LAS VEGAS – What happened in Laramie stays in Laramie.
 
Ninth-seeded Wyoming and No. 8 UNLV aren't taking much from the previous matchup between the two programs on Jan. 6 when the Cowboys cruised to a 98-66 victory over the Runnin' Rebels at the Arena-Auditorium.
 
UW has won five of its last six games entering the Mountain West Tournament after switching to a four-guard lineup that has spaced the floor and given head coach Sundance Wicks' offense more "gravity" down the stretch.
 
UNLV defeated rival Nevada (85-83), dominated regular-season champion Utah State (92-65) in its last two home games before coming up short in a shootout at San Diego State (89-86) to close the regular season.
 
The Cowboys (18-13) and Rebels (16-15) open the conference tournament at 1 p.m. MT Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
 
"I like where our guys' minds are, I like where our focus is, I like the way we've been playing," Wicks said. "I love everybody that's talking about who's advancing and who's going where. They don't have to talk about us, and I don't want them to.
 
"This is who we've been all year, just steadily diving into the process, keeping it about us, trying to find the best version of ourselves and then surprising people along the way where they think we're going to be the same team we were a couple of months ago and we're not."
 
Leland Walker scored 28 points during the win over UNLV in Laramie. The senior point guard has played with potent efficiency during the Pokes' 2-0 start to March averaging 11.5 points on 58.3% shooting with 10 assists and no turnovers during the wins over Nevada and San Jose State.
 
"He has done such a phenomenal job of getting everybody else involved, which is what we want," Wicks said. "That's winning basketball."
 
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who leads the MW in scoring (21.0 ppg), was held to 10 points in the first meeting. The conference newcomer of the year will be a focal point of UW's defense again, but the Rebels are averaging 80.2 points and have five players scoring 8.7 points or more per game.
 
UNLV first-year head coach Josh Pastner said he experienced altitude sickness and some of his players needed oxygen before tipoff at 7,220 feet.
 
"I thought the walls were closing in on me. I didn't sleep," Pastner said. "You look at the film and we're a different team, and so is Wyoming. I think you have to almost throw that game out and start fresh and look at the last five, six games for both teams."
 
This game will technically be played on a different floor, but Wednesday's rematch is still inside the Rebels' friendly confines.
 
UW beat UNLV in the opening round of the 2022 MW Tournament here, and was selected for the NCAA Tournament. The Cowboys made 13 3-pointers during a 63-61 win over the Rebels last season, which was the program's first regular season win at the Thomas & Mack Center since 2003.
 
The survivor will advance in the bracket to play top-seeded Utah State in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.
 
"I'm excited for our guys, especially our young cats, to be able to go have the experience to play in a conference tournament and probably the best Mountain West Conference Tournament of all time," Wicks said. "I'm just going to call it right now – this is going to be one of the craziest ones out there."
 
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.