Cruz Leads Wyoming Over Northern Colorado 75-56

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Francisco Cruz scored a career-high 30 points to lead Wyoming to a 75-56 victory over Northern Colorado on Tuesday night.

Adam Waddell added 16 points and Luke Martinez 11 for the Cowboys (2-0).

Paul Garnica scored 18 points and Tim Huskisson 10 for the Bears (0-2).

Wyoming put the game away in the second half with the help of a five-point play.

Following a 14-point first half, Northern Colorado mounted a brief run, trimming a 21-point deficit to 15 before Wyoming's Derrious Gilmore raced down court and fed Waddell, who dunked and was fouled by Connor Osborne.

As Waddell hung on the rim briefly awaiting traffic underneath to clear, Osborne gave him a two-handed shove on the leg, earning a technical foul.

Waddell hit his foul shot before Cruz added two more for the technical. Gilmore sank two free throws on the ensuing Cowboys possession, putting Wyoming up 64-42 with 8:33 remaining.

Cruz was 6 of 10 from the floor, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range, and 16 of 20 at the free-throw line.

Northern Colorado is struggling to replace four starters from its first-ever NCAA tournament team, including Devon Beitzel, the nation's 12th-ranked scorer last season at 21.5 points per game.

The Bears shot 26 percent (8 of 22) from the floor in the first half, including 1 of 7 from beyond the arc. They finished at 37.5 percent.