Finally: Nance Dunks Wyoming Past New Mexico in OT Thriller, 63-62

There have been so many heart beaks with the Wyoming, New Mexico series. Twice last year the Cowboys went into overtime only to lose. LOSE. Finally the University of Wyoming men's basketball team, to quote Jim Morrison: "Broke on through to the other side. And the Cowboy fans were there in force. As they had twice last season the University of Wyoming men's basketball team and New Mexico went to overtime, but Saturday was different as the Cowboys earned a dramatic 63-62 victory in the extra period thanks to the heroics of senior forward Larry Nance Jr. The Cowboys (17-3, 6-1 MW) got plenty of help, though, from the raucous 10,167 fans in the Arena-Auditorium, UW's largest crowd since 2001. After missing a chance to tie the game at the free throw line with 14 seconds left in overtime, Nance deflected a Lobo pass near midcourt and saved the ball to senior guard Charles Hankerson Jr.  Just seconds later senior guardRilely Grabau found Nance wide open under the basket for the dunk with 3.2 seconds left to cap an incredible comeback after trailing by five with 1:12 left in overtime. UNM (13-7, 5-3 MW) couldn't get a shot off, as the Pokes snapped a string of eight-straight losses to the Lobos!!! "We've had five straight games with New Mexico won in the last 20 seconds or overtime - two heartbreakers for us last year and I'm sure this is a heartbreaker for New Mexico," UW head coach Larry Shyatt said. "A lot of things happened during the home stretch of this one, but I can't say enough about how much I love our guys. Their will is incredible. When somebody hits an incredible shot against them, instead of dropping their heads there is no give up in them and they keep pushing." An emotional roller coaster from start to finish, neither team led by more than five points with 12 ties in the game and five lead changes. The Lobos used offensive rebounds late in the second half to maintain an advantage and looked to be in line for the win, before Adams was fouled on a three-point attempt with 10 seconds left. He calmly sank all three freebies to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, the Lobos hit back-to-back threes for a 62-57 lead, but that would be their last points. Adams responded with a triple of his own, before Nance missed his free throw and engineered his game-winning dunk. Wyoming is right back to action on Tuesday at Utah State. Tip is set for 7 p.m. MT in Smith Spectrum.