UW-Air Force game statistics
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Recent losses by the Wyoming Cowboys were certainly Air Force’s gain.
Led by Evan Washington, the Falcons broke a 22-game conference losing streak with a 70-63 win over Wyoming Saturday.
Along with leading scorer Afam Muojeke out for the season, the Cowboys were also without the junior post Adam Waddell, who sat out the game an ankle injury suffered while scoring 13 points and grabbing 22 rebounds in a win over Utah on Wednesday.
“It's a tough pill to swallow, but my hat's off to Jeff (Reynolds)," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "We came here and thought our game plan was pretty good, even though (Air Force) went on a roll there and knocked down a couple threes against the zone we played. I think that was the difference."
The win was the first conference victory for the Falcons (9-11, 1-6 Mountain West Conference) since March 5, 2008, and also snapped a six-game losing streak. They held the Cowboys (9-12, 2-5) to 5-of-22 3-point shooting in the win and scored nine of their final 13 points from the free-throw line.
"We made free throws when we needed to today," Reynolds said. "We didn't shoot the ball well in the first half, but in the second half, we shot it the way we do in practice. We got some shots at the rim, but their length really bothered us."
The Falcons used a 16-4 second-half run to take a 49-42 lead with 8:42 remaining, but the Cowboys responded with eight straight points to take a 50-49 lead with 5:56 left. The lead would be their last.
Air Force hit 7 of 11 3-pointers in the second half en route to the victory and took the lead for good on a Washington jumper with 5:35 remaining. Washington scored eight points in the final 1:21.
Michael Lyons had 16 points for Air Force and Grant Parker added 12.
Freshman Desmar Jackson led Wyoming with 21 points, followed by freshman Amath M'Baye had 11 and sophomore JayDee Luster and junior Djibril Thiam with 10 each.
Air Force began the game with an 11-2 run after hitting its first three 3-pointers, but hit just one of its next 11 threes. Wyoming capitalized with a 10-0 run midway through the first half to take the lead and led 29-26 at halftime.
The Cowboys will look to get back on the winning side Wednesday when they host UNLV (7 p.m.) in the Arena-Auditorium.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Cowboys come up big
John McKnight photo
Wyoming freshman Desmar Jackson drives on Utah's Jason Washburn Wednesday night.
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
No Afam Muojeke, no problem for the Wyoming Cowboys Wednesday against Utah.
Desmar Jackson scored 21 points as Wyoming rallied past Utah 75-69 in the Arena-Auditorium, breaking a three-game losing skid.
The Cowboys (2-4 MWC, 9-11) lost a 12-point lead in the second half and trailed by three with three minutes remaining, but outscored Utah 11-2 down the stretch.
It was the first game for the Cowboys without Muojeke (the team's leading scorer at 16.8 points a game), who is out for the season after injuring his knee last week against BYU.
“Losing Afam, that’s tough,” Wyoming sophomore Adam Waddell said. “But we all know that we have enough weapons on the team to win games like this. Desmar stepped up big tonight. He didn’t play like a freshman. He’s been on our team for a while now, he knows what we are doing. He came out ready to go. That’s what we need in every game, from every one on our team, to try to fill the void that we lost with Afam.”
Jackson, who was 7 of 15 from the field, came off the bench and scored 14 points over his season average, with several other Cowboys picking up the scoring slack.
“I just came in and played; I knew my role,” Jackson said. “Coach told me to keep attacking the hoop; I'm good at attacking, so I just kept attacking and getting fouls.”
Djibril Thiam scored 16 points for the Cowboys, seven above his average and Waddell had his first double-double of his career with 13 points and 22 rebounds. Sophomore A.J. Davis, who started for Muojeke, scored 10 for Wyoming.
“Coach wanted me to be more aggressive,” Thiam said. “I have been working on attacking the basket in practice. We knew they had big men blocking shots. We just talked about going through them, instead of trying to go around them.”
Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said his team grew up Wednesday night.
“We had so many players contribute. Our kids are a gritty bunch," Schroyer said. "When Utah went up by three, that was when I thought our kids really stuck together and fought. It was a huge win for us.”
Wyoming went into the game as one of the top shooting teams in the nation in free throws attempted and free throws made, but were just 23 off 44 from the line in the game. The Cowboys, however, were 7 of 9 in the final 46 seconds to secure the win.
Leading 35-32 at halftime, Wyoming built its lead to 46-34 with 14 minutes to play, but Utah used a 9-0 run to get back in the game. Carlon Brown, who scored a career-high 31 points, was the catalyst of the rally, scoring 22 points in the second half, including 11 of the team's 14 points in one stretch.
Waddell scored on a three-point play to put the Cowboys back up 69-67 with 46 seconds left. Utah turned the ball over three times in the final 30 seconds and Jackson hit four free throws late to secure the win.
“They came back and made that run, but we were able to come back,” Waddell said. “I think we changed our defensive scheme up a little bit to not let them get ball screens, and I think that threw them off a little bit. We made the plays that we needed to.”
Waddell's 22 rebounds came in a game in which he left the court for five minutes and went into the locker room afteer rolling his ankle. His 22 rebounds are the second most in A-A history (27 for Reggie Slater). Waddell has also now tied the MWC record with Jason Smith of CSU and Louis Amundson of UNLV.
“I’ve never had that many rebounds in any basketball game that I have played,” Waddell said with a big grin. “It feels good. I think it is also my first career double-double. I wished it wouldn’t just be my first at this point, but I tried to play hard and I really wanted to win this game. It feels good.”
Marshall Henderson scored 13 and Jay Watkins added 12 for the Utes, who had 19 turnovers, which resulted in 22 Wyoming points.
“You can't have 19 turnovers and miss 12 free throws and expect to win on the road,” Utah coach Jim Boylen said. “We have to get better; we have to keep growing.”
The Cowboys will face Air Force Saturday in Colorado Springs.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Cowboys to host Utes
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
The Wyoming Cowboys A-A (After Afam) season begins Wednesday night in the A-A (Arena-Auditorium), when the Cowboys host Utah at 7 p.m.
Afam Muojeke, last year's Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, was second in the league in scoring at 17.9 points a game before seeing his season come to an end last Wednesday against BYU. Muojeke ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee.
After dropping their last three Mountain West Conference games, the Cowboys will enter Wednesday with an 8-11 overall record and a 1-4 conference mark. Utah is currently 10-9 overall and 3-2 in league games.
The Cowboys are returning to action after having this past weekend off, which was their first off weekend since taking a six-day break during the Christmas holiday.
Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer thought things went "fine" in the first practices in preparation for the Utes.
"I thought everybody had a great mindset and went after it. Business as usual," Schroyer said. "Obviously, not having Afam has been talked about a lot, but there is a lot of season left, there's a lot of basketball to be played. This is a very gutty group."
As of Monday Schroyer hadn't settled on a starter for Muojeke, but said it would likely be between sophomore A.J. Davis or freshman Desmar Jackson.
"They have to really step up and give us good minutes, and I think both of those guys will," Schroyer said. "I think Ryan Dermody will play more and Daylen Harrison will get into the rotation. The biggest thing they have to understand is, it has to be a collective effort. It's not just one person, it has to be two or three guys."
About Utah
Utah is led by three players who are scoring in double figures. Junior guard Carlon Brown leads the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game and is followed by freshman guard Marshall Henderson (11.2 ppg) and senior guard Luka Drca (10.9 ppg). Senior forward Kim Tillie leads the Runnin’ Utes in rebounding with 6.1 per game and sophomore center David Foster leads the team and is tied for fourth in the nation with 4.4 blocks per game.
Schroyer said the Utes space the floor as well as anybody.
"I think their post guys are getting better and better," he said. "I think Carlon Brown is really good, especially in transition. I think Darca is really good because he can hit threes; he's so darn big and he can see over people. They are good. I also think they are very good defensively. They don't give up easy baskets. They are big and long and very active."
Wednesday’s game will not be televised, but can be heard on the radio through the 25-station Cowboy Sports Network beginning with a 6:30 p.m. pregame show.
UW-Utah series
The Wyoming-Utah series dates back to Jan. 23, 1925, when Wyoming defeated Utah 31-29 in Salt Lake City. This week’s meeting will be the 167th meeting in basketball, with Wyoming trailing 74-92. In Laramie, the Pokes have posted a record of 48-32.
The recent series has been dominated by the home teams. Wyoming has won 10 of the last 14 meetings in Laramie. Utah has won 12 of the last 14 games in Salt Lake City.
Rankings
The Cowboys currently rank second in the nation in made free throws and fifth in attempts. Through their first 19 games of 2009-10, the Pokes have made 409 of 570 free throws, which is 71.8 percent. Last season, Wyoming led the nation in makes and ranked second in attempts.
In this week’s NCAA statistics, the Wyoming Cowboys are ranked No. 11 in the nation with 9.7 steals per game. That average is also the best in the Mountain West Conference.
Wyoming Sports.org
The Wyoming Cowboys A-A (After Afam) season begins Wednesday night in the A-A (Arena-Auditorium), when the Cowboys host Utah at 7 p.m.
Afam Muojeke, last year's Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, was second in the league in scoring at 17.9 points a game before seeing his season come to an end last Wednesday against BYU. Muojeke ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee.
After dropping their last three Mountain West Conference games, the Cowboys will enter Wednesday with an 8-11 overall record and a 1-4 conference mark. Utah is currently 10-9 overall and 3-2 in league games.
The Cowboys are returning to action after having this past weekend off, which was their first off weekend since taking a six-day break during the Christmas holiday.
Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer thought things went "fine" in the first practices in preparation for the Utes.
"I thought everybody had a great mindset and went after it. Business as usual," Schroyer said. "Obviously, not having Afam has been talked about a lot, but there is a lot of season left, there's a lot of basketball to be played. This is a very gutty group."
As of Monday Schroyer hadn't settled on a starter for Muojeke, but said it would likely be between sophomore A.J. Davis or freshman Desmar Jackson.
"They have to really step up and give us good minutes, and I think both of those guys will," Schroyer said. "I think Ryan Dermody will play more and Daylen Harrison will get into the rotation. The biggest thing they have to understand is, it has to be a collective effort. It's not just one person, it has to be two or three guys."
About Utah
Utah is led by three players who are scoring in double figures. Junior guard Carlon Brown leads the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game and is followed by freshman guard Marshall Henderson (11.2 ppg) and senior guard Luka Drca (10.9 ppg). Senior forward Kim Tillie leads the Runnin’ Utes in rebounding with 6.1 per game and sophomore center David Foster leads the team and is tied for fourth in the nation with 4.4 blocks per game.
Schroyer said the Utes space the floor as well as anybody.
"I think their post guys are getting better and better," he said. "I think Carlon Brown is really good, especially in transition. I think Darca is really good because he can hit threes; he's so darn big and he can see over people. They are good. I also think they are very good defensively. They don't give up easy baskets. They are big and long and very active."
Wednesday’s game will not be televised, but can be heard on the radio through the 25-station Cowboy Sports Network beginning with a 6:30 p.m. pregame show.
UW-Utah series
The Wyoming-Utah series dates back to Jan. 23, 1925, when Wyoming defeated Utah 31-29 in Salt Lake City. This week’s meeting will be the 167th meeting in basketball, with Wyoming trailing 74-92. In Laramie, the Pokes have posted a record of 48-32.
The recent series has been dominated by the home teams. Wyoming has won 10 of the last 14 meetings in Laramie. Utah has won 12 of the last 14 games in Salt Lake City.
Rankings
The Cowboys currently rank second in the nation in made free throws and fifth in attempts. Through their first 19 games of 2009-10, the Pokes have made 409 of 570 free throws, which is 71.8 percent. Last season, Wyoming led the nation in makes and ranked second in attempts.
In this week’s NCAA statistics, the Wyoming Cowboys are ranked No. 11 in the nation with 9.7 steals per game. That average is also the best in the Mountain West Conference.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Muojeke out for the rest of season
UW sophomore Afam Muojeke will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
When it rains, it pours for the Wyoming Cowboys, even in the middle of January.
The Cowboys lost their leading scorer, sophomore wing Afam Muojeke, for the season after he ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee in the first half of UW’s game at BYU on Wednesday night.
Muojeke is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday.
“First and foremost, I feel really bad for Afam,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “In the last couple of games, especially against San Diego State and TCU. He was getting his offensive flow back.”
Muojeke was averaging 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.7 steals a game entering the BYU game. He ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in scoring and fourth in steals. He had scored 15 or more points in 13 of 15 games prior to the injury.
Last season, Muojeke was selected as the MWC’s Freshman of the Year. With 454 points, he broke the conference’s all-time scoring record for freshmen. He was also selected as an Honorable Mention All-Freshman by Collegehoops.net.
Muojeke has scored in double figures in 71.4 percent of his career games (35 of 49 games). He has scored 20 or more points 11 times.
Muojeke injured his knee when he was chasing BYU’s Tyler Haws, as Haws was going in for a layup. He played just eight minutes and did not score.
“As far as I now, it happened when he planted,” Schroyer said.
It was pretty obviously, especially to those who watched the game and the Cowboys themselves, that the injury was serious. A MRI conformed that Thursday afternoon.
“I think everyone knew from Wednesday that he was going to be out for a while,” Schroyer said. “This is a very resilient group. I really like this group, they are young and they have some spunk to them. It said a lot when Afam was on crutches in the last 10 minutes of the first half and we went out after halftime and competed hard.”
The Cowboys hung tough with the No. 13/14 Cougars for much of the first half and trailed by just five points early in the second half, before BYU used a 12-0 run to pull away for the 81-66 win.
Because Muojeke had previously played in 15 games -- he injured his knee early in the season against Denver and missed three games -- Schroyer said a redshirt year was pretty much out of the question.
“We expect full recovery, and he will be ready to go to start next year,” Schroyer said.
It’s been a tough year for the young Cowboys, who were coming off a 19-win season last year. Wyoming opened the season with disappointing loses to South Dakota State, Denver, Hampton and Monmouth, fighting off previous injuries to Muojeke, sophomore post Adam Waddell and sophomore point guard JayDee Luster.
The Cowboys, 8-11 overall, have started league play 1-4, with a three-point loss at TCU and a two-point loss at home to New Mexico.
“I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason,” Schroyer said. “Sometimes you don’t understand that reason, but we’ll be better from it as a basketball team and move forward as a basketball program. Those things are a part of sports. There’s no question that it has rained a few times here.”
Without the scoring and leadership of Muojeke, the Cowboys will need several players stepping up. Schroyer looks for sophomore A.J. Davis and freshmen Desmar Jackson and Daylen Harrison to see added minutes on the floor.
“If you look at the forest among the trees, it is a chance for a lot of these young guys to get valuable experience and get thrown into the fire, and that‘s a good thing,” Schroyer said. “It is tough for Afam and I feel horrible for him. He was a leader in a lot of ways on the basketball court. We’ll just circle the wagons and rally the troops and win basketball games.”
“Schroyer said that at this time of the season, there will be no major overhaul offensively or defensively.
“You can tweak some things and make some adjustments,” he said. “Our job is to go out and prepare and try to win some basketball games and that’s what we’ll do.”
It will be a challenge for the Wyoming coaching staff, to say the least.
“This is a very resilient group and there is a lot of character on this team,” Schroyer added. “When times like this come, they have to rally around it. Obviously, injuries are a part of sports. It is our job to move forward as coaches and players and make sure that Afam gets the best medical treatment and he rehabs his butt off.”
While it is the same knee that Muojeke injured earlier (tendinitis), Schroyer doesn’t think it played a part in the Wednesday’s injury.
“The only thing is, it is just the same knee,” he said.
Schroyer said he feels that Muojeke is handling the situation as well as expected.
“Obviously, he is doing as good as you can under the circumstances,” Schroyer said. “He looked me in the eye and said, ‘Coach, let’s get this done. I’m going to rehab my butt off and be ready to go and be better than ever next year.’”
The Cowboys don’t return to action until Wednesday when they host Utah.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Cougars too tough in win over Wyoming
UW-BYU boxscore
PROVO, Utah -- Wyoming did a decent job on Jimmer Fredette, the Mountain West Conference’s leading scorer, but saw freshman Tyler Haws go off for a career-high 24 points, as No. 13/14 BYU stopped the Cowboys 81-66 Wednesday night in the Marriott Center.
It was the 14th straight win for BYU and the 10th straight win against the Cowboys. The Cougars are 19-1 for the first time since opening the 1987-88 season 20-1.
Jackson Emery scored 15 points and Fredette added 11 points for BYU (4-0 Mountain West). Fredette went into the game leading the MWC at 19.7 points a game.
Adam Waddell had 15 points to lead Wyoming (8-11, 1-4), which has lost three straight. Arthur Bouedo added 13 points for the Cowboys. Wyoming’s leading scorer, Afam Muojeke (17.9 ppg), went down with a knee injury early in the game and he did not return. The extent of Muojeke’s injury is not known at this time.
“I thought we played pretty well tonight," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "I was really proud of our guys; tonight wasn’t a let down. We had a hard time attacking the zone in the second half and couldn’t get any balls to go in.”
BYU forced 17 turnovers, out-rebounded Wyoming 40-33 and tied the second-longest winning streak in school history -- three short of the record, also set in 1987-88.
“I was really pleased with our team tonight," BYU coach Dave Rose tonight. "Wyoming did a good job of taking us out of what we normally like to do, but we made some adjustments that helped us. Our zone was good and we rebounded well, so I’m happy with our performance and ready to move onto what’s next."
The Cougars led by eight at halftime, then ran off 12 straight early in the second half and led by double figures the rest of the way.
The Cowboys, one of the top free throw shooting teams in the country, continued to struggle, making just 14 of 26 attempts.
“We shot ourselves in the foot with our missed free throws," Schroyer said.
Haws, who had scored 20 points twice this season for his previous career high, hit 8 off from the field and 4 of 5 3-pointers.
“I think he is going to be the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year with the way he is playing," Schroyer said. "He is a very underrated rebounder and he can constantly knock down the threes. He reminds me a lot of Travis Hansen.”
BYU opened the second half on a 15-5 run, holding the Cowboys to two field goals in the first seven minutes. The Cowboys struggled to get shots and missed the few they got as BYU scored 12 straight, starting with a 3-pointer by Haws early in the half.
JayDee Luster got Wyoming back within 64-54 on a layup with 7:30 left and had a chance to cut the margin to single digits but missed the foul shot. The Cougars survived the rally and quickly put the game away.
“I think this is the best team I have seen in a long time," Schroyer said of BYU. "They are very unselfish and play with a lot of team unity. They are a very good basketball team. I think they have the potential to make it through the first few rounds of the NCAA Tournament this year.”
Wyoming will now have a few days off before returning to action on Jan. 27 at home against Utah.
PROVO, Utah -- Wyoming did a decent job on Jimmer Fredette, the Mountain West Conference’s leading scorer, but saw freshman Tyler Haws go off for a career-high 24 points, as No. 13/14 BYU stopped the Cowboys 81-66 Wednesday night in the Marriott Center.
It was the 14th straight win for BYU and the 10th straight win against the Cowboys. The Cougars are 19-1 for the first time since opening the 1987-88 season 20-1.
Jackson Emery scored 15 points and Fredette added 11 points for BYU (4-0 Mountain West). Fredette went into the game leading the MWC at 19.7 points a game.
Adam Waddell had 15 points to lead Wyoming (8-11, 1-4), which has lost three straight. Arthur Bouedo added 13 points for the Cowboys. Wyoming’s leading scorer, Afam Muojeke (17.9 ppg), went down with a knee injury early in the game and he did not return. The extent of Muojeke’s injury is not known at this time.
“I thought we played pretty well tonight," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "I was really proud of our guys; tonight wasn’t a let down. We had a hard time attacking the zone in the second half and couldn’t get any balls to go in.”
BYU forced 17 turnovers, out-rebounded Wyoming 40-33 and tied the second-longest winning streak in school history -- three short of the record, also set in 1987-88.
“I was really pleased with our team tonight," BYU coach Dave Rose tonight. "Wyoming did a good job of taking us out of what we normally like to do, but we made some adjustments that helped us. Our zone was good and we rebounded well, so I’m happy with our performance and ready to move onto what’s next."
The Cougars led by eight at halftime, then ran off 12 straight early in the second half and led by double figures the rest of the way.
The Cowboys, one of the top free throw shooting teams in the country, continued to struggle, making just 14 of 26 attempts.
“We shot ourselves in the foot with our missed free throws," Schroyer said.
Haws, who had scored 20 points twice this season for his previous career high, hit 8 off from the field and 4 of 5 3-pointers.
“I think he is going to be the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year with the way he is playing," Schroyer said. "He is a very underrated rebounder and he can constantly knock down the threes. He reminds me a lot of Travis Hansen.”
BYU opened the second half on a 15-5 run, holding the Cowboys to two field goals in the first seven minutes. The Cowboys struggled to get shots and missed the few they got as BYU scored 12 straight, starting with a 3-pointer by Haws early in the half.
JayDee Luster got Wyoming back within 64-54 on a layup with 7:30 left and had a chance to cut the margin to single digits but missed the foul shot. The Cougars survived the rally and quickly put the game away.
“I think this is the best team I have seen in a long time," Schroyer said of BYU. "They are very unselfish and play with a lot of team unity. They are a very good basketball team. I think they have the potential to make it through the first few rounds of the NCAA Tournament this year.”
Wyoming will now have a few days off before returning to action on Jan. 27 at home against Utah.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Cowboys have tall task at BYU
The Wyoming Cowboys hit the road Wednesday night, as they travel to Provo, Utah, to take on No. 14/13 ranked BYU. The game will begin at 6 p.m. from BYU’s Marriott Center, where the Cougars have won 16 consecutive home games.
Wednesday’s game will be televised by The Mtn. with Tim Neverett doing play-by-play and Joe Cravens providing color commentary. The game can also be heard via radio on the 25-station Cowboy Sports Network.
The Cowboys (8-10 overall, 1-3 in the Mountain West Conference) will be looking to snap a two-game skid. After posting a 17-point comeback win over San Diego State on Jan. 9, the Pokes have dropped two straight to TCU and New Mexico.
In MWC games, Wyoming is led by Afam Muojeke and his 18.8 points per game average. Adam Waddell is also playing very well and is averaging 12.5 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. UW’s point guard, JayDee Luster, has increased his scoring average to 10.3 ppg and his assist average to 5.8 apg.
BYU (18-1, 3-0 in the MWC) is currently riding a 13-game winning streak that dates back to their only loss of the season at Utah State on Dec. 2. This week, the Cougars reached their highest national rankings of the season and are currently No. 14 in the AP Poll and No. 13 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Those mark their highest national rankings since the 1987-88 season.
BYU is led by junior guard Jimmer Fredette, who is leading the MWC with 19.9 points a game. Three other Cougars are scoring in double figures including junior guard Jackson Emery (12.9), freshman guard Tyler Haws (11.5) and senior forward Jonathan Tavernari (10.3). BYU is coached by Dave Rose, who has posted a 115-35 (.641) record in his five years with the Cougars.
Wyoming, BYU series
The Wyoming-BYU series is a long and rich one. The two schools first played each other in basketball on Dec. 16, 1929, in Provo. This season marks the 81st anniversary of that first meeting.
Wednesday’s meeting will be the 171st meeting in basketball, with Wyoming trailing in the series 69-101. In games played in Provo, BYU leads 65-14. The last time the Cowboys won in Provo was during the 2004-05 season.
Stealing the ball
In this week’s NCAA statistics, the Wyoming Cowboys are ranked No. 13 in the nation with 9.8 steals per game. That average is the best in the Mountain West Conference.
Muojeke second in scoring in MWC
Afam Muojeke is currently ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in scoring with a 17.9 points per game average.
Double figures
Thus far this season, nine different Cowboys have scored in double-figures -- Muojeke (13), Waddell (9), A.J. Davis (8), Djibril Thiam (8), Desmar Jackson (7), Ryan Dermody (3), Luster (2), Arthur Bouedo (1) and Daylen Harrison (1).
Up Next
The Cowboys will not return to action until Jan. 27 when they host Utah. The Pokes and Utes will tip off at 7 p.m. on in the Arena-Auditorium. This coming weekend will be UW’s first one off since taking six days off during the Christmas Holiday.
Wednesday’s game will be televised by The Mtn. with Tim Neverett doing play-by-play and Joe Cravens providing color commentary. The game can also be heard via radio on the 25-station Cowboy Sports Network.
The Cowboys (8-10 overall, 1-3 in the Mountain West Conference) will be looking to snap a two-game skid. After posting a 17-point comeback win over San Diego State on Jan. 9, the Pokes have dropped two straight to TCU and New Mexico.
In MWC games, Wyoming is led by Afam Muojeke and his 18.8 points per game average. Adam Waddell is also playing very well and is averaging 12.5 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. UW’s point guard, JayDee Luster, has increased his scoring average to 10.3 ppg and his assist average to 5.8 apg.
BYU (18-1, 3-0 in the MWC) is currently riding a 13-game winning streak that dates back to their only loss of the season at Utah State on Dec. 2. This week, the Cougars reached their highest national rankings of the season and are currently No. 14 in the AP Poll and No. 13 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Those mark their highest national rankings since the 1987-88 season.
BYU is led by junior guard Jimmer Fredette, who is leading the MWC with 19.9 points a game. Three other Cougars are scoring in double figures including junior guard Jackson Emery (12.9), freshman guard Tyler Haws (11.5) and senior forward Jonathan Tavernari (10.3). BYU is coached by Dave Rose, who has posted a 115-35 (.641) record in his five years with the Cougars.
Wyoming, BYU series
The Wyoming-BYU series is a long and rich one. The two schools first played each other in basketball on Dec. 16, 1929, in Provo. This season marks the 81st anniversary of that first meeting.
Wednesday’s meeting will be the 171st meeting in basketball, with Wyoming trailing in the series 69-101. In games played in Provo, BYU leads 65-14. The last time the Cowboys won in Provo was during the 2004-05 season.
Stealing the ball
In this week’s NCAA statistics, the Wyoming Cowboys are ranked No. 13 in the nation with 9.8 steals per game. That average is the best in the Mountain West Conference.
Muojeke second in scoring in MWC
Afam Muojeke is currently ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in scoring with a 17.9 points per game average.
Double figures
Thus far this season, nine different Cowboys have scored in double-figures -- Muojeke (13), Waddell (9), A.J. Davis (8), Djibril Thiam (8), Desmar Jackson (7), Ryan Dermody (3), Luster (2), Arthur Bouedo (1) and Daylen Harrison (1).
Up Next
The Cowboys will not return to action until Jan. 27 when they host Utah. The Pokes and Utes will tip off at 7 p.m. on in the Arena-Auditorium. This coming weekend will be UW’s first one off since taking six days off during the Christmas Holiday.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Three possessions doom Cowboys
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
A final one-possession game was decided by three possessions that went the New Mexico Lobos way on Saturday.
With the scored tied at 58-each with about four minutes remaining, the Cowboys turned the ball over three straight times. The Lobos scored each time and then held on to stop Wyoming 70-68 in the Arena-Auditorium.
“You have some guys who were in situations they had never been before,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “Those turnovers back-to-back … and we got to the line coming down the stretch and we weren't able to capitalize.”
The Cowboys, one of the nation's leading teams in free throws made and attempted, were just 11 of 19 from the free-throw line, missing four free throws in the final three minutes. Wyoming also had 23 turnovers in the game and New Mexico scored 20 points off of those miscues.
“I thought we played well enough to win,” Schroyer said. “I thought we shot ourselves in the foot at times, but you have to give New Mexico a lot of credit, they are very good. A couple of key turnovers here and there, and obviously some missed free throws, and that was the difference.”
A.J. Hardeman scored a career-high 18 points for New Mexico (2-2 MWC, 16-3).
“I thought it was two really young basketball teams fighting like crazy for a win,” New Mexico coach Steve Alford said. “I thought we did a good job keeping them off of the line … keeping them off the line was a big key.”
Afam Muojeke led the Cowboys (1-3, 8-10) with 16 points.
Hardeman was 7 of 10 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. He also took two big charging fouls on defense.
“He has been so consistent, and I thought there was a game where he was going to explode a little bit, and tonight was the one,” Alford said.
Phillip McDonald and Darrington Hobson both scored 15 points for New Mexico.
Wyoming still had a chance in the final minute of the game, trailing by three and in possession of the basketball, but Muojeke was called for the offensive foul on the fastbreak. The Lobos hit four free throws in the final 30 seconds to clinch the win.
Alford, whose team was ranked 15th in the country last week before dropping its first two league games, said his young team has done a good job of finding ways to win.
"We didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but they (Wyoming) did a nice job with their pressure defense," Alford said. "Any time you can come on the road and score 70 and get a win, you have to be pleased."
Adam Waddell and Djibril Thiam both scored 11 points for Wyoming.
Wyoming Sports.org
A final one-possession game was decided by three possessions that went the New Mexico Lobos way on Saturday.
With the scored tied at 58-each with about four minutes remaining, the Cowboys turned the ball over three straight times. The Lobos scored each time and then held on to stop Wyoming 70-68 in the Arena-Auditorium.
“You have some guys who were in situations they had never been before,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “Those turnovers back-to-back … and we got to the line coming down the stretch and we weren't able to capitalize.”
The Cowboys, one of the nation's leading teams in free throws made and attempted, were just 11 of 19 from the free-throw line, missing four free throws in the final three minutes. Wyoming also had 23 turnovers in the game and New Mexico scored 20 points off of those miscues.
“I thought we played well enough to win,” Schroyer said. “I thought we shot ourselves in the foot at times, but you have to give New Mexico a lot of credit, they are very good. A couple of key turnovers here and there, and obviously some missed free throws, and that was the difference.”
A.J. Hardeman scored a career-high 18 points for New Mexico (2-2 MWC, 16-3).
“I thought it was two really young basketball teams fighting like crazy for a win,” New Mexico coach Steve Alford said. “I thought we did a good job keeping them off of the line … keeping them off the line was a big key.”
Afam Muojeke led the Cowboys (1-3, 8-10) with 16 points.
Hardeman was 7 of 10 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. He also took two big charging fouls on defense.
“He has been so consistent, and I thought there was a game where he was going to explode a little bit, and tonight was the one,” Alford said.
Phillip McDonald and Darrington Hobson both scored 15 points for New Mexico.
Wyoming still had a chance in the final minute of the game, trailing by three and in possession of the basketball, but Muojeke was called for the offensive foul on the fastbreak. The Lobos hit four free throws in the final 30 seconds to clinch the win.
Alford, whose team was ranked 15th in the country last week before dropping its first two league games, said his young team has done a good job of finding ways to win.
"We didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but they (Wyoming) did a nice job with their pressure defense," Alford said. "Any time you can come on the road and score 70 and get a win, you have to be pleased."
Adam Waddell and Djibril Thiam both scored 11 points for Wyoming.
Friday, January 15, 2010
UW basketball faces New Mexico
The Wyoming Cowboys (8-9 overall, 1-2 MWC) return to action Saturday at 1:30 p.m. when they host New Mexico at the Arena-Auditorium.
The Cowboys are coming off a tough road loss to TCU last Tuesday. After trailing by as many as 14 in the first half, the Cowboys rallied to take the lead late in the second half. However, TCU held on for a 62-59 win.
New Mexico, which has been ranked as high as No. 13/12 in the nation this season, enters Saturday with a 15-3 overall record. After dropping two straight games to open MWC play, the Lobos picked up their first league win this past Wednesday at home over Utah (74-57). They are currently 1-2 in league play and are receiving votes in both national polls.
The Wyoming-New Mexico series dates back to Dec. 18, 1950. Since then, the two teams have played 119 times, with Wyoming leading 63-56.
Wyoming has won 12 of the last 21 overall meetings and 10 of the last 12 meetings in Laramie. The Cowboys had won 10 consecutive meetings in Laramie before New Mexico defeated the Pokes, 99-92 in double overtime, on Jan. 5, 2008. New Mexico then won it's second consecutive game in Laramie last March, 74-73.
The Cowboys and Lobos are two of the best free-throw shooting teams in the nation. In fact, the Pokes lead the nation in makes and rank second in attempts (384 of 525, 73.1 percent). New Mexico ranks No. 4 in the nation in both categories (342 of 510, 67.1 percent). Three Cowboys currently rank among the top-10 free-throw shooters in the MWC--Afam Muojeke (.837), A.J. Davis (.816) and Djibril Thiam (.786).
Muojeke is currently ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in scoring with an 18.1 points per game average. Through three MWC games, Muojeke is currently averaging 19.7 points per conference game.
Cowgirls at New Mexico
The Wyoming Cowgirls close out the week on the road as they take on the New Mexico Lobos Saturday at 2 p.m. in Albuquerque.
The Cowgirls, 11-4 overall, 2-1 in MWC, are coming off a thrilling 73-67 win over the 22nd-ranked TCU Lady Frogs on Wednesday. Three Cowgirls are scoring in double-figures, led by junior Hillary Carlson at 14.8 points and 2.1 blocks per game. She is followed by junior Aubrey Vandiver with 14.7 points and a team leading 9.4 rebounds, while Emma Langford is adding 11.9 points and 3.6 assists.
The Lobos (9-6, 2-1) are led by Amy Beggin, who is averaging 14.3 points per game, along with four rebounds. Jessica Kielpinski is leading the way with 5.5 rebounds, while adding 6.6 points per game.
The Lobos welcome back three starters and nine letterwinners to a team that went 25-11 overall and 9-7 in the MWC a year ago. This is the 58th meeting between the two teams. New Mexico leads the series 33-24. The last time the two teams met was March 7, 2009 as the Lobos defeated the Cowgirls 63-45 in Albuquerque. New Mexico is coached by Don Flanagan who is in his 15th season with the program.
The Cowboys are coming off a tough road loss to TCU last Tuesday. After trailing by as many as 14 in the first half, the Cowboys rallied to take the lead late in the second half. However, TCU held on for a 62-59 win.
New Mexico, which has been ranked as high as No. 13/12 in the nation this season, enters Saturday with a 15-3 overall record. After dropping two straight games to open MWC play, the Lobos picked up their first league win this past Wednesday at home over Utah (74-57). They are currently 1-2 in league play and are receiving votes in both national polls.
The Wyoming-New Mexico series dates back to Dec. 18, 1950. Since then, the two teams have played 119 times, with Wyoming leading 63-56.
Wyoming has won 12 of the last 21 overall meetings and 10 of the last 12 meetings in Laramie. The Cowboys had won 10 consecutive meetings in Laramie before New Mexico defeated the Pokes, 99-92 in double overtime, on Jan. 5, 2008. New Mexico then won it's second consecutive game in Laramie last March, 74-73.
The Cowboys and Lobos are two of the best free-throw shooting teams in the nation. In fact, the Pokes lead the nation in makes and rank second in attempts (384 of 525, 73.1 percent). New Mexico ranks No. 4 in the nation in both categories (342 of 510, 67.1 percent). Three Cowboys currently rank among the top-10 free-throw shooters in the MWC--Afam Muojeke (.837), A.J. Davis (.816) and Djibril Thiam (.786).
Muojeke is currently ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in scoring with an 18.1 points per game average. Through three MWC games, Muojeke is currently averaging 19.7 points per conference game.
Cowgirls at New Mexico
The Wyoming Cowgirls close out the week on the road as they take on the New Mexico Lobos Saturday at 2 p.m. in Albuquerque.
The Cowgirls, 11-4 overall, 2-1 in MWC, are coming off a thrilling 73-67 win over the 22nd-ranked TCU Lady Frogs on Wednesday. Three Cowgirls are scoring in double-figures, led by junior Hillary Carlson at 14.8 points and 2.1 blocks per game. She is followed by junior Aubrey Vandiver with 14.7 points and a team leading 9.4 rebounds, while Emma Langford is adding 11.9 points and 3.6 assists.
The Lobos (9-6, 2-1) are led by Amy Beggin, who is averaging 14.3 points per game, along with four rebounds. Jessica Kielpinski is leading the way with 5.5 rebounds, while adding 6.6 points per game.
The Lobos welcome back three starters and nine letterwinners to a team that went 25-11 overall and 9-7 in the MWC a year ago. This is the 58th meeting between the two teams. New Mexico leads the series 33-24. The last time the two teams met was March 7, 2009 as the Lobos defeated the Cowgirls 63-45 in Albuquerque. New Mexico is coached by Don Flanagan who is in his 15th season with the program.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
TCU holds off Cowboys
UW-TCU statistics
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Wyoming Cowboys came up a bit short in their bid for an important Mountain West Conference rod victory, falling to TCU 62-59 Tuesday night in the Danuiel-Meyer Coliseum.
The inconsistent Cowboys were again that against the Horned Frogs, trailing by as much as 14 points in the first half and leading by two points with 5:38 to play.
The loss dropped Wyoming to 1-2 in league play and 8-9 overall. TCU moved to 2-1 and 9-8.
Looking to bring some momentum off of Saturday’s upset of San Diego State, the Cowboys came out flat as TCU scored the first nine points of the game. The Horned Frogs led 27-13 before Wyoming chipped away and cut the lead to 36-30 at halftime.
The two teams then traded leads six times, with the Cowboys up for the final time at 52-50. The Horned Frogs responded with six straight, but Wyoming cut the lead back to one on a three-point play by Afam Muojeke with 35 seconds left.
But Kevin Butler made a pair of free throws with 30 seconds to go, and Wyoming missed three chances to score before time ran out.
Back in the starting lineup, Muojeke led the Cowboys with 24 points, followed by sophomore Adam Waddell’s 15 points and eight rebounds.
Edvinas Ruzgas scored 22 points for the Horned Frogs, Ronnie Moss adding 14. Also for TCU, Zvonko Buljan had 12 rebounds and Butler scored 10 points.
The Cowboys actually out-shot TCU from the field (39 percent to 36) and out-rebounded the Horned Frogs 41-37, but Wyoming committed 14 turnovers leading to 20 TCU points.
The Cowboys return to action Saturday when they host New Mexico at 1:30 p.m.
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Wyoming Cowboys came up a bit short in their bid for an important Mountain West Conference rod victory, falling to TCU 62-59 Tuesday night in the Danuiel-Meyer Coliseum.
The inconsistent Cowboys were again that against the Horned Frogs, trailing by as much as 14 points in the first half and leading by two points with 5:38 to play.
The loss dropped Wyoming to 1-2 in league play and 8-9 overall. TCU moved to 2-1 and 9-8.
Looking to bring some momentum off of Saturday’s upset of San Diego State, the Cowboys came out flat as TCU scored the first nine points of the game. The Horned Frogs led 27-13 before Wyoming chipped away and cut the lead to 36-30 at halftime.
The two teams then traded leads six times, with the Cowboys up for the final time at 52-50. The Horned Frogs responded with six straight, but Wyoming cut the lead back to one on a three-point play by Afam Muojeke with 35 seconds left.
But Kevin Butler made a pair of free throws with 30 seconds to go, and Wyoming missed three chances to score before time ran out.
Back in the starting lineup, Muojeke led the Cowboys with 24 points, followed by sophomore Adam Waddell’s 15 points and eight rebounds.
Edvinas Ruzgas scored 22 points for the Horned Frogs, Ronnie Moss adding 14. Also for TCU, Zvonko Buljan had 12 rebounds and Butler scored 10 points.
The Cowboys actually out-shot TCU from the field (39 percent to 36) and out-rebounded the Horned Frogs 41-37, but Wyoming committed 14 turnovers leading to 20 TCU points.
The Cowboys return to action Saturday when they host New Mexico at 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Cowboys rally past Aztecs
Richard Anderson photo
Wyoming sophomore Adam Waddell, 15, celebrates with teammates Daylen Harrison and Rob Watsabaugh Saturday after the Cowboys knocked off San Diego State 85-83.
UW-SDSU statistics
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
After Wednesday's disappointing effort and 10-point loss to arch-rival Colorado State, the Wyoming Cowboys talked the talk.
They were embarrassed and admitted that they didn't give the ultimate effort; they apparently didn't want it as much as the Rams. They said that had to change.
On Saturday, the Cowboys walked the walk and played to the final buzzer, upsetting San Diego State 85-83.
“The team you saw open conference was not us at all,” said Wyoming sophomore Afam Muojeke, who scored a game-high 30 points “It took some time, I guess. Everybody is starting to click, everybody is starting to get it. It's rolling now.”
The Cowboys (1-1 MWC, 8-8) trailed by 14 points with 4:50 to play, before full-court pressure and big 3-pointers stung the Aztecs in the end.
“Obviously, this was what the doctor ordered,” said Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer. “San Diego State is a really good team; they are really well coached. This was a really big win for this program.”
Inconsistency has been the story of the Cowboys' season. When they're good, they are very good. When they're not, the results speak for themselves. There is apparently no in-between for the Pokes.
The Cowboys are good when they give the ultimate effort and pressure their opponent. Saturday, they forced 15 turnovers in the second half and the points game back in bunches.
“That's our identity; that's us, that is what we do,” Muojeke said. “When we don't, we're not going to be very successful. If we bring it every night, it will change our game.”
Those 19 total turnovers led to 32 points.
“It was a matter of us just fighting and efforting, pressuring,” Cowboy sophomore guard JayDee Luster said. “It was just a matter of us doing what we do.”
“Most teams don't expect me to shoot the ball, and I am capable of shooting the ball and making the shots,” Luster said. “But my teammates and my coaches have been telling me all year to keep shooting; they believe in.”
The Aztecs (1-1, 12-4) seemed to have the game in control, leading 45-31 at halftime, but the Cowboys began to chip away with steals off of the press. Luster and Arthur Bouedo hit 3-pointers to give Wyoming an 82-81 lead with 39 seconds left.
After Kawhi Leonard hit one free throw to tie the game at 82-each with 29 seconds left, Luster's 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds left proved to be the game-winner. San Diego State's D.J. Gay hit one free throw with 2.1 seconds left, but after missing the second attempt, the rebound wasn't controlled and time ran out.
“We played as well as we could and handled the ball well under stress in the first half, but about as bad as you can play during multiple stretches in the second half,” San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said. “We had 15 or 16 second-half turnovers, and you can't win when you do that.”
Luster said it is all about playing as a team, playing in the Arena-Auditorium.
“Playing 7200 feet is a big advantage for us,” Luster said. “We have to pressure the ball for 40 minutes and get into people the entire time.”
On Wednesday, the Cowboys kept the press up for 40 minutes, but the pressure wasn't there and the Rams handled it. On Saturday, the Aztecs couldn't handle it.
“That is our purpose to do that,” Buoedo said. “We play and practice every day at 7200 feet. If we go hard, nobody can run with us. We have to do it for 40 minutes.”
“It shows that if we execute what the coaches want us to do, we can play with anybody. But we have to play like this for 40 minutes.”
One steal led to another, which led to layups, dunks and 3-pointers.
“Everybody just fed off of each other and it just flowed,” Muojeke said.
Leonard scored a career-high 25 points for San Diego State, followed by Chase Tapley with 17 and Malcolm Thomas with 14.
Luster scored a career-high 14 points for the Cowboys, who shot 58 percent from the field in the second half. Wyoming hit 7 of 11 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes, six in the final minutes.
“Obviously, we made big shots down the stretch. But our defense is what did it,” Schroyer said. “I think we caused them problems with our pressure; we stayed with it. Over the course of 40 minutes, the last four or five minutes, it took it's toll. That was the difference.”
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Rams roll past listless Cowboys
Richard Anderson photo
Wyoming's JayDee Luster looks to make a move against Colorado State on Wednesday.
UW-CSU statistics
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Wyoming head coach Heath Schroyer could only describe his team's 83-73 loss to rival Colorado State on Wednesday night one way: they were out-toughed.
In fact, Schroyer said his team was out-toughed in some form on six occasions in the post-game interview.
Despite shooting 53 percent from the field in the second half; despite hitting 10 3-pointers; despite getting career-highs in scoring from Adam Waddell, Arthur Bouedo and JayDee Luster, the Cowboys were woefully out-hustled on the boards and couldn't make key stops.
That all happened in the conference opener against their biggest rival because they were ... yes, out-toughed.
“Hats off to CSU, they played very well,” Schroyer said. “We were out-toughed and out-executed. I give them a lot of credit, they played very well.”
The Rams shot 50 percent from the field, 60 percent in the second half and out-rebounded the Cowboys 40-33, including 15 offensive rebounds that led to a 23 second-chance points. Wyoming also had 15 offensive rebounds, but just 14 second-chance points. Colorado State also had two more turnovers in the game, but scored 20 points off of Wyoming turnovers, to seven for the Cowboys.
“They took advantage of their opportunities, but we have to rebound and we can’t give them those opportunities for them to capitalize on,” Waddell said. “When we do have opportunities, we need to get the ball moving and capitalize on those opportunities.”
After struggling offensively in the first half, the Cowboys scored 46 points in the second half, shooting 53 percent from the field. It wasn't enough.
"We scored enough points to win -- that wasn't the problem," Schroyer said. "We made more threes tonight than we had all season and we shot 53 percent in the second half. But we couldn't get a stop when we needed one and we couldn't get a rebound when we needed one.
"At the end of the day, we got out-toughed and out-executed. It really pisses me off, but that is the truth."
Wyoming sophomore JayDee Luster said the loss was disappointing to him because he felt like it was all effort.
“It was like they wanted to win more than we did," Luster said. "That’s why they came out with the victory. It’s the little stuff, like rebounding. In rebounding, it is just a matter if you want to go get the rebound.”
So why did the Cowboys come out flat in the Border War? Luster said there's no good explanation.
“It’s against your conference rival, which is just down the street," he said. "I thought the coaches had a great game plan. We just didn’t come out and execute it.”
It was the first conference-opening win for the Rams since the 2003 season.
“They are all big, it counts as one,” Colorado State coach Tim Miles said. “Now we have to worry about Air Force. But I am proud of our players, they did a good job. This is a good win; all of these rivalry-type wins are.”
Andy Ogide scored 22 points as Colorado State 16 from the field and 6 of 8 in the second half.
“I thought Andy did a good job of getting the ball in a spot to where he could score. He stayed patient and didn't rush himself,” Miles said.
The Rams (1-0 MWC, 10-5) led the entire way and used strong outside shooting to hold off a late Wyoming charge.
The Cowboys (0-1 MWC, 7-8) got back in the game on a couple of 3-pointers by Bouedo, cutting the Colorado State lead to three with 4:30 to play, but the Rams responded with 3-pointers from Adam Nigon and Dorian Green and outscored Wyoming 15-8 down the stretch.
“We can’t trade baskets like we did. We played from behind a times this season, but in league play, it’s tough,” Wyoming sophomore Adam Waddell said. “The league is open, so you can’t do that in league.”
Nigon finished with 16 points for Colorado State, followed by Green with 15 and Travis Franklin with 10.
Waddell led Wyoming with 18 points, followed by Bouedo with 15 and Luster with 13. Bouedo was playing his first game of his career, after redshirting last season and sitting out the first 14 games this season because of NCAA rules on amateurism.
Wyoming's leading scorers, Afam Muojeke (17.6 ppg) and A.J. Davis (13.2 ppg), were held to just five and seven points respectively.
"I hope our guys realize after this loss the level of intensity they have to bring every night in conference play, and I would hope that some leadership is displayed in practice this week as we prepare for San Diego State on Saturday,' Schroyer said.
The Cowboys will host the Aztecs Saturday at 4 p.m.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Cowboys to open MWC with CSU
The Wyoming Cowboys will look to take the momentum of opening Mountain West Conference play with three of the first four games at home, when they host rival Colorado State Wednesday night (6 p.m.) in the Arena-Auditorium.
The game will be televised live by The Mtn.
“It’s always nice to open at home, but to open against our rival is big," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "We need the arena to be rocking on Wednesday night. We hope our fans will come out again on Wednesday -- we need them."
The Cowboys enter MWC play after posting a 7-7 non-conference record. The Rams went 9-5 in non-conference play.
Two statistics jump out for the Cowboys thus far including free throws and steals. The Pokes currently lead the nation in made free throws (336) and rank second in attempts (454). They also rank 10th in the NCAA in steals per game with 10.6.
The Cowboys have been led by sophomore Afam Muojeke, who is the second leading scorer in the MWC with 17.6 points per game. He has scored at least 15 points in six straight games and has now reached double-figure scoring totals 32 times in his career.
Sophomore A.J. Davis looks to stay hot for the Cowboys. Last week, he scored 18 points against Akron and a career high 26 against Adams State. Davis currently ranks No. 2 in the MWC and No. 46 in the NCAA with 2.2 steals per game.
The Pokes will also receive a nice boost this Wednesday as sophomore guard Arthur Bouedo will be eligible. Bouedo missed the first 14 games of the season due to an NCAA ruling on his amateurism.
In looking at Colorado State, the Rams’ lineup features three players who are scoring in double figures. They are led by freshman guard Dorian Green who is averaging 13.7 points, as well as a team high 2.4 assists per game. Junior forwards Travis Frankin and Andy Ogide are respectively averaging 11.9 and 11.4 points a game. The Rams are coached by Tim Miles, who is in his third season.
This will mark the 212th meeting between Wyoming and Colorado State on the basketball floor. It is the longest series for both teams, with Wyoming holding a 127-84 advantage. The Cowboys have had a great deal of recent success, winning four of the last five meetings. In games played in Laramie, the Cowboys are 76-37.
Following Wednesday’s game, the Cowboys will close out their current four-game homestand by hosting San Diego State on Saturday. The Aztecs and Cowboys will tip off at 4 p.m. in a game televised by The Mtn.
The game will be televised live by The Mtn.
“It’s always nice to open at home, but to open against our rival is big," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "We need the arena to be rocking on Wednesday night. We hope our fans will come out again on Wednesday -- we need them."
The Cowboys enter MWC play after posting a 7-7 non-conference record. The Rams went 9-5 in non-conference play.
Two statistics jump out for the Cowboys thus far including free throws and steals. The Pokes currently lead the nation in made free throws (336) and rank second in attempts (454). They also rank 10th in the NCAA in steals per game with 10.6.
The Cowboys have been led by sophomore Afam Muojeke, who is the second leading scorer in the MWC with 17.6 points per game. He has scored at least 15 points in six straight games and has now reached double-figure scoring totals 32 times in his career.
Sophomore A.J. Davis looks to stay hot for the Cowboys. Last week, he scored 18 points against Akron and a career high 26 against Adams State. Davis currently ranks No. 2 in the MWC and No. 46 in the NCAA with 2.2 steals per game.
The Pokes will also receive a nice boost this Wednesday as sophomore guard Arthur Bouedo will be eligible. Bouedo missed the first 14 games of the season due to an NCAA ruling on his amateurism.
In looking at Colorado State, the Rams’ lineup features three players who are scoring in double figures. They are led by freshman guard Dorian Green who is averaging 13.7 points, as well as a team high 2.4 assists per game. Junior forwards Travis Frankin and Andy Ogide are respectively averaging 11.9 and 11.4 points a game. The Rams are coached by Tim Miles, who is in his third season.
This will mark the 212th meeting between Wyoming and Colorado State on the basketball floor. It is the longest series for both teams, with Wyoming holding a 127-84 advantage. The Cowboys have had a great deal of recent success, winning four of the last five meetings. In games played in Laramie, the Cowboys are 76-37.
Following Wednesday’s game, the Cowboys will close out their current four-game homestand by hosting San Diego State on Saturday. The Aztecs and Cowboys will tip off at 4 p.m. in a game televised by The Mtn.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Cowboys roll past Grizzlies
UW sophomore A.J. Davis
UW-Adams State boxscore
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
After two tough losses to NCAA Tournament teams, the Wyoming Cowboys needed that winning feeling heading into next week's Mountain West Conference opener with rival Colorado State.
They got that feeling and more, crushing Division II Adams State 123-71 Saturday in the Arena-Auditorium.
“I feel confident right now, our young guys just have to buy into this system more and continue to grow … we all have to grow to learn this system,” said Wyoming sophomore A.J. Davis, who scored a career-high 26 points.
Wyoming (7-7) was sluggish early against Division II Adams State (3-8), but finally wore down the Grizzlies late in the first half with an aggressive full-court press, which continued throughout much of the second half.
“I thought in the second half, we probably played as well as we have all year,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “I thought we shared the ball and I thought our pressure really took over.”
The Cowboys forced 30 Adams State turnovers and scored 47 points off of those miscues.
"We've hung our hat on our pressure defense this season," Schroyer said. "At this altitude, it tends to wear opponents down. I tell the guys that they (UW's opponents) may break it a few times, but if we keep up the intensity, it will play dividends."
Nick Fox scored 25 points for the Grizzlies, who shot 31 percent from the field (16 of 52).
Davis, who finished 8 of 11 from the field and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line, scored 17 points in the first half as Wyoming used a 17-5 run in the final 4:43 to lead 53-36.
“In that first 16 minutes, we really controlled the tempo and we were staying close,” Adams State coach Mark Murdock said. “We didn't come out of the locker room ready to play in the second half, and the four-minute run ending the first half turned into a 24-minute run to end the game.”
Wyoming outscored Adams State 87-41 in the final 24 minutes.
“We came out flat. We challenged them at that four-minute mark and we challenged them at halftime, and they really responded after that,” Schroyer said.
Afam Muojeke scored 21 points for Wyoming, with Ryan Dermody and Djibril Thiam adding 19 points each. Desmar Jackson also scored 12 points for the Cowboys, who shot 55 percent from the field (40 of 75), including 67 percent in the second half.
The game was slowed down with 63 total fouls called, resulting in 99 free throws attempted. The Cowboys were 34 of 49 from the free-throw line, to 37 of 50 for Adams State.
Wyoming begins MWC play on Wednesday when it hosts CSU, beginning at 7 p.m.
UW-Adams State boxscore
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
After two tough losses to NCAA Tournament teams, the Wyoming Cowboys needed that winning feeling heading into next week's Mountain West Conference opener with rival Colorado State.
They got that feeling and more, crushing Division II Adams State 123-71 Saturday in the Arena-Auditorium.
“I feel confident right now, our young guys just have to buy into this system more and continue to grow … we all have to grow to learn this system,” said Wyoming sophomore A.J. Davis, who scored a career-high 26 points.
Wyoming (7-7) was sluggish early against Division II Adams State (3-8), but finally wore down the Grizzlies late in the first half with an aggressive full-court press, which continued throughout much of the second half.
“I thought in the second half, we probably played as well as we have all year,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “I thought we shared the ball and I thought our pressure really took over.”
The Cowboys forced 30 Adams State turnovers and scored 47 points off of those miscues.
"We've hung our hat on our pressure defense this season," Schroyer said. "At this altitude, it tends to wear opponents down. I tell the guys that they (UW's opponents) may break it a few times, but if we keep up the intensity, it will play dividends."
Nick Fox scored 25 points for the Grizzlies, who shot 31 percent from the field (16 of 52).
Davis, who finished 8 of 11 from the field and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line, scored 17 points in the first half as Wyoming used a 17-5 run in the final 4:43 to lead 53-36.
“In that first 16 minutes, we really controlled the tempo and we were staying close,” Adams State coach Mark Murdock said. “We didn't come out of the locker room ready to play in the second half, and the four-minute run ending the first half turned into a 24-minute run to end the game.”
Wyoming outscored Adams State 87-41 in the final 24 minutes.
“We came out flat. We challenged them at that four-minute mark and we challenged them at halftime, and they really responded after that,” Schroyer said.
Afam Muojeke scored 21 points for Wyoming, with Ryan Dermody and Djibril Thiam adding 19 points each. Desmar Jackson also scored 12 points for the Cowboys, who shot 55 percent from the field (40 of 75), including 67 percent in the second half.
The game was slowed down with 63 total fouls called, resulting in 99 free throws attempted. The Cowboys were 34 of 49 from the free-throw line, to 37 of 50 for Adams State.
Wyoming begins MWC play on Wednesday when it hosts CSU, beginning at 7 p.m.
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