Richard Anderson photo
Tyson Johnson goes up strong for a basket against Western State.
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Tyson Johnson had a tough first half against Western State, missing several “bunnies.”
But he got one to go at the buzzer when he snuck in for the put-back off a missed free throw to give the Cowboys an extra lift going into the locker room.
Johnson and the Cowboys would take that momentum and eventually blow out Western State by 27.
The Cowboys will look to keep that momentum Saturday at 2 p.m. when they host Sacramento State.
Johnson would finish with 10 points and 12 rebounds on Tuesday, his second double-double of the season.
“It was a little frustrating after missing all of the those shots,” Johnson said. “But I tried to come back strong in the second half.”
Granted, it was an off game for Johnson offensively. Yet, if that was a bad game for the senior forward, Wyoming head coach Heath Schroyer said they’ll be just fine.
“The shots didn’t fall for him against Western, but he has proven over a course of time now, he is a guy you know will rebound the ball, close to 10 a clip, he’ll be able to score down on the block,” Schroyer said. “It was one of those games and one of those nights.”
Averaging 15.6 points and 9.8 rebounds a game this season, Johnson has also become the team leader in other areas.
“As he has gotten in better shape and as he understands the system now, he’s really found his niche in this program, both on the floor and off the floor,” Schroyer said. “I can’t talk enough about his maturity, just how much better he is as a player. The thing I'm most proud of is how he has evolved as a leader. He kind of runs that locker room as a big brother. No one messes with Tyson Johnson in that locker room.”
A little extra time to work
With finals now over, the Cowboys have worked a little extra on the court and in the film room. On the basketball court, the Cowboys have put in more individual work, as well as more shooting.
“We’re trying to use our time the best that we can," Schroyer said. “It's a great time for our guys to come in individually and watch film because there are no classes. This is a great time of the year for us. This is a time individually players can get better and as a team. Just spending the time with preparation, it helps us get better as well.”
About Sacramento State
The Hornets are just 1-8 on the season under first-year head coach Brian Katz. Their lone win was an 82-70 victory over UC Davis. One common opponents is Cal State Bakersfield. The Hornets fell to Bakersfield 72-62, while the Cowboys beat Bakersfield 84-48.
Sac State is led this season by senior guard Loren Leath at 13.4 points a game and 6-foot-8 junior forward Justin Eller at 11.6 points and 6.7 rebounds a game.
“Obviously, it is another test for us to play against an athletic team," Schroyer said. “They run a lot of 1-4 stuff. They’re a good basketball team that is very well coached and we’ll have to play well.”
Back on the road
The Cowboys will return to the road when they take on perennial power UCLA Tuesday at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles and then compete at the Utah State Duel in the Desert in Logan, Utah, Dec. 29-31. The Cowboys will open Mountain West Conference play on Jan. 3 at Utah, before hosting San Diego State on Jan. 14.
“It’s a big game for us because it is our last home game for about three weeks,” Schroyer said. “We want to take care of our home court, get better and play our best going into the next couple of weeks.”
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Wyoming Cowboys (8-1 overall)
Probable Starters Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG APG/BPG
F #11 Afam Muojeke 6-7 210 R-Fr. Jamaica, N.Y. 18.4 4.1 2.0
F #21 Tyson Johnson 6-7 245 Sr. Long Island, N.Y. 15.6 9.8 1.1*
C #13 Mikhail Linskens 7-0 260 So. Bredene, Belgium 4.0 4.6 0.9*
G # 0 Sean Ogirri 6-3 200 R-Sr. Denver, Colo. 14.6 2.1 2.6
G #23 Brandon Ewing 6-2 190 Sr. Chicago, Ill. 17.2 3.6 5.9
Reserves
PG # 1 JayDee Luster^ 5-9 165 So. San Diego, Calif. Redshirting
G # 2 Arthur Bouëdo 6-2 165 Fr. Aix en Provence, France Hasn't yet played
F # 5 Ryan Dermody 6-9 205 Jr. Loveland, Colo. Hasn't yet played
G #12 Galand Thaxton 6-2 175 Fr. Laramie, Wyo. 0.7 0.3 0.0
C #15 Adam Waddell 6-10 235 R-Fr. Cody, Wyo. 7.2 5.0 1.1*
F #25 Djibril Thiam 6-10 205 So. Dakar, Senegal 5.0 8.5 2.5*
F #32 Mahamoud Diakite 6-7 225 Jr. Paris, France 1.8 3.1 0.9*
C #33 Boubacar Sylla^ 7-2 275 So. Paris, France Redshirting
G #51 A.J. Davis 6-6 195 Fr. Columbus, Ohio 3.5 2.3 1.0
*Indicates blocked shot average
^Luster and Sylla will have to sit out of competition during the 2008-09
season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules.
Head Coach: Heath Schroyer (Armstrong Atlantic State ‘95)
Overall Record: 55-66 (.455), Fifth year
Record at Wyoming: 20-19 (.513), Second year
Assistant Coaches: Fred Langley (Fresno State ‘87), Shaun Vandiver (Colorado ‘02)
and Anthony Stewart (Mount Union ‘93)
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Sacramento State Hornets (1-8 overall)
Probable Starters Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG APG
F #40 Justin Eller 6-8 235 Jr. Yreka, Calif. 11.6 6.7 1.4
C # 4 Randy Adams 6-8 220 Sr. Moreno Valley, Calif. 5.9 4.1 0.6
G #14 Mike Marcial 6-1 180 Jr. Clovis, Calif. 1.9 2.2 3.7
G #22 Antonio Flaggs 6-3 180 Jr. Pittsburg, Calif. 7.9 2.1 1.0
G #23 Loren Leath 6-2 190 Sr. Oakland, Calif. 13.4 2.8 0.9
Reserves
G # 5 Stephen Calton 5-10 190 Sr. Sacramento, Calif. 0.8 1.0 1.2
F #10 Donald Thomas 6-6 215 Sr. Garden Grove, Calif. 2.6 1.4 0.7
G #12 Jared Stigall 5-10 160 Jr. Sacramento, Calif. 3.4 1.7 1.2
G #21 Jerome Blockmon 6-2 195 Jr. Venice, Calif. 1.3 0.2 0.0
F #25 Aaron Wilson 6-6 230 So. Lodi, Calif. 2.8 2.0 0.4
F #32 Michael Selling 6-8 225 Jr. Folsom, Calif. Hasn't yet played
G #34 Jonathan Malloy 6-5 190 Jr. Compton, Calif. 1.5 1.4 0.6
F #42 Alex Ward 6-6 220 Jr. Redding, Calif. Hasn't yet played
C #50 Mike Edwards 6-11 205 Jr. Tracy, Calif. 5.1 2.4 1.2*
* Indicates blocked shot average
Head Coach: Brian Katz (Sacramento State '80)
Overall Record: 1-8 (.111), First Year
Record at Sacramento State: same
Assistant Coaches: Terry Battenberg (Sacramento State '68),
Brady Bergeson (Chapman '00) and Dominique Bukasa (Sonoma State '99)
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