UW-Akron statistics
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming sports.org
The only consistent thing about the Cowboys these days is their inconsistency.
Wyoming fell behind by 12 in the first half; led by seven with 10 minutes to play before falling to Akron 85-76 Wednesday night in the Arena-Auditorium.
Wednesday might have been a microcosm for the Cowboys (6-7) season, as they get ready for next week's Mountain West Conference openers.
As has been the case all season, the Cowboys played well in stretches against the Zips and not so well at other times.
"In the first half, we had quite a layoff, and I thought we were a little rusty. We didn't come out and play on our toes for whatever reason," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "In the second half, for the first 15 minutes or so, I thought we were pretty good. When we're good, we're good, and when we're not, we're not. That has been the frustrating part this year for me."
The Zips (10-3) led the entire first half before the Cowboys closed the gap to 42-37 at halftime. Wyoming (6-7) then scored the first seven points of the second half – all by A.J. Davis – and the two teams traded leads seven times from that point on.
Wyoming opened up a seven-point lead with 10 minutes left in the game, but Akron quickly regained the momentum. With the game tied at 69-all, Brett McKnight scored two straight baskets and Steve McNees hit a wide-open 3-pointer after grabbing a long rebound to put the Zips back up by seven, a lead they never relinquished. Akron outscored Wyoming 16-7 in the final four minutes.
"We just have to pay more attention to detail," said Davis, who scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half.
"We talk all of the time about being young, but that really is no excuse," added sophomore Afam Muojeke, who led the Cowboys with 19 points. "If you can't compete for 40, it is not going to make a difference."
McKnight and Anthony Hitchens both scored 16 points for Akron, who shot 52 percent from the field in the second half and hit 9 of 16 3-pointers, to just 1-of-9 for the Cowboys.
“Akron is a very good basketball team,” Schroyer said. “They are old and physical and we kind of got manhandled on the glass.”
That late 3-pointer by McNees was the dagger in the Cowboys' back, according to Schroyer. Although both teams had 13 offensive rebounds, the Zips held a 26-13 edge in second-half points.
“I thought our first-shot defense was actually pretty good,” Schroyer said. “We're getting hurt on the second chance. A lot of those second chances ended up being threes. They got 26 second-chance points and that was the difference in the game.”
McNees finished with 14 points and Jimmy Conyers added 13 for Akron.
“When you play a good team they’re going to make you pay for mistakes," Schroyer said. "They were nine of 16 from three, and I can remember at least three of those came on second-chance baskets."
Despite the loss and inconsistent play, Schroyer maintains that the Cowboys are getting better ... at times.
"I thought our pressure defense was good at times. We got out and guarded pretty well, and picked up our defensive intensity in the second half," he said. "We’re doing a good job playing defense on the first shot, but it’s the second chances we’re giving opponents that’s hurting us."
The Cowboys will close the non-conference portion of their schedule Saturday at 2 p.m. when they host Division II Adams State.
“Our non-conference schedule has been much more challenging than a year ago, and hopefully that will prepare us for the conference schedule ahead," Schroyer said. "Tonight’s game was definitely like a league game.”
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Cowboys pull away to beat USD
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
After a season-high 29 turnovers in the 19-point loss to Tennessee, the Wyoming Cowboys had a season-low nine turnovers Sunday against South Dakota.
The end result were predictable, as the Cowboys stopped the Coyotes 86-74 in the Arena-Auditorium.
"I'm excited about how we shared the ball," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "We only had nine turnovers, which was a low for us, especially against the zone. I thought we attacked the zone better than we had all year. There were a lot of good positives."
The Cowboys (6-5) used a late run to lead 40-33 at halftime and then controlled the second half to pick up the win. Up 59-50, A.J. Davis scored six points and Wyoming led by double digits the rest of the way, leading by as much as 19.
"I thought it was a really good win for us," Schroyer said. "They (South Dakota) are a very good offensive team; they average over 80 points a game and shoot the 3 38 percent. I thought we did a nice job."
Sophomore Afam Muojeke, who was 7 of 16 from the field -- including 5 of 14 3-pointers -- led the Cowboys with 19 points. Wyoming made a season high seven 3-pointers.
Steve Smith, a 6-foot-11, 265-pound center, hit five 3-pointers and led the Coyotes (6-5) with 25 points. Tyler Cain added 12 and Roman Gentry 10 points for South Dakota.
"Offensively, I thought we were a little better tonight ... there were some positives in this game," South Dakota coach Dave Boots said. "I'm not going to beat up on our guys. We could have played better; we just didn't shoot the ball like we could."
Djibril Thiam finished with 15 points, followed by Davis with 14 and Desmar Jackson with 13 for the Cowboys, who shot 47 percent from the field (33-of-70), including 54 percent in the second half. Wyoming outscored South Dakota 50-28 in the paint.
Wyoming also blocked 10 shot and had seven steals, to no blocks and three steals for South Dakota. The Coyotes hit 41 percent of their 3-pointers (10-of-24), but shot just 38 percent overall in the game (26-of-68).
"They (Wyoming) are a difficult team to play against," Boots said. "Give them credit -- they played well tonight. They were really good defensively. We only shot 38 percent; that was a big key."
The Cowboys will hit the road for a Mountain West Conference/Missouri Valley Conference matchup Tuesday against Northern Iowa, beginning at 6 p.m. in Cedar Falls.
Wyoming Sports.org
After a season-high 29 turnovers in the 19-point loss to Tennessee, the Wyoming Cowboys had a season-low nine turnovers Sunday against South Dakota.
The end result were predictable, as the Cowboys stopped the Coyotes 86-74 in the Arena-Auditorium.
"I'm excited about how we shared the ball," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "We only had nine turnovers, which was a low for us, especially against the zone. I thought we attacked the zone better than we had all year. There were a lot of good positives."
The Cowboys (6-5) used a late run to lead 40-33 at halftime and then controlled the second half to pick up the win. Up 59-50, A.J. Davis scored six points and Wyoming led by double digits the rest of the way, leading by as much as 19.
"I thought it was a really good win for us," Schroyer said. "They (South Dakota) are a very good offensive team; they average over 80 points a game and shoot the 3 38 percent. I thought we did a nice job."
Sophomore Afam Muojeke, who was 7 of 16 from the field -- including 5 of 14 3-pointers -- led the Cowboys with 19 points. Wyoming made a season high seven 3-pointers.
Steve Smith, a 6-foot-11, 265-pound center, hit five 3-pointers and led the Coyotes (6-5) with 25 points. Tyler Cain added 12 and Roman Gentry 10 points for South Dakota.
"Offensively, I thought we were a little better tonight ... there were some positives in this game," South Dakota coach Dave Boots said. "I'm not going to beat up on our guys. We could have played better; we just didn't shoot the ball like we could."
Djibril Thiam finished with 15 points, followed by Davis with 14 and Desmar Jackson with 13 for the Cowboys, who shot 47 percent from the field (33-of-70), including 54 percent in the second half. Wyoming outscored South Dakota 50-28 in the paint.
Wyoming also blocked 10 shot and had seven steals, to no blocks and three steals for South Dakota. The Coyotes hit 41 percent of their 3-pointers (10-of-24), but shot just 38 percent overall in the game (26-of-68).
"They (Wyoming) are a difficult team to play against," Boots said. "Give them credit -- they played well tonight. They were really good defensively. We only shot 38 percent; that was a big key."
The Cowboys will hit the road for a Mountain West Conference/Missouri Valley Conference matchup Tuesday against Northern Iowa, beginning at 6 p.m. in Cedar Falls.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Vols run by Cowboys in second half
Cowboys-Volunteers box
By Wyoming Sports.org
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Wyoming Cowboys showed that they can play with the best at times.
At other times, they showed that it can be a struggle. Add it all up and it was No. 8/9 Tennessee dominating in the end with a 77-58 victory Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Cowboys scored the game’s first seven points, then fell behind by six before running out to a 10-point lead. A late Tennessee run put the Vols up by one at halftime.
It was still just a three-point game midway through the second half before Tennessee took control against a sloppy and cold-shooting Wyoming team.
"No one at this level is into moral victories,“ Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “At the same token, we are getting better as a basketball team. This team is starting to grow up. We played toe-to-toe with a potential Final Four team in their building. There is a lot of good things to take from the game. We will obviously look at the negatives and try to fix those.
"There were some positives, as well. I am proud of our guys. For about 20 minutes we were toe to toe with one of the most talented teams in the country. I thought our press was good, but we just kind of ran out of gas for a stretch. (Tennessee) is really good in this building and there was about a six minute stretch where the game got away from us. Offensively, we were very inept for about six or seven minutes and that was the difference in the game.”
The Vols (8-1) struggled to slow down the normally high-scoring Cowboys (5-5) in the first half, but Tennessee's defensive pressure and fast break offense wore Wyoming down in the second.
Leading by one point at halftime, the Vols ran out to a 57-49 lead with 14:45 to go on a steal and layup by Scotty Hopson, who led Tennessee with 14 points. Tennessee forced 29 turnovers, a lot of those coming from the Vols taking charge and charges inside.
The Cowboys shot 46 percent from the field in the first half and hit four 3-pointers. The second half was another story, as they shot just 26 percent and could night hit a 3-pointer.
"It was a good win. I think we learned a lot. We stepped up, so I am pleased,” Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. “The first half was very, very, up-tempo, but a little sloppy. The game was played pretty much the way I thought it would be played.
"We did not finish as much as we should have attacking the pressure. In the first half, after we got done attacking pressure, we rarely pulled it out and ran the offense. The tempo was so high. When you go against a pressing team like us, attack in numbers, but do not settle and take a quick shot every time. I thought that was one thing that we did in the first half.”
Wayne Chism had 14 points for Tennessee and Tyler Smith added 10.
Afam Muojeke led the Cowboys with 15 points, with 13 coming in the first half. The Volunteers finished two short of a season high with 15 steals, and held Wyoming to 18 points in the second half.
"Jason Shay made an excellent observation at halftime and it impacted the way I coached the second half," Pearl said. “This team cannot beat us in the half-court game. It was nothing new, because we had talked about not allowing the tempo to get us playing so fast that we did not take care of the basketball. It got me to slow things down a little bit more. I did not press them as much in the second half. What happened then was we wore them out."
Schroyer called Tennessee as good of a full-court pressure team in the country, and in the long run, the Cowboys will learn from the experience.
“We have never played a team where it is that hard to get the ball inbounds underneath our own basket,” Schroyer said. “They are unbelievable at that. They are talented and they are well-coached. They are very good in this building. It is all the above. They are as good as advertised."
By Wyoming Sports.org
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Wyoming Cowboys showed that they can play with the best at times.
At other times, they showed that it can be a struggle. Add it all up and it was No. 8/9 Tennessee dominating in the end with a 77-58 victory Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Cowboys scored the game’s first seven points, then fell behind by six before running out to a 10-point lead. A late Tennessee run put the Vols up by one at halftime.
It was still just a three-point game midway through the second half before Tennessee took control against a sloppy and cold-shooting Wyoming team.
"No one at this level is into moral victories,“ Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “At the same token, we are getting better as a basketball team. This team is starting to grow up. We played toe-to-toe with a potential Final Four team in their building. There is a lot of good things to take from the game. We will obviously look at the negatives and try to fix those.
"There were some positives, as well. I am proud of our guys. For about 20 minutes we were toe to toe with one of the most talented teams in the country. I thought our press was good, but we just kind of ran out of gas for a stretch. (Tennessee) is really good in this building and there was about a six minute stretch where the game got away from us. Offensively, we were very inept for about six or seven minutes and that was the difference in the game.”
The Vols (8-1) struggled to slow down the normally high-scoring Cowboys (5-5) in the first half, but Tennessee's defensive pressure and fast break offense wore Wyoming down in the second.
Leading by one point at halftime, the Vols ran out to a 57-49 lead with 14:45 to go on a steal and layup by Scotty Hopson, who led Tennessee with 14 points. Tennessee forced 29 turnovers, a lot of those coming from the Vols taking charge and charges inside.
The Cowboys shot 46 percent from the field in the first half and hit four 3-pointers. The second half was another story, as they shot just 26 percent and could night hit a 3-pointer.
"It was a good win. I think we learned a lot. We stepped up, so I am pleased,” Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. “The first half was very, very, up-tempo, but a little sloppy. The game was played pretty much the way I thought it would be played.
"We did not finish as much as we should have attacking the pressure. In the first half, after we got done attacking pressure, we rarely pulled it out and ran the offense. The tempo was so high. When you go against a pressing team like us, attack in numbers, but do not settle and take a quick shot every time. I thought that was one thing that we did in the first half.”
Wayne Chism had 14 points for Tennessee and Tyler Smith added 10.
Afam Muojeke led the Cowboys with 15 points, with 13 coming in the first half. The Volunteers finished two short of a season high with 15 steals, and held Wyoming to 18 points in the second half.
"Jason Shay made an excellent observation at halftime and it impacted the way I coached the second half," Pearl said. “This team cannot beat us in the half-court game. It was nothing new, because we had talked about not allowing the tempo to get us playing so fast that we did not take care of the basketball. It got me to slow things down a little bit more. I did not press them as much in the second half. What happened then was we wore them out."
Schroyer called Tennessee as good of a full-court pressure team in the country, and in the long run, the Cowboys will learn from the experience.
“We have never played a team where it is that hard to get the ball inbounds underneath our own basket,” Schroyer said. “They are unbelievable at that. They are talented and they are well-coached. They are very good in this building. It is all the above. They are as good as advertised."
Monday, December 14, 2009
Cowboys ready for Tennessee challenge
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
About this time last season, the Wyoming Cowboys went on the road for one of those games a young program can't pass up, when they faced UCLA at historic Pauley Pavilion.
On Tuesday, the Cowboys will get another of those road games, as they take on ninth-rated Tennessee in Knoxville at 5 p.m.
Did the young returning Cowboys learn anything from last year's tough 113-62 loss to the Bruins?
Maybe yes, maybe no. What the Cowboys do know is that they have a tall task ahead once again against one of the better teams in the country.
With that being said, that's just fine with them.
"We know the caliber of this team, so we're going to come out and play hard," UW sophomore center Adam Waddell said. "It's going to be an exciting atmosphere and we're all excited to go and we're all excited to try to make a statement."
Tennessee, who is currently ranked No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll and No. 9 in the AP Poll, will enter Tuesday’s game with a 7-1 overall record. The Vols have also won three straight games after losing to Purdue (73-72) in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Championship Game. Those wins have come over College of Charleston (86-69), East Tennessee State (78-66) and Middle Tennessee (75-54).
"You're always getting ready when you are playing the No. 9 team in the country," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "All of these are experiences that you want to go through and have before you go into league play.
"We're obviously going to have to play very, very well. We're looking forward to the challenge just because it is going into that type of environment. It can do nothing but help these young guys grow up."
While the Tennessee game is the biggest game on the cowboys schedule, as was last year's UCLA contest, that's about where the comparisons end, the Cowboys say.
"That's last year. We have a whole new group of guys, with just a couple who played in that game," Waddell said. "We're going to be ready to go."
Said Schroyer: "They are two different teams that we are playing and two different teams that are in the locker room right now."
Schroyer also said that when they scheduled UCLA last season, when they did it, they thought it would be good for the young team. That's the case again for Tennessee.
"Our schedule has definitely been upgraded this year," Schroyer said. "With a young team, to throw challenges at them against one of the best teams in the country ... they don't get much better than Tennessee, potentially a Final Four team. We'll go there and compete the best that we can."
Tennessee’s lineup features four players who are averaging double figures. Sophomore guard Scotty Hopson leads the team with 13.9 points per game and is followed by senior wing Tyler Smith (12.5 ppg), senior center Wayne Chism (11.5 ppg) and sophomore guard Cameron Tatum (10.3 ppg).
"We're not worried about the name in front of their jersey," Luster said. "It's just basketball. We're going to give it our all. That's why you play basketball, for the challenge. It's definitely a big challenge, and a challenge that we can all come together for."
Muojeke said playing in big games like this are what you dream about as a kid.
"I think we're ready," Muojeke said. "We're just going to focus on what we do and try to get a win."
Game notes
-- Tuesday’s game will be televised live by ESPN U and will be called by Carter Blackburn and Mike Gottfried. ESPN U is available on both DIRECTV (channel 609) and Dish Network (channel 148). Cable subscribers should check with their local providers for ESPN U availability.
--This will mark just the third meeting between Wyoming and Tennessee on the basketball floor. Both of those previous meetings came during the 1958-59 season. The Cowboys opened that season with a tough 72-71 loss at Tennessee on Dec. 2, 1958. The two teams then faced off four days later in the Midwestern Invitational in Kent, Ohio. The Vols won that meeting 90-69.
-- The Cowboys have not played a team from the Southeastern Conference since defeating South Carolina 77-63 on Dec. 19, 2002 in Laramie.
-- Wyoming leads the nation in made free throws (234) and ranks third in attempted free throws (316). Through the 2008-09 regular season, UW led the nation in made free throws and ranked second in attempts.
-- After returning from Tennessee, the Cowboys will host South Dakota Sunday at 5:30 p.m. The game will follow the Cowgirl basketball team’s home game with Oregon, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
Wyoming Sports.org
About this time last season, the Wyoming Cowboys went on the road for one of those games a young program can't pass up, when they faced UCLA at historic Pauley Pavilion.
On Tuesday, the Cowboys will get another of those road games, as they take on ninth-rated Tennessee in Knoxville at 5 p.m.
Did the young returning Cowboys learn anything from last year's tough 113-62 loss to the Bruins?
Maybe yes, maybe no. What the Cowboys do know is that they have a tall task ahead once again against one of the better teams in the country.
With that being said, that's just fine with them.
"We know the caliber of this team, so we're going to come out and play hard," UW sophomore center Adam Waddell said. "It's going to be an exciting atmosphere and we're all excited to go and we're all excited to try to make a statement."
Tennessee, who is currently ranked No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll and No. 9 in the AP Poll, will enter Tuesday’s game with a 7-1 overall record. The Vols have also won three straight games after losing to Purdue (73-72) in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Championship Game. Those wins have come over College of Charleston (86-69), East Tennessee State (78-66) and Middle Tennessee (75-54).
"You're always getting ready when you are playing the No. 9 team in the country," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "All of these are experiences that you want to go through and have before you go into league play.
"We're obviously going to have to play very, very well. We're looking forward to the challenge just because it is going into that type of environment. It can do nothing but help these young guys grow up."
While the Tennessee game is the biggest game on the cowboys schedule, as was last year's UCLA contest, that's about where the comparisons end, the Cowboys say.
"That's last year. We have a whole new group of guys, with just a couple who played in that game," Waddell said. "We're going to be ready to go."
Said Schroyer: "They are two different teams that we are playing and two different teams that are in the locker room right now."
Schroyer also said that when they scheduled UCLA last season, when they did it, they thought it would be good for the young team. That's the case again for Tennessee.
"Our schedule has definitely been upgraded this year," Schroyer said. "With a young team, to throw challenges at them against one of the best teams in the country ... they don't get much better than Tennessee, potentially a Final Four team. We'll go there and compete the best that we can."
Tennessee’s lineup features four players who are averaging double figures. Sophomore guard Scotty Hopson leads the team with 13.9 points per game and is followed by senior wing Tyler Smith (12.5 ppg), senior center Wayne Chism (11.5 ppg) and sophomore guard Cameron Tatum (10.3 ppg).
"We're not worried about the name in front of their jersey," Luster said. "It's just basketball. We're going to give it our all. That's why you play basketball, for the challenge. It's definitely a big challenge, and a challenge that we can all come together for."
Muojeke said playing in big games like this are what you dream about as a kid.
"I think we're ready," Muojeke said. "We're just going to focus on what we do and try to get a win."
Game notes
-- Tuesday’s game will be televised live by ESPN U and will be called by Carter Blackburn and Mike Gottfried. ESPN U is available on both DIRECTV (channel 609) and Dish Network (channel 148). Cable subscribers should check with their local providers for ESPN U availability.
--This will mark just the third meeting between Wyoming and Tennessee on the basketball floor. Both of those previous meetings came during the 1958-59 season. The Cowboys opened that season with a tough 72-71 loss at Tennessee on Dec. 2, 1958. The two teams then faced off four days later in the Midwestern Invitational in Kent, Ohio. The Vols won that meeting 90-69.
-- The Cowboys have not played a team from the Southeastern Conference since defeating South Carolina 77-63 on Dec. 19, 2002 in Laramie.
-- Wyoming leads the nation in made free throws (234) and ranks third in attempted free throws (316). Through the 2008-09 regular season, UW led the nation in made free throws and ranked second in attempts.
-- After returning from Tennessee, the Cowboys will host South Dakota Sunday at 5:30 p.m. The game will follow the Cowgirl basketball team’s home game with Oregon, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Cowboys battle to get win
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
To say that Saturday's win over Northern Colorado was big for the Wyoming Cowboys might be an understatement.
Granted, the Bears aren't world beaters, but they are a solid team with wins over Mountain West Conference teams Colorado State and Air Force, and were 8-1 going into Saturday night's Wyoming Shootout contest.
For Wyoming, it had been a tough go at it this preseason, with disappointing losses to South Dakota State, Denver, Monmouth and Hampton. Then earlier in the week, transfer guard Thomas Manzano left the program for personal reasons.
"This is the biggest win so far, I believe," Wyoming sophomore Afam Muojeke said.
The Bears, 1-1 in the Big Sky Conference, fell to Montana State, but beat Montana on the road last week and were ranked 22nd in the country in the Mid-Major poll.
"I definitely think this is our biggest win," Wyoming sophomore guard JayDee Luster said. "They are a really good team. They already beat two of our conference teams and they are Top 25 for Mid-Majors. It was definitely a big win."
While the Cowboys have certainly struggled at times this season, of their four losses, they have been outscored by an average of eight points a game and two of those losses were by three points or less points.
"We felt like we could pull together and win these games," Luster said. "All of our losses have been pretty close. It was just a matter of us making a play or them making the plays. Tonight, we came out and made the plays at the end to win the game."
Wyoming sophomore Adam Waddell said they showed a little fight in them that they haven't always had this season.
"It was one of those games where we got down, shouldn't have got down, but we fought back and then we had to fight to keep the lead," Waddell said. "We came out with a big win. Northern Colorado is a good team."
The Cowboys appeared to be in the driver's seat, leading by 10 points with 10 minutes left, but saw the Bears respond with eight straight points -- all by guard Devon Beitzel. Northern Colorado, however, never caught the Cowboys and big plays by Waddell and strong free throw shooting by Muojeke enabled Wyoming to weather the storm.
"We made some defensive stops and we were able to battle," Waddell said. "With Afam back, that's one more asset that we have as a team."
Wyoming Sports.org
To say that Saturday's win over Northern Colorado was big for the Wyoming Cowboys might be an understatement.
Granted, the Bears aren't world beaters, but they are a solid team with wins over Mountain West Conference teams Colorado State and Air Force, and were 8-1 going into Saturday night's Wyoming Shootout contest.
For Wyoming, it had been a tough go at it this preseason, with disappointing losses to South Dakota State, Denver, Monmouth and Hampton. Then earlier in the week, transfer guard Thomas Manzano left the program for personal reasons.
"This is the biggest win so far, I believe," Wyoming sophomore Afam Muojeke said.
The Bears, 1-1 in the Big Sky Conference, fell to Montana State, but beat Montana on the road last week and were ranked 22nd in the country in the Mid-Major poll.
"I definitely think this is our biggest win," Wyoming sophomore guard JayDee Luster said. "They are a really good team. They already beat two of our conference teams and they are Top 25 for Mid-Majors. It was definitely a big win."
While the Cowboys have certainly struggled at times this season, of their four losses, they have been outscored by an average of eight points a game and two of those losses were by three points or less points.
"We felt like we could pull together and win these games," Luster said. "All of our losses have been pretty close. It was just a matter of us making a play or them making the plays. Tonight, we came out and made the plays at the end to win the game."
Wyoming sophomore Adam Waddell said they showed a little fight in them that they haven't always had this season.
"It was one of those games where we got down, shouldn't have got down, but we fought back and then we had to fight to keep the lead," Waddell said. "We came out with a big win. Northern Colorado is a good team."
The Cowboys appeared to be in the driver's seat, leading by 10 points with 10 minutes left, but saw the Bears respond with eight straight points -- all by guard Devon Beitzel. Northern Colorado, however, never caught the Cowboys and big plays by Waddell and strong free throw shooting by Muojeke enabled Wyoming to weather the storm.
"We made some defensive stops and we were able to battle," Waddell said. "With Afam back, that's one more asset that we have as a team."
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Cowboys hold off Bears
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
CASPER -- Afam Muojeke wasn't 100 percent healthy, but he was good enough to lead the Wyoming Cowboys to a 76-70 win over Northern Colorado Saturday in the Wyoming Shootout.
The Cowboys (5-4) appeared to have the game in hand, leading 50-40 with 10 minutes left, but Northern Colorado's Devon Beitzel scored eight straight to cut the lead to two. Wyoming answered with 12 points from Muojeke and five points each from Waddell and JayDee Luster to weather the storm.
"I thought we executed out of time outs really well; I thought we grew up a little bit," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "We were able to execute coming down the stretch and did some things we hadn't been able to do up until this point."
Muojeke was 8 of 8 from the free-throw line in the final 42 seconds of the game. The difference came from the free-throw line, as Wyoming was 31 of 43, including 17 of 23 in the second half. Northern Colorado hit 10 of 18 free throws, but just 3 of 10 in the second half.
Muojeke, the team's leading scorer at 17.0 points a game, saw his first action in over two weeks after suffering a knee injury on Nov. 25, missing three of the team's previous four games. He was just 2 of 11 from the field, but 11 of 12 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed six rebounds.
Muojeke said his knee was still only about 80 percent healthy, but he wasn't worrying about his knee on Saturday.
"I just wanted to give the team leadership," he said. "The shots weren't falling, so I just tried to get my team points from the line and rebounding."
Beitzel led the Bears (8-2) with 25 points, followed by Chris Kaba with 18 and Will Figures with 10.
"It is a really disappointing loss," Northern Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. "That was a winnable game right there. We didn't play well at all. We missed key free throws in the second half."
Waddell scored 13 for Wyoming and Desmar Jackson added 11.
"It was a really good win," Schroyer said. "They are a very good team and are very well coached. This is a very quality win for us and one that hopefully can continue to propel us into playing better and better going into conference play."
The Cowboys will return to action Tuesday when they face No. 9 Tennessee in Knoxville.
Wyoming Sports.org
CASPER -- Afam Muojeke wasn't 100 percent healthy, but he was good enough to lead the Wyoming Cowboys to a 76-70 win over Northern Colorado Saturday in the Wyoming Shootout.
The Cowboys (5-4) appeared to have the game in hand, leading 50-40 with 10 minutes left, but Northern Colorado's Devon Beitzel scored eight straight to cut the lead to two. Wyoming answered with 12 points from Muojeke and five points each from Waddell and JayDee Luster to weather the storm.
"I thought we executed out of time outs really well; I thought we grew up a little bit," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "We were able to execute coming down the stretch and did some things we hadn't been able to do up until this point."
Muojeke was 8 of 8 from the free-throw line in the final 42 seconds of the game. The difference came from the free-throw line, as Wyoming was 31 of 43, including 17 of 23 in the second half. Northern Colorado hit 10 of 18 free throws, but just 3 of 10 in the second half.
Muojeke, the team's leading scorer at 17.0 points a game, saw his first action in over two weeks after suffering a knee injury on Nov. 25, missing three of the team's previous four games. He was just 2 of 11 from the field, but 11 of 12 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed six rebounds.
Muojeke said his knee was still only about 80 percent healthy, but he wasn't worrying about his knee on Saturday.
"I just wanted to give the team leadership," he said. "The shots weren't falling, so I just tried to get my team points from the line and rebounding."
Beitzel led the Bears (8-2) with 25 points, followed by Chris Kaba with 18 and Will Figures with 10.
"It is a really disappointing loss," Northern Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. "That was a winnable game right there. We didn't play well at all. We missed key free throws in the second half."
Waddell scored 13 for Wyoming and Desmar Jackson added 11.
"It was a really good win," Schroyer said. "They are a very good team and are very well coached. This is a very quality win for us and one that hopefully can continue to propel us into playing better and better going into conference play."
The Cowboys will return to action Tuesday when they face No. 9 Tennessee in Knoxville.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Cowboys make the plays to beat Lions
UW-LMU boxscore
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Shooting just 40 percent and being out-rebounded by 23, the Cowboys didn't do much in the stat sheet to win a game Saturday night.
Yet, they did just that, stopping Loyoyla Marymount 76-70 in the Arena-Auditorium.
"I think this team is just starting to get more experience as the year goes along," said Wyoming senior Ryan Dermody, who led the Cowboys with 15 points. "I don't think we would have won this game earlier in the season. We really executed well in the last three minutes and we were able to pull out a win.'
The Cowboys (4-4) led by as much as 13 late in the first half, but lost that lead and still trailed by three with 2:38 remaining. Wyoming, however, used a key block by Adam Waddell, a big steal by JayDee Luster and an important tip off of a missed free throw by Djibril Thiam that kept the ball in their hands.
In the end, UW outscored the Lions 10-1 down the stretch.
"I thought we found a way to win a tough game," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "It was a really good win for us."
Kevin Young and Vernon Teel scored 16 points each for Loyola Marymount, which out-rebounded the Cowboys 53-30, grabbing 27 offensive rebounds.
Wyoming, however, forced 22 turnovers and had 10 blocked shots and 12 steals, scoring 23 points off of the miscues.
"At the end of the game, we made some very bad plays," Loyola Marymount coach Max Good said. "To Wyoming's credit, they capitalized on them and ultimately won the game."
Dermody hit four 3-pointers to give the Cowboys a lift from the outside. Going into the contest, Wyoming had hit just 19 percent of its 3-point attempts.
"Derm really stepped up and got in a got in a good rhythm tonight," Schroyer said. "He's bounced back from a tough year last year when he got hurt early. Derm is going to be a valuable guy for us this season."
Desmar Jackson scored 13 points for Wyoming, with Adam Waddell adding 12 and Djibril Thiam 11. The Cowboys shot just 40 percent and had five less field goals than the Lions, but were 26 of 34 from the free-throw line to 13 of 20 for Loyola Marymount.
"We didn't rebound the ball very well, but we were a plus six in turnovers," Schroyer said. "We just found a way to win."
The Cowboys will return to action next Saturday in Casper against Northern Colorado in the annual Casper Shootout.
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Shooting just 40 percent and being out-rebounded by 23, the Cowboys didn't do much in the stat sheet to win a game Saturday night.
Yet, they did just that, stopping Loyoyla Marymount 76-70 in the Arena-Auditorium.
"I think this team is just starting to get more experience as the year goes along," said Wyoming senior Ryan Dermody, who led the Cowboys with 15 points. "I don't think we would have won this game earlier in the season. We really executed well in the last three minutes and we were able to pull out a win.'
The Cowboys (4-4) led by as much as 13 late in the first half, but lost that lead and still trailed by three with 2:38 remaining. Wyoming, however, used a key block by Adam Waddell, a big steal by JayDee Luster and an important tip off of a missed free throw by Djibril Thiam that kept the ball in their hands.
In the end, UW outscored the Lions 10-1 down the stretch.
"I thought we found a way to win a tough game," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "It was a really good win for us."
Kevin Young and Vernon Teel scored 16 points each for Loyola Marymount, which out-rebounded the Cowboys 53-30, grabbing 27 offensive rebounds.
Wyoming, however, forced 22 turnovers and had 10 blocked shots and 12 steals, scoring 23 points off of the miscues.
"At the end of the game, we made some very bad plays," Loyola Marymount coach Max Good said. "To Wyoming's credit, they capitalized on them and ultimately won the game."
Dermody hit four 3-pointers to give the Cowboys a lift from the outside. Going into the contest, Wyoming had hit just 19 percent of its 3-point attempts.
"Derm really stepped up and got in a got in a good rhythm tonight," Schroyer said. "He's bounced back from a tough year last year when he got hurt early. Derm is going to be a valuable guy for us this season."
Desmar Jackson scored 13 points for Wyoming, with Adam Waddell adding 12 and Djibril Thiam 11. The Cowboys shot just 40 percent and had five less field goals than the Lions, but were 26 of 34 from the free-throw line to 13 of 20 for Loyola Marymount.
"We didn't rebound the ball very well, but we were a plus six in turnovers," Schroyer said. "We just found a way to win."
The Cowboys will return to action next Saturday in Casper against Northern Colorado in the annual Casper Shootout.
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