by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Another slow start spelled doom for the Wyoming Cowboys.
Against No. 16 BYU, the Cowboys could afford a bad start, but that's exactly what happened in the Cougars 85-63 win Saturday at the Arena-auditorium.
Wyoming missed its first eight shots from the field and trailed 10-0 before finally getting on the board.
“I think a lot of it has to do with BYU,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said of his team's slow start. “They did a nice job defensively. When you struggle to score, it affects other things.”
Freshman Tyler Haws and Jimmer Fredette both scored 22 points for the Cougars (10-2 MWC, 25-3), who led comfortably the entire way to stay within one-half game of first-place New Mexico. After Wyoming cut a 14-point lead to eight with 10 minutes left, BYU regained control down the stretch.
“I thought they (Wyoming) did a good job of controlling the tempo,” BYU coach Dave Rose said. “We did a much better job in the second half of playing possession to possession. We did a good job offensively and a good job of guarding them … down the stretch we did a really good job of finishing it off.”
Freshman Desmar Jackson scored a career-high 26 points for Wyoming (2-11, 9-18), which has now lost seven straight games and 10 of its last 11.
BYU led 40-28 at halftime, only to see Wyoming cut the lead to eight with 10 minutes remaining. But Jonathan Tavernari's 3-pointer and Charles Abouo's dunk ignited a 16-3 run and the Cougars cruised from there.
“Hats off to BYU, they are very good and very talented,” Schroyer said. “They really stretch you and they can beat you in many ways. We had a chance when we cut it to eight, but like a really good team, they rallied and went on a 5-0 run and that was it.”
Haws, who scored a career-high 24 points in the first meeting with Wyoming, was just 6 of 15 from the field, but a perfect 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed eight rebounds. Fredette scored 15 of his points in the second half.
“Tyler was terrific; he was on attack,” Rose said. “This was a game where they really run at Jimmer and Jimmer did a great job of finding the open guy and making the right decision with the ball.”
Tavernari scored 17 points for the Cougars and Jackson Emery added 10. BYU shot just 43 percent from the field (29-of-66), but was 20 of 24 from the free-throw line.
Djibril Thiam scored 12 points for Wyoming. which ended up shooting 41 percent from the field (22-of-54), but gave up 19 points off of 12 turnovers.
The Cowboys return to action next Saturday at Utah.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Lobos roll past Cowboys in The Pit
A slow by the Cowboys start never really got any better as No. 12 New Mexico earned another lop-sided win over Wyoming in The Pit.
The Lobos, 10-2 MWC, 24-3) ran out to as 17-point halftime lead and never looked back, leading by as much as 31 in the game before stopping the Cowboys 83-61 in Albuquerque.
“I think they're probably playing as good as anybody in the country,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “When a team wins eight straight games in the league, especially this league and this year; it shows that they're a very good team. And this venue is great. It's hard playing here, but you tip your hat to the fans, the atmosphere, and everything this place is. It's the real deal."
Darington Hobson had 20 points and 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season, and New Mexico's Steve Alford won his 300th game as a Division I coach.
“This was a great game,” Alford said. “Any time you come off the road this is the biggest game because you haven't played here in awhile. You get a little complacent because you think you just win because you come back home. I really appreciate the crowd. I just appreciate what our fans do. They wear red, they get after it and they did a good job of welcoming this team back."
Phillip McDonald scored 14 points and Roman Martinez had 13 for New Mexico (24-3, 10-2 Mountain West), which has won 10 straight - all in conference. The last time the Lobos did that in league play, Michael Cooper was suiting up during the 1977-78 season.
“We did what we do, 23 assists, eight turnovers,” Alford said. “We just share the basketball and our defense is getting better and better. Overall, I was extremely pleased. You got everybody in, everybody gets to play, everybody scores. Those are always fun nights."
The Lobos scored the first 11 points and raced to a 22-8 lead midway through the first half after consecutive 3-pointers by Jamal Fenton and Nate Garth. Hobson added a nice no-look pass to McDonald for a layup that put New Mexico up 26-10.
The Cowboys cut the deficit to 29-18 after New Mexico's defense went soft and allowed two easy layups by Thiam with 2:58 before halftime. Alford took a timeout to chew out his players, and the Lobos answered with an 8-0 burst that included two 3-pointers by Martinez.
"For the first couple minutes of the game, we could tell what they were doing. They were going to put Darington Hobson and Phillip McDonald on the block and isolate those guys on Desmar Jackson and Arthur Bouedo,” Schroyer said. “Those guys struggled guarding in the post and we knew we'd get into foul trouble. The other part of it was that we wanted to slow them down and shorten the game. I thought it was actually pretty good for us. We went back into a man-to-man in the second half and did some nice things."
The Cowboys return home Saturday to host No. 15 BYU at 4 p.m.
The Lobos, 10-2 MWC, 24-3) ran out to as 17-point halftime lead and never looked back, leading by as much as 31 in the game before stopping the Cowboys 83-61 in Albuquerque.
“I think they're probably playing as good as anybody in the country,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “When a team wins eight straight games in the league, especially this league and this year; it shows that they're a very good team. And this venue is great. It's hard playing here, but you tip your hat to the fans, the atmosphere, and everything this place is. It's the real deal."
Darington Hobson had 20 points and 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season, and New Mexico's Steve Alford won his 300th game as a Division I coach.
“This was a great game,” Alford said. “Any time you come off the road this is the biggest game because you haven't played here in awhile. You get a little complacent because you think you just win because you come back home. I really appreciate the crowd. I just appreciate what our fans do. They wear red, they get after it and they did a good job of welcoming this team back."
Phillip McDonald scored 14 points and Roman Martinez had 13 for New Mexico (24-3, 10-2 Mountain West), which has won 10 straight - all in conference. The last time the Lobos did that in league play, Michael Cooper was suiting up during the 1977-78 season.
“We did what we do, 23 assists, eight turnovers,” Alford said. “We just share the basketball and our defense is getting better and better. Overall, I was extremely pleased. You got everybody in, everybody gets to play, everybody scores. Those are always fun nights."
The Lobos scored the first 11 points and raced to a 22-8 lead midway through the first half after consecutive 3-pointers by Jamal Fenton and Nate Garth. Hobson added a nice no-look pass to McDonald for a layup that put New Mexico up 26-10.
The Cowboys cut the deficit to 29-18 after New Mexico's defense went soft and allowed two easy layups by Thiam with 2:58 before halftime. Alford took a timeout to chew out his players, and the Lobos answered with an 8-0 burst that included two 3-pointers by Martinez.
"For the first couple minutes of the game, we could tell what they were doing. They were going to put Darington Hobson and Phillip McDonald on the block and isolate those guys on Desmar Jackson and Arthur Bouedo,” Schroyer said. “Those guys struggled guarding in the post and we knew we'd get into foul trouble. The other part of it was that we wanted to slow them down and shorten the game. I thought it was actually pretty good for us. We went back into a man-to-man in the second half and did some nice things."
The Cowboys return home Saturday to host No. 15 BYU at 4 p.m.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
TCU knocks down Cowboys again
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Close is about as good as it gets for the Wyoming Cowboys these days, as TCU had enough at the end to hold on for a 76-68 win Saturday in the Arena-Auditorium.
The Horned Frogs (4-7 MWC, 12-14) used a 14-2 run to end the first half and never trailed again in the game. The Cowboys missed out on a golden opportunity to have a chance to stay out of the MWC tournament play-in game with a win over the Horned Frogs, but will now have to upset somebody down the road to avoid that game. Wyoming, which has lost five straight, is now 2-9 and 9-16.
“I thought we did some good things, but I tip my hat to TCU,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said “They really made some tough shots down the stretch and that was the difference.”
Nikola Cerina scored 21 points for TCU, which earned its second close win this season over Wyoming this season.. TCU beat the 'Pokes 62-59 in Fort Worth.
“We handled the pressure pretty well the whole night,” TCU coach Jim Christian said. “We took care of the basketball, and then had a guy in Nikola who could score on top of the basket, which we haven't had. He's starting to emerge, and it's becoming a weapon for us.”
Wyoming led 29-25, but managed just two points in the final five minutes of the first half, as the Horned Frogs led 39-31 at the break.
The Cowboys chipped away in the second half and cut the lead to one on a pair of occasions, but could never catch TCU. Leading 65-64, Edvinas Ruzgas hit a 3-pointer and Cerina added two free throws with 1:33 to play to put the Horned Frogs up by six. Greg Hill would add another 3-pointer with 52 seconds left to seal the win.
“We made some timely shots,” Christian said.
Ronnie Moss scored 15 points for TCU, followed by Hill with 12 and Ruzgas with 10. TCU shot 51 percent from the field (27 of 53), while hitting 8 of 17 3-pointers.
Cerina, who scored 14 points in the first half, was 6 of 12 from the field and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. His inside presence opened things up for the Horned Frogs outside game.
“When Nikola's a weapon, it shrinks the defense,” Christian said. “That brings a guy like Ed (Ruzgas) into play. He's not a guy who is going to create for himself, so he has to have somebody create for him.”
Freshman Desmar Jackson tied a career high with 22 points for Wyoming, while fellow frosh Amath M'Baye scored a career-high 14 points. Djibril Thiam and Arthur Bouedo scored 10 each for the Cowboys.
Although the Cowboys shot 46 percent from the field in the game, their last field goal came at the 5-minute mark. Wyoming showed marked improvement from the free-throw line, hitting 27 of 35 (77 percent).
“I was happy with the way we got to the free-throw line and the way we made free throws today,” Schroyer said.
Still, it's another loss that Schroyer and the young cowboys will have to deal with as they prepare for New Mexico Wednesday at The Pit, and BYU at home next Saturday.
“It's hard to lose, and I hate it as much as anyone,” Schroyer said. “But I told our kids that when you're young, you have to learn something from every game and work to get better from every experience.”
Wyoming Sports.org
Close is about as good as it gets for the Wyoming Cowboys these days, as TCU had enough at the end to hold on for a 76-68 win Saturday in the Arena-Auditorium.
The Horned Frogs (4-7 MWC, 12-14) used a 14-2 run to end the first half and never trailed again in the game. The Cowboys missed out on a golden opportunity to have a chance to stay out of the MWC tournament play-in game with a win over the Horned Frogs, but will now have to upset somebody down the road to avoid that game. Wyoming, which has lost five straight, is now 2-9 and 9-16.
“I thought we did some good things, but I tip my hat to TCU,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said “They really made some tough shots down the stretch and that was the difference.”
Nikola Cerina scored 21 points for TCU, which earned its second close win this season over Wyoming this season.. TCU beat the 'Pokes 62-59 in Fort Worth.
“We handled the pressure pretty well the whole night,” TCU coach Jim Christian said. “We took care of the basketball, and then had a guy in Nikola who could score on top of the basket, which we haven't had. He's starting to emerge, and it's becoming a weapon for us.”
Wyoming led 29-25, but managed just two points in the final five minutes of the first half, as the Horned Frogs led 39-31 at the break.
The Cowboys chipped away in the second half and cut the lead to one on a pair of occasions, but could never catch TCU. Leading 65-64, Edvinas Ruzgas hit a 3-pointer and Cerina added two free throws with 1:33 to play to put the Horned Frogs up by six. Greg Hill would add another 3-pointer with 52 seconds left to seal the win.
“We made some timely shots,” Christian said.
Ronnie Moss scored 15 points for TCU, followed by Hill with 12 and Ruzgas with 10. TCU shot 51 percent from the field (27 of 53), while hitting 8 of 17 3-pointers.
Cerina, who scored 14 points in the first half, was 6 of 12 from the field and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. His inside presence opened things up for the Horned Frogs outside game.
“When Nikola's a weapon, it shrinks the defense,” Christian said. “That brings a guy like Ed (Ruzgas) into play. He's not a guy who is going to create for himself, so he has to have somebody create for him.”
Freshman Desmar Jackson tied a career high with 22 points for Wyoming, while fellow frosh Amath M'Baye scored a career-high 14 points. Djibril Thiam and Arthur Bouedo scored 10 each for the Cowboys.
Although the Cowboys shot 46 percent from the field in the game, their last field goal came at the 5-minute mark. Wyoming showed marked improvement from the free-throw line, hitting 27 of 35 (77 percent).
“I was happy with the way we got to the free-throw line and the way we made free throws today,” Schroyer said.
Still, it's another loss that Schroyer and the young cowboys will have to deal with as they prepare for New Mexico Wednesday at The Pit, and BYU at home next Saturday.
“It's hard to lose, and I hate it as much as anyone,” Schroyer said. “But I told our kids that when you're young, you have to learn something from every game and work to get better from every experience.”
Friday, February 12, 2010
Cowboys look to break skid
After spending their past two games on the road, the Wyoming Cowboys will return home, hosting TCU Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium. The game will be televised live by The Mtn.
The Cowboys (9-15 overall and 2-8 in the Mountain West Conference) will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak. TCU (11-14 overall, 3-7 in the MWC) enters Saturday’s game looking to rebound from a home loss to Utah this past Wednesday.
Saturday’s game will have major MWC Tournament implications, as a Wyoming win would place the Cowboys in a tie with TCU for seventh place in the league standings. With a win, the Pokes would hold the tiebreaker with TCU.
Earlier this season, the Cowboys traveled to Fort Worth and erased a big first-half deficit before falling to the Frogs, 62-59. The Cowboys had an opportunity to extend the game, but missed three field goals over the final 20 seconds of the game.
Freshman Desmar Jackson has emerged as one of the top freshmen in the MWC. In fact, he is currently the MWC’s fifth best scoring freshman with an average of 9.5 points per game. Over UW’s last five games, Jackson has really stepped up and has averaged 16.6 points a game.
Sophomore Adam Waddell is the Pokes top scorer and rebounder, with the absence of Afam Muojeke. Waddell is currently averaging 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. He ranks No. 5 in the MWC in rebounding.
Redshirt sophomore JayDee Luster is the Pokes’ leading assist man. He is currently averaging 4.7 a game and ranks No. 3 in the MWC. He has handed out at least four assists in nine of UW’s 10 MWC games. He is also averaging 8.3 points per league game.
The TCU roster features three players who are averaging double figures in scoring. They are led by sophomore guard Ronnie Moss (14.4 ppg), senior forward Zvonko Buljan (12.3 ppg) and senior guard Edvinas Ruzgas (11.3 ppg). Buljan is the Frogs’ leading rebounder with 8.9 per game. Moss leads the Frogs with a league best 6.5 assists per game.
The Cowboys (9-15 overall and 2-8 in the Mountain West Conference) will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak. TCU (11-14 overall, 3-7 in the MWC) enters Saturday’s game looking to rebound from a home loss to Utah this past Wednesday.
Saturday’s game will have major MWC Tournament implications, as a Wyoming win would place the Cowboys in a tie with TCU for seventh place in the league standings. With a win, the Pokes would hold the tiebreaker with TCU.
Earlier this season, the Cowboys traveled to Fort Worth and erased a big first-half deficit before falling to the Frogs, 62-59. The Cowboys had an opportunity to extend the game, but missed three field goals over the final 20 seconds of the game.
Freshman Desmar Jackson has emerged as one of the top freshmen in the MWC. In fact, he is currently the MWC’s fifth best scoring freshman with an average of 9.5 points per game. Over UW’s last five games, Jackson has really stepped up and has averaged 16.6 points a game.
Sophomore Adam Waddell is the Pokes top scorer and rebounder, with the absence of Afam Muojeke. Waddell is currently averaging 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. He ranks No. 5 in the MWC in rebounding.
Redshirt sophomore JayDee Luster is the Pokes’ leading assist man. He is currently averaging 4.7 a game and ranks No. 3 in the MWC. He has handed out at least four assists in nine of UW’s 10 MWC games. He is also averaging 8.3 points per league game.
The TCU roster features three players who are averaging double figures in scoring. They are led by sophomore guard Ronnie Moss (14.4 ppg), senior forward Zvonko Buljan (12.3 ppg) and senior guard Edvinas Ruzgas (11.3 ppg). Buljan is the Frogs’ leading rebounder with 8.9 per game. Moss leads the Frogs with a league best 6.5 assists per game.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Aztecs roll by Cowboys
UW-SDSU final stats
SAN DIEGO -- The Wyoming Cowboys found out the hard way that a good first half isn’t near enough against the likes of San Diego State, as the Aztecs rolled in the second half en route to an 88-57 win at Viejas Arena.
The Cowboys (2-8 MWC, 9-15), led by six on a pair of occasions in the first half and were still up a point with 5:14 to play before the break before the Aztecs went on a late run. San Diego State outscored Wyoming 11-2 down the stretch for an eight-point halftime lead.
It was all Aztecs and then some in the second half, as they out-scored the Cowboys 49-26 in the second half. San Diego State is now 6-4 in league play and 17-7 on the year.
Freshman Desmar Jackson had the hot hand early for the Cowboys with nine first-half points, as he finished with 14 in the game. The Cowboys shot well in the opening stanza, shooting 48 percent, but struggled down the stretch, hitting just 29 percent of their shots in the second half.
Junior Djibril Thiam led the way for Wyoming with 15 points. The Cowboys also turned the ball over 20 times in the game, with the Aztecs taking advantage, scoring 30 points off of those miscues. Wyoming also once again struggled from the free-throw line, hitting just 13 of 24 attempts.
Fabulous freshman Kawhi Leonard led all scorers and was one of five Aztecs to score in double figures with a career-high 26 points. Leonard, who scored 25 points in the 85-83 loss to Wyoming earlier in Laramie, was 10 of 14 from the field and also grabbed eight rebounds.
Chase Tapley finished with 14 points for the Aztecs, followed by Tyrone Shelley and Kelvin Davis with 12 each and Billy White with 10 points. San Diego State shot 52 percent from the field in the game (33 of 63).
The Cowboys will look to break out of its four-game skid Saturday at 1:30 p.m. when they host TCU.
SAN DIEGO -- The Wyoming Cowboys found out the hard way that a good first half isn’t near enough against the likes of San Diego State, as the Aztecs rolled in the second half en route to an 88-57 win at Viejas Arena.
The Cowboys (2-8 MWC, 9-15), led by six on a pair of occasions in the first half and were still up a point with 5:14 to play before the break before the Aztecs went on a late run. San Diego State outscored Wyoming 11-2 down the stretch for an eight-point halftime lead.
It was all Aztecs and then some in the second half, as they out-scored the Cowboys 49-26 in the second half. San Diego State is now 6-4 in league play and 17-7 on the year.
Freshman Desmar Jackson had the hot hand early for the Cowboys with nine first-half points, as he finished with 14 in the game. The Cowboys shot well in the opening stanza, shooting 48 percent, but struggled down the stretch, hitting just 29 percent of their shots in the second half.
Junior Djibril Thiam led the way for Wyoming with 15 points. The Cowboys also turned the ball over 20 times in the game, with the Aztecs taking advantage, scoring 30 points off of those miscues. Wyoming also once again struggled from the free-throw line, hitting just 13 of 24 attempts.
Fabulous freshman Kawhi Leonard led all scorers and was one of five Aztecs to score in double figures with a career-high 26 points. Leonard, who scored 25 points in the 85-83 loss to Wyoming earlier in Laramie, was 10 of 14 from the field and also grabbed eight rebounds.
Chase Tapley finished with 14 points for the Aztecs, followed by Tyrone Shelley and Kelvin Davis with 12 each and Billy White with 10 points. San Diego State shot 52 percent from the field in the game (33 of 63).
The Cowboys will look to break out of its four-game skid Saturday at 1:30 p.m. when they host TCU.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Cowboys look to end skid at SDSU
The Wyoming Cowboys will look for their first road breakthrough of the season at San Diego State. The game will begin at 8:30 p.m. (MT) at Viejas Arena and will be televised live by The Mtn.
After beating San Diego State earlier this year in Laramie, 85-83, Wyoming will be looking for its first season sweep of the Aztecs since 2006-07. The Cowboys erased a 17-point deficit in that game and made six 3-pointers over the final 4:12.
The Cowboys, 9-14 overall and 2-7 in the Mountain West Conference, are looking to snap a three-game losing streak by winning their first road game of the season.
San Diego State saw a modest two-game winning streak end last Saturday at New Mexico. The Aztecs battled the Lobos before falling in overtime, 88-86. The Aztecs are currently 16-7 overall and 5-4 in the MWC. They have won four of their last six overall, and are 10-1 at home this season.
Sophomore Adam Waddell recorded his second career double-double last Saturday at Colorado State. He is currently averaging 10.7 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. He ranks No. 5 in the MWC in rebounding.
True freshman Desmar Jackson has been hot for the Cowboys over the past four games. In fact, he has averaged 17.3 points a game during that stretch. He is currently the fifth best scoring freshman in the MWC with 9.3 points a game.
Redshirt sophomore JayDee Luster, who is a San Diego native, is the Pokes’ leading assist man. He is currently averaging 4.6 and ranks No. 4 in the MWC. He has handed out at least four assists in eight of UW’s nine MWC games. He is also averaging 8.9 points per league game.
Four of San Diego State’s starters are scoring in double figures this season. The Aztecs are led by freshman forward Kawhi Leonard and his 11.8 points a game. He is followed by junior guard D.J. Gay (10.8 ppg), junior forward Malcolm Thomas (10.7 ppg) and junior forward Billy White (10.4 ppg).
Leonard is nearly averaging a double-double, as he is also adding an MWC best 9.6 rebounds per game. The Aztecs are one of the best rebounding teams in the MWC, as they rank No. 1 in opponents’ rebounding average (30.8 pg) and No. 2 in rebounding average (38.3 pg).
Series Notes
Wyoming leads the all-time series 37-29. They have posted a record of 11-18 in San Diego. Of the last 37 meetings, 26 have been decided by 10 points or less. The last time the Cowboys won in San Diego was during the 2006-07 season.
After beating San Diego State earlier this year in Laramie, 85-83, Wyoming will be looking for its first season sweep of the Aztecs since 2006-07. The Cowboys erased a 17-point deficit in that game and made six 3-pointers over the final 4:12.
The Cowboys, 9-14 overall and 2-7 in the Mountain West Conference, are looking to snap a three-game losing streak by winning their first road game of the season.
San Diego State saw a modest two-game winning streak end last Saturday at New Mexico. The Aztecs battled the Lobos before falling in overtime, 88-86. The Aztecs are currently 16-7 overall and 5-4 in the MWC. They have won four of their last six overall, and are 10-1 at home this season.
Sophomore Adam Waddell recorded his second career double-double last Saturday at Colorado State. He is currently averaging 10.7 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. He ranks No. 5 in the MWC in rebounding.
True freshman Desmar Jackson has been hot for the Cowboys over the past four games. In fact, he has averaged 17.3 points a game during that stretch. He is currently the fifth best scoring freshman in the MWC with 9.3 points a game.
Redshirt sophomore JayDee Luster, who is a San Diego native, is the Pokes’ leading assist man. He is currently averaging 4.6 and ranks No. 4 in the MWC. He has handed out at least four assists in eight of UW’s nine MWC games. He is also averaging 8.9 points per league game.
Four of San Diego State’s starters are scoring in double figures this season. The Aztecs are led by freshman forward Kawhi Leonard and his 11.8 points a game. He is followed by junior guard D.J. Gay (10.8 ppg), junior forward Malcolm Thomas (10.7 ppg) and junior forward Billy White (10.4 ppg).
Leonard is nearly averaging a double-double, as he is also adding an MWC best 9.6 rebounds per game. The Aztecs are one of the best rebounding teams in the MWC, as they rank No. 1 in opponents’ rebounding average (30.8 pg) and No. 2 in rebounding average (38.3 pg).
Series Notes
Wyoming leads the all-time series 37-29. They have posted a record of 11-18 in San Diego. Of the last 37 meetings, 26 have been decided by 10 points or less. The last time the Cowboys won in San Diego was during the 2006-07 season.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Rams thump Cowboys again
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Wyoming’s miseries continued while Colorado State’s fortunes are looking up. The combination was another CSU win, 80-64 Saturday in Moby Arena.
With the win, the Rams (5-4 MWC, 14-9) completed their first regular-season sweep of the Cowboys since the 1999-2000 season.
The loss was the third straight for Wyoming, which fell to 2-7 and 9-14. It was a bad week overall, as the Cowboys fell by 28 points on Wednesday at home to UNLV and on Thursday, lost sophomore A.J. Davis, who left the program.
Travis Franklin scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half as the Rams enjoyed a 10-17 point lead for much of the game. Franklin was 4 for 8 from the floor and 12 of 19 from the free-throw line. Andy Ogide added 13 points and 11 rebounds for Colorado State, which has won three of its last four.
Dorian Green and Andre McFarland had 11 points each.
Adam Waddell and Desmar Jackson had 16 points each for Wyoming, which has lost all seven of its road games this season.
The Rams shot a remarkable 8-of-9 from 3-point range in the first half and went into the locker room with a 43-26 halftime lead. Twenty-one of CSU’s first half points came from its bench, which finished the game with 27.
In the second half, the pace slowed, as a combined 35 fouls were called. A steal and a dunk by Jackson cut the Rams’ lead to 10, 57-47, with 8:27 left to play in the game. But that would be the closest the Cowboys would get for the remainder of the contest. The Rams shot 17-of-24 from the line after intermission, which was enough to keep the Cowboys at bay.
Despite 10 rebounds from Waddell, CSU also outrebounded the Cowboys, 42-26.
The Cowboys will look to break out of its slump Wednesday night at San Diego State, before returning home Saturday to host TCU.
With the win, the Rams (5-4 MWC, 14-9) completed their first regular-season sweep of the Cowboys since the 1999-2000 season.
The loss was the third straight for Wyoming, which fell to 2-7 and 9-14. It was a bad week overall, as the Cowboys fell by 28 points on Wednesday at home to UNLV and on Thursday, lost sophomore A.J. Davis, who left the program.
Travis Franklin scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half as the Rams enjoyed a 10-17 point lead for much of the game. Franklin was 4 for 8 from the floor and 12 of 19 from the free-throw line. Andy Ogide added 13 points and 11 rebounds for Colorado State, which has won three of its last four.
Dorian Green and Andre McFarland had 11 points each.
Adam Waddell and Desmar Jackson had 16 points each for Wyoming, which has lost all seven of its road games this season.
The Rams shot a remarkable 8-of-9 from 3-point range in the first half and went into the locker room with a 43-26 halftime lead. Twenty-one of CSU’s first half points came from its bench, which finished the game with 27.
In the second half, the pace slowed, as a combined 35 fouls were called. A steal and a dunk by Jackson cut the Rams’ lead to 10, 57-47, with 8:27 left to play in the game. But that would be the closest the Cowboys would get for the remainder of the contest. The Rams shot 17-of-24 from the line after intermission, which was enough to keep the Cowboys at bay.
Despite 10 rebounds from Waddell, CSU also outrebounded the Cowboys, 42-26.
The Cowboys will look to break out of its slump Wednesday night at San Diego State, before returning home Saturday to host TCU.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Rebels dominate lifeless Cowboys
John McKnight photo
Wyoming junior Djibril Thiam battles three UNLV players for the rebound Wednesday night.
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Evidently, early signs mean little to the Wyoming Cowboys.
Sophomore A.J. Davis took the opening tip in for a layup, but that was the lone highlight for Wyoming, as UNLV rolled to a 78-50 win Wednesday night in the Arena-Auditorium. It was the worst home loss for the Cowboys since the 1959 season and the worst ever in the A-A since its inception in 1982.
After that opening bucket by Davis, the Rebels (6-2 MWC, 18-4) dominated action the rest of the way, leading by as much as 30 in the second half.
“My hat is off to UNLV, they played very well and are a good basketball team,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “We didn't play very well and that is usually a case for getting your butt kicked, and that's what happened.”
Ryan Dermody led the Cowboys (2-6, 9-13) with 12 points. Desmar Jackson scored 11 points and Amath M'Baye added 10 for the Cowboys, who shot just 28.6 percent from the field (14 of 49), as well as missing 14 free throws.
“You're not going to beat anybody when you shoot 28 percent from the floor and 54 percent from the free-throw line,” Schroyer said. “You're not going to beat anybody in this league, let alone an NCAA Tournament, Top 25 team.”
The lop-sided win surprised UNLV head coach Lon Kruger.
“Wyoming has been protecting its home court really well,” Kruger said. “We came in expecting it to be fight right down the wire.”
It wasn't much of a fight, as UNLV took control early in the game and opened up a double-digit lead on a pair of 3-pointers by Oscar Bellfield and baskets by Justin Hawkins and Chace Stanback. The Rebels led 40-27 at halftime.
Matt Shaw, who went into the game averaging 6.7 points per contest, was 7 of 9 from the field, scoring a game-high 16 points, which tied his career high.
“Darris (Santee) did a lot of good things; Matt came in and did a lot of good things,” Kruger said. “The big guys continue to share that role well. I think Matt got a lot of good rebounds.”
Trailing 52-29, the Cowboys scored eight straight to cut the lead to 15, but could get no closer as UNLV outscored the Wyoming 26-13 the rest of the way.
Tre'Von Willis scored 15 points for the Rebels and Stanback added 12. UNLV shot 53 percent from the field (32 of 60) and dominated in the paint, outscoring Wyoming 32-16.
"We had trouble guarding them off of the dribble," Schroyer said. "This is a tough league, several teams are playing well. We obviously have to play better."
The Cowboys return to action Saturday in Fort Collins against CSU (7 p.m.).
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Cowboys to host UNLV
The Wyoming Cowboys will look to close the first half of the Mountain West Conference season on a winning note, hosting UNLV Runnin’ Rebels at 8 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium. It will be televised live by The Mtn.
The Cowboys return home after a tough road loss at Air Force this past Saturday. With that loss, the Pokes fell to 9-12 overall and 2-5 in the MWC.
UNLV has won three consecutive MWC games and five of their last six league games. They are currently 17-4 overall and 5-2 in the conference. The Runnin’ Rebels are receiving votes in both national top-25 polls. Earlier this season, they peaked with a No. 18/17 national ranking on December 7.
With UW’s two leading scorers out at Air Force, Desmar Jackson stepped up in a big way. The true freshman led the Pokes by scoring 21 points for the second consecutive game.
Sophomore A.J. Davis is UW’s third leading scorer with 10.4 ppg and junior Djibril Thiam is also averaging double figures with 10.1 ppg.
Sophomore Afam Muojeke (16.8 ppg) is out for the remainder of the season and sophomore Adam Waddell (10.8 ppg) missed last Saturday with a sprained ankle. Waddell’s status for Wednesday’s game will be a game-time decision.
UNLV is led by junior guard Tre’Von Willis, who is the second leading scorer in the MWC with 17.4 ppg. Sophomore forward Chace Stanback is adding 10.4 ppg. Stanback is also UNLV’s top rebounder (5.4 rpg), while sophomore guard Oscar Bellfield leads the team in assists (4.9 apg). Junior guard Derrick Jasper (6.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.9 apg) will miss the next few weeks with a knee injury.
The Cowboys will be looking for consecutive wins over the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels for the first time since 2003. The Cowboys won the last meeting in the series, 77-68, last February in Laramie. That win broke a four-game UNLV winning streak. The last time the Cowboys were able to string consecutive wins together over UNLV was between the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. During those two seasons, Wyoming beat UNLV four consecutive times.
UNLV leads the overall series 24-14, but Wyoming has posted a record of 11-6 in Laramie.
The Cowboys return home after a tough road loss at Air Force this past Saturday. With that loss, the Pokes fell to 9-12 overall and 2-5 in the MWC.
UNLV has won three consecutive MWC games and five of their last six league games. They are currently 17-4 overall and 5-2 in the conference. The Runnin’ Rebels are receiving votes in both national top-25 polls. Earlier this season, they peaked with a No. 18/17 national ranking on December 7.
With UW’s two leading scorers out at Air Force, Desmar Jackson stepped up in a big way. The true freshman led the Pokes by scoring 21 points for the second consecutive game.
Sophomore A.J. Davis is UW’s third leading scorer with 10.4 ppg and junior Djibril Thiam is also averaging double figures with 10.1 ppg.
Sophomore Afam Muojeke (16.8 ppg) is out for the remainder of the season and sophomore Adam Waddell (10.8 ppg) missed last Saturday with a sprained ankle. Waddell’s status for Wednesday’s game will be a game-time decision.
UNLV is led by junior guard Tre’Von Willis, who is the second leading scorer in the MWC with 17.4 ppg. Sophomore forward Chace Stanback is adding 10.4 ppg. Stanback is also UNLV’s top rebounder (5.4 rpg), while sophomore guard Oscar Bellfield leads the team in assists (4.9 apg). Junior guard Derrick Jasper (6.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.9 apg) will miss the next few weeks with a knee injury.
The Cowboys will be looking for consecutive wins over the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels for the first time since 2003. The Cowboys won the last meeting in the series, 77-68, last February in Laramie. That win broke a four-game UNLV winning streak. The last time the Cowboys were able to string consecutive wins together over UNLV was between the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. During those two seasons, Wyoming beat UNLV four consecutive times.
UNLV leads the overall series 24-14, but Wyoming has posted a record of 11-6 in Laramie.
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