GAME NOTES: Desperate to record a win over another Division I program, the San Jose State Spartans give it yet another shot as they take the floor at The Event Center on Saturday night versus Mountain West Conference foe Wyoming.

The Spartans have been thoroughly abused as they enter the new calendar year, winning just two of their first 13 games and even those were against opponents from outside the Division I ranks. On Wednesday night, SJSU reached new depths by falling against Utah State on the road in the conference opener, 61-33.

San Jose State, which has now lost three in a row since taking out Saint Katherine on Dec. 9, has been dealing with a rash of injuries and a group of five players who have been suspended for disciplinary reasons, so it is understandable that it simply does not have the manpower to compete right now.

As for the Cowboys, they've suffered just two defeats to the likes of SMU and California, but their list of conquests hadn't been all that impressive until New Year's Eve. The squad opened up the MWC schedule versus UNLV, an opponent that had recently tackled third-ranked Arizona, and managed to capture a 76-71 victory, the 12th straight at home for the program.

Wyoming, which will host the Spartans on Valentine's Day in Laramie, owns a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Cowboys won the most recent meeting last February by a score of 46-38 at Arena Auditorium.

Larry Nance Jr. scored 29 points, leading four starters in double figures, as the Cowboys knocked off the UNLV Runnin' Rebels by five points on Wednesday night in Laramie. Nance Jr. shot 11-of-17 from the floor, added five rebounds and three blocked shots for the Cowboys as they extended their win streak to four in a row. Derek Cooke Jr. accounted for 14 points, Riley Grabau 12 and Josh Adams 10 points in the home victory.

Nance Jr. stands as the only double-digit scorer for the Cowboys heading into the weekend with his 15.5 ppg, shooting an impressive 58.0 percent from the field. He is also tops on the unit with 6.1 rpg and 16 blocked shots as he teams with Cooke Jr. (9.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg) to form one of the better frontcourts in the MWC. The program may be producing only 64.4 ppg, but at the defensive end of the floor they've held foes to just 51.4 ppg.

During one stretch against Utah State in the last outing, the Spartans shot only 2-of-29 from the floor, leaving them with a mere 12 points at intermission. San Jose State made a grand total of just 12 field goals in the meeting, matching its number of turnovers, as the squad scored the fewest points since bowing to Fresno State, 43-33, on March 1, 1984. SJSU's only two wins on the campaign have come against Bethesda and Saint Katherine College.

Darryl Gaynor II and Ryan Singer managed to lead the program with eight points apiece, while Ivo Basor contributed 11 rebounds in the squad's third consecutive setback.

San Jose State is in complete disarray, shooting a collective 37.3 percent from the field and 29.2 percent behind the 3-point line as it struggles to produce even 55.3 ppg. Rashad Muhammad is listed as the leading scorer with 12.1 ppg, but he is also one of five players who has been suspended since the middle of December.

Pitting a tough defense against an awful offense is a prescription for a very ugly performance by San Jose State. While it may not be a record-breaking effort from a futility standpoint, you can still bank on a substantial loss for the Spartans.