With his performance Monday, Theo Ratliff showed he is ready to lead Wyoming through the Western Athletic Conference season, coach Joby Wright said.
Ratliff led all scorers with 20 points, snagged 12 rebounds and blocked 11 shots to lead the Cowboys (5-5 overall, 1-0 in the WAC) to a 64-56 victory over San Diego State in the teams' conference opener."It was really good to see Ratliff play like he did," Wright said after the game. "He was trying to send a message that he is ready to play. I'm expecting him to have a monster year.
Texas-El Paso 80, Air Force 64
At El Paso, Texas, Antoine Gillespie scored 25 points and George Banks added 19 as Texas-El Paso defeated Air Force, 80-64.
UTEP guard Mark Ingles held Falcons' star Otis Jones below his per-game scoring average of 29 points. Jones, the nation's second-leading scorer, managed 22 points to lead Air Force.
New Mexico 74, Fresno St. 66
At Albuquerque, N.M., Charles Smith matched his career high with 25 points, and New Mexico's offense consistently went inside Monday as the Lobos downed Fresno State 74-66.
Colorado St. 96, Hawaii 74
At Fort Collins, Colo., David Evans scored 22 points to lead Colorado State to a 96-74 victory over Hawaii Monday night.