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Feb. 5, 2008

LARAMIE, Wyo. -

Complete Weekly Press Release in PDF Format

It has been rare, in recent history, for the Wyoming Cowboys to play a non-conference game once conference play has begun, but UW will host just such a game this Wednesday, Feb. 6 versus Cal State Bakersfield in a game scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. There will be no television coverage of Wednesday's game.

It will be the first meeting in history between the Cowboys and Roadrunners. Wyoming will enter the game with an 8-12 overall record and a 2-6 mark in the Mountain West Conference. Cal State Bakersfield is 7-15 this season as an NCAA Division I independent.

Only three other times in the past 10 seasons has Wyoming played a non-conference game once conference play began. Most recently in the 2004-05 season, Wyoming hosted Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne in a game won by Wyoming, 100-59 on Jan. 10, 2005. The last time Wyoming went on the road to play a non-conference game in the middle of conference play was back on Feb. 17, 2001, at Creighton. The Bluejays handed UW an 84-72 loss in that game, and back on Feb. 16, 1999, Wyoming defeated Texas-Pan American, 103-85, in the Arena-Auditorium.

The Wyoming Cowboys are looking to get back on the winning track after falling to rival BYU last Saturday in Laramie in a hard-fought 63-73 loss. Wyoming had won two consecutive games prior to Saturday's loss, including a home win over archrival Colorado State (73-58) on Jan. 26. UW also recorded its first road win at Utah since 2002 when the Pokes defeated the Utes 69-64 in Salt Lake a week ago this Wednesday.

California State University Bakersfield is currently in the third year of a five-year transition period from NCAA Division II status to the NCAA Division I level. CSUB began it five-year process in the 2005-06 season, in what is termed by the NCAA as an exploratory year. In 2006-07, the Roadrunners were considered an NCAA Division II opponent in all games in which they were playing an NCAA Division I team. That same season CSUB was counted as a Division I opponent when facing Division II teams. This season is the first year that Bakersfield is counted as an NCAA Division I opponent in all of its games. If CSUB continues to meet all requirements set by the NCAA to meet Division I standards, the Roadrunners will become a full-fledged Division I program in July of 2010.

While CSUB is in transition to the Division I level, Cal State Bakersfield ranked among the elite programs in Division II. CSUB was the winningest basketball program in NCAA Division II history during its 35 years at that level, posting a 716-292 (.710) record. The Roadrunners captured the NCAA Division II National Championship three times, in 1993, '94 and '97.

This season the CSUB Roadrunners have enjoyed a fair amount of success against NCAA Division I opponents. Among the Roadrunners top wins this season are home wins over Fresno State (65-64) and Loyola-Marymount (98-64) and road victories over the University of San Diego (80-72), Sacramento State (73-61) and Long Beach State (80-77 in overtime).

Wednesday's game between the Cowboys and Roadrunners will be broadcast live on radio over the Cowboy Sports Network, beginning with the pregame show at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.