GAME NOTES: The undefeated Wyoming Cowboys close out a seven-game homestand to kick off the 2014-15 campaign with a meeting against the Denver Pioneers on Tuesday night.

The Cowboys, who don't play their first game outside of Laramie until Friday when they take on SMU in Dallas, earned their 200th non-conference win in Arena Auditorium on Saturday when they defeated New Mexico State, 78-75.

While Wyoming carries an unblemished record into this meeting, the Pioneers have met with a couple of defeats in five opportunities, both of them on the road. However, the latest contest for Denver took place on Sunday and the team responded with a 79-60 triumph over visiting New Orleans.

In one of the most heavily-played non-conference rivalries on the Wyoming schedule, the Cowboys lead the series by a count of 101-50. The most recent meeting in this series, one that will celebrate a century in February of 2015, was actually won by Denver at home last season, 64-61.

Against New Orleans, the Pioneers shot 54.7 percent from the field and turned the ball over just eight times as they dominated in the double-digit victory. Brett Olson not only scored 15 points for Denver, he handed out eight assists as four other players scored in double figures. Cam Griffin pitched in with 14 points, reserves Marcus Byrd and Nate Engesser 13 and 12 points, respectively, followed by Jalen Love with 11 as he converted 3-of-5 shots behind the 3-point line.

Shooting close to 60 percent from the floor in the early going, Griffin is averaging 13.0 ppg for the Pioneers, followed by Olson and Engesser with 11.6 and 11.5 ppg, respectively. Olson, who set a career-high for assists in a game versus the Privateers, now has 23 dishes to pace the program in that department through five outing. As someone who is willing to do anything and everything to get the Pioneers into the win column, Olson is also averaging 4.2 rpg.

It was a close call against New Mexico State, with the teams being tied eight times and trading the lead on nine occasions, but in the end the Pokes came away with the win in front of the hometown fans yet again. Larry Nance led four starters in double figures as he dropped in 24 points, adding eight rebounds and three steals to his stat line. Charles Hankerson and Josh Adams both accounted for 15 points and Riley Grabau another 10, to go along with his five assists as the team outscored the Aggies by a 25-12 margin at the free- throw line.

Nance, now converting 59.3 percent of his field goal attempts, leading the way in both scoring (14.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg) for a Wyoming squad that is focusing much of its energy on slowing down opponents. Through six games the program has limited foes to only 51.7 ppg, stemming from 38.7 percent shooting from the floor. Back on offense, Adams checks in with 10.2 ppg and is one of two players (Hankerson) with at least 22 assists heading into this week. The team as a whole is averaging close to 19 dishes per outing.

A balanced attack on offense is one thing, but the Cowboys are also back to their old tricks of keeping scoring to a minimum, so with the best of both worlds expect the hosts to rise again.