Up and down Pokes down at the end

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.”