of the misses. "A couple of those guys got this stuff running through them. You don't get to be able to be poised in those pressure-packed situations until you get in them over and over again."
The Cowboys (2-1), who attempted just two free throws compared to 18 for the Tar Heels (3-0) on Tobacco Road, gained confidence in defeat against an uber-talented blue blood roster coached by NBA champion Michael Malone.
UW has another road game on Saturday against Denver at Hamilton Gymnasium (1 p.m., ESPN+).
"It was an absolute treat to go out (to North Carolina) and compete. What I loved about it most was our guys went up there and were looking at all this (history) and they went in there and they had a job to do, and they did it," Wicks said. "They played their ever-loving butts off. To go get 19 (offensive rebounds) on a $22 million roster and have them on the ropes, you hit a couple more shots and that's a different ballgame.
"I told our guys in practice if you don't believe you have the ability to go be a good team you're crazy. You can be a good team, but you've got to do it every single time and now we've got to do it against DU, and you've got to do it the next game."
Nasir (Naz) Meyer had 17 points, Sondors added 12 points off the bench, Mora grabbed eight rebounds and Khaden Bennett added seven rebounds to lead the effort in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The Pioneers (0-2) also competed well on the road early in the season, losing at Wisconsin (75-68) and UC Riverside (64-60). Carson Johnson averages 19.0 points per game, and Kam Martin adds 11.5 points per game.
UW won last season's matchup 101-59 in Laramie. Denver was 9-5 at home last season.
"I told our guys to take the experience we got at North Carolina and the feel of that game and to be able to carry that over again," Wicks said. "We've had some pretty good carry over here for the last three games and carry that type of physicality and that type of intentionality with winning plays and defense and rebounding on the road."
The Cowboys lead the all-time series 108-52, including a 72-66 overtime win during their last trip to Denver in 2019. The programs signed a seven-year home-and-home agreement to play every season through 2031.
UW will host Sam Houston next Tuesday in the Arena-Auditorium (6:30 p.m., MW+).
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.
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