Cowboys fall in overtime

Wyoming-Utah State boxscore

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

One of the Wyoming Cowboys best all-around efforts came up just a bit short, as Utah State held on for a 90-85 overtime win Wednesday in the final game of the Duel in the Desert at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

After two lackluster wins in the tournament, Wyoming came out and played a good Utah State team (13-1) down to the wire, forcing overtime on a last-second Brandon Ewing 3-pointer. The Aggies, however, never trailed in overtime to gain the win.

“I’m really proud of them in the fact that this is the third game in three nights and these kids really gave it everything they had in a very hostile environment” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said in his postgame radio show on the Cowboys Sports Network. “They don’t lose here very often. It was a tough loss. The guys are obviously disappointed that they lost, like I am, but I am proud of their effort.”

USU improved to 12-1 on the season with the win, capturing the tournament title with a 3-0 record. The Cowboys are now 11-3 overall after having their two-game winning streak snapped with the loss.

Ewing and senior Tyson Johnson were named to the all-tournament team for the Cowboys. USU junior guard Jared Quayle was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and was joined on the all-tournament by teammates Tai Wesley and Gary Wilkinson. Houston Baptist's Jordan Watt was also named to the team.

Johnson led five Wyoming players in double-figures, matching Quayle with 24 points, while Ewing tallied 20 points, 16 after halftime. Sean Ogirri added 15 points while Afam Muojeke tossed in 12 points and Adam Waddell notched 10 points. Djibril Thiam pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds as Wyoming had a 36-35 rebounding edge, including 17 on the offensive glass.

Wilkinson tallied 20 points and eight rebounds while Wesley added 18 points and six boards. Sophomore guard Tyler Newbold tossed in 15 points, hitting three 3-pointers.

The Cowboys were ahead 72-68 with 2:57 to play after consecutive Johnson layups, but a tip-in from Quayle, followed by two free throws each from Wesley and Wilkinson gave USU a 74-73 lead.

Quayle hit a pair of shots from the charity stripe with 4.1 seconds left before Ewing's long 3-pointer from the top of the arc as the buzzer sounded to force OT.

Two free throws from Wilkinson and a layup from sophomore guard Pooh Williams gave the Aggies an 80-76 lead in the extra frame and they never looked back. A layup from Ewing drew the Cowboys to 82-80 at the 2:29 mark, but Newbold drained a trey from the top of the arc for a five-point cushion and USU prevailed.

Wyoming opened the game by hitting seven of its first nine shots and led by as much as six before a 12-2 Utah State run would put it on top. The Aggies took a 36-31 lead into intermission and were ahead for a good portion of the second half until the Cowboys took a 55-54 lead with 9:52 on the clock after a 3-pointer by Ogirri, setting up the back-and-forth battle to the end of regulation.

The difference in the game came on the free-throw line. USU shot 56.4 percent (31-of-55) from the floor, hitting just 3-of-12 of its 3-pointers, all by Newbold. The Aggies were 25-of-32 (78.1 percent) at the free-throw line.

Wyoming was 33-of-72 (45.8 percent) from the field and hit 8 of 20 3-pointers, as Ogirri and Ewing made three each. At the free-throw line, the Cowboys were 11-of-16.

The Cowboys will stay in Utah and face the Utah Utes on Saturday in their conference opener. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.