San Jose State’s road trip to Laramie, Wyoming felt like it followed a familiar script; one where progress shows up just long enough to tease belief before slipping away in the margins.
The Spartans (6-14,
1-8 MW) dropped a 66–62 decision to Wyoming (12-8, 3-6 MW) on Saturday afternoon; a game that was as much about what San Jose State almost did as what it failed to finish.
With 7° weather outside and amid another shorthanded night for Tim Miles’ group, the Spartans once again showed fight, adaptability, and late-game composure, but just not quite enough execution when the game demanded it most.
The opening minutes were predictably rough.
Both teams sputtered through an ugly first stretch, combining missed shots with sloppy possessions as neither side could find rhythm.
San Jose State matched Wyoming early, tied 4–4 after nearly five minutes, but the Spartans’ inability to secure defensive rebounds began quietly tilting the floor. Extra Cowboy possessions didn’t immediately turn into points, but they eroded San Jose State’s margin for error.
After Jermaine Washington briefly swung momentum with back-to-back three-pointers to give SJSU a 21–17 edge, the game slipped again. Turnovers led directly to Wyoming points, and a late 14–4 Cowboy run sent the Spartans into halftime trailing 31–23. San Jose State shot just 30 percent in the first-half and scored only once in the final five minutes — a drought that loomed large later on.
To their credit, the Spartans responded.
Sadraque Nganga’s physical interior play and Washington’s perimeter shooting kept San Jose State within striking distance early in the second half.
Defensive energy picked up as well.
Adrian Myers and Nganga each recorded blocks during a four-minute Wyoming scoring drought; helping San Jose State trim the deficit to three.
When Nganga buried a three midway through the second-half to give the Spartans a brief 43–42 lead, it felt like the game might finally tip. Instead, Wyoming answered with an 8–0 run, tightening defensively and forcing tougher looks.
San Jose State kept swinging, as Myers hit his third three and Nganga and Washington followed with late triples, but free throws and timing betrayed the Spartans.
Colby Garland’s late driving layup tied the game at 62 with 40 seconds left, but a missed free throw moments later and a critical out-of-bounds turnover in the final seconds sealed the outcome.
Wyoming closed at the line. San Jose State walked off knowing how thin the difference was.
Washington and Nganga each scored 14 points, combining to go 7-of-13 from beyond the arc, while Garland added 10 points and seven assists in his return. The Spartans also shot 54 percent from three in the second half; good enough to win most nights. But five missed free throws were also the difference in this loss.
For Tim Miles’ team, the frustration isn’t effort or resilience. It’s that the formula keeps coming up just short. San Jose State continues to compete, adjust, and threaten, as a fully healthy roster continues to be the missing part of the formula.
