LARAMIE, Wyo. (Interstat) — Grand Canyon secured a 82-70 road victory over Wyoming in a men’s nonconference basketball game Saturday at Arena-Auditorium. Makaih Williams led all scorers with 20 points for the Antelopes, who improved to 7-4. Jaden Henley added 18 points and Nana Owusu-Anane had 15 points and six rebounds. The Antelopes controlled the game despite being a narrow pregame underdog. The Cowboys, who fell to 9-3, were led by Leland Walker’s 13 points and four assists. Nasir Meyer contributed 12 points and six rebounds. Wyoming’s offense struggled to keep pace as the total score stayed under the projected point line. Grand Canyon next plays Monday at home against IUPUI. Wyoming travels to face Air Force on Dec. 30.

BOSLER, Wyo. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a stark contrast in offensive efficiency, the Grand Canyon Antelopes weathered a physical challenge on the road to defeat the Wyoming Cowboys 82-70 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday at Arena-Auditorium. The Antelopes (7-4) leveraged superior shooting and timely defensive plays to overcome a scrappy Wyoming team that dominated the glass but failed to find any rhythm from the perimeter. The Cowboys (9-3), despite holding an 11-4 advantage in offensive rebounds and forcing 15 turnovers, shot a frigid 3 for 26 from three-point range, a deficiency from which they could never recover. Grand Canyon’s offensive execution proved the difference. The Antelopes scored 82 points on just 72 possessions, translating to an offensive rating of 114.5, while Wyoming managed only 70 points on 74 possessions for a rating of 94.3. Grand Canyon connected on 56.8% of its field goal attempts, compared to Wyoming’s 37.3%. The most critical sequence of the game unfolded late in the first half, turning a narrow contest into a double-digit lead that Grand Canyon would nurse for the remainder of the evening. With Wyoming trailing 26-22 and under three minutes remaining before halftime, the Antelopes unleashed a decisive 8-0 run. It began with a Wilhelm Breidenbach steal that led to a Caleb Shaw layup. After a Wyoming turnover, Jaden Henley converted a driving layup. Following another Cowboys miss, Henley struck again with a layup just before the halftime buzzer, sending Grand Canyon into the locker room with a 32-26 advantage. That burst provided a cushion that Wyoming’s anemic outside shooting could never truly threaten. The Cowboys opened the second half with a Leland Walker three-pointer, but the Antelopes consistently answered every push. Whenever Wyoming trimmed the lead to six or seven points, Grand Canyon responded with a key basket, often from Henley or Makaih Williams, to maintain control. Henley, a 6-foot-7 guard from Ontario, California, led all scorers with 18 points, adding four rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes. His backcourt partner, Makaih Williams of Long Beach, California, provided a crucial scoring punch with 20 points on efficient 7-of-11 shooting. Forward Nana Owusu-Anane of Burlington, Canada, contributed a well-rounded 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. Wyoming’s attack was led by Leland Walker’s 13 points and four assists. Nasir Meyer added 12 points and six rebounds, while reserve Abou Magassa provided energy off the bench with nine points and five rebounds. The Cowboys’ effort was evident in hustle stats—they had 12 steals and scored 17 points off turnovers—but their 36 points in the paint and 23-of-30 performance from the free-throw line were not enough to offset the catastrophic three-point shooting. Grand Canyon’s defense, which recorded nine steals, successfully crowded the paint and challenged Wyoming’s shooters, effectively daring the Cowboys to beat them from the outside, a strategy that paid dividends throughout the 40 minutes. The Antelopes also capitalized at the line, making 25 of 35 free throws to supplement their efficient field goal shooting. The victory marked a positive start to a brief road trip for Grand Canyon, which entered as a slight underdog according to the betting spread but was favored by advanced metrics. The Antelopes will look to build momentum when they return home to face IUPUI on Monday. Wyoming, which saw a three-game winning streak snapped, must regroup before opening Mountain West Conference play on the road at Air Force on Dec. 30. According to the National Statistical ELO system, Grand Canyon had a 66.6% probability of winning. The combined score of 152 fell under the pregame over/under line of 147.5.

Preview: Grand Canyon Antelopes at Wyoming Cowboys BOSLER, Wyo. (Interstat) — The surging Wyoming Cowboys, boasting one of the nation’s best early-season records, will host the Grand Canyon Antelopes in a nonconference men’s basketball clash Saturday at Arena-Auditorium. Wyoming (9-2) enters on a five-game winning streak, including an impressive 87-72 road victory at South Dakota State on Monday. The Cowboys’ offense has been potent, scoring 93 points or more in three of their last four games. A primary catalyst has been guard Nasir Meyer. He is averaging 21.5 points over his last two outings, including a 25-point performance at South Dakota State. His backcourt mate, Leland Walker, adds playmaking, dishing five assists in that same game. Grand Canyon (6-4) seeks a resume-building road win after alternating wins and losses over its past six games. The Antelopes are coming off an 82-61 home win over Coastal Carolina last Saturday. Guard Caleb Shaw leads Grand Canyon, coming off an 18-point, three-assist effort against Coastal Carolina. He has scored in double figures in four of his last five games, including a 19-point outing in a narrow loss to Oklahoma State on Dec. 6. The matchup features a contrast in momentum. Wyoming’s two losses are by a combined 12 points, including a tight 76-72 defeat at Texas Tech. Grand Canyon has shown volatility, with a 21-point win over Stetson followed by a 13-point loss at Iowa. Wyoming holds a distinct home-court advantage, having won all five of its games in Bosler this season by an average margin of 31.6 points. Grand Canyon is 1-2 in true road games. This contest serves as a final nonconference tune-up before both teams dive into league play after the new year. Grand Canyon begins Western Athletic Conference action on Jan. 3, while Wyoming opens Mountain West Conference play on Dec. 30 at Air Force. Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.