Undefeated Cowboys take on Boise State

Full Feed

Written by Britt Marsh

Tuesday, 02 December 2008 09:32

Brandon Ewing takes it up the court last Saturday in the game against the Colorado School of Mines. Andrew Fossbinder/BI

For the first time in the last decade, the Wyoming Cowboy basketball team is undefeated after their first five games of the season. After a pair of close victories over two “quality” opponents in Texas State and Denver, the Cowboys are off to a 5-0 start under second-year coach Heath Schroyer.

“We’ve grown as a team these first five games,” Schroyer said. “We still have weaknesses, no doubt, but I believe this team will continue to get better.”

If Schroyer’s team maintains their winning ways and improves as the season goes on, the Pokes may be destined for a postseason trip earlier than expected in Schroyer’s plan. The last time a Wyoming team began 5-0 was in 1997-98; a team that ended up winning 19 games and earned a berth in the National Invitational Tournament.

After a one-point victory over the Bobcats of Texas State last Wednesday, the Cowboys are on their way to what many hope to be a successful season.

“[Texas State is] a good team, and I give them a lot of credit,” Schroyer said. “It was a good win for us.”

Cowboy big men Tyson Johnson and Adam Waddell were a big part of the 97-96 victory. Waddell had his best night in a Cowboy uniform as the redshirt freshman netted 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Johnson posted career highs of his own with 22 points and 15 boards for his first double-double, while playing all 20 minutes of the second half.

“Adam Waddell and Tyson Johnson were men in the second half,” Schroyer said. “Adam [was up] against two senior post men, and Tyson played like a senior.”

Brandon Ewing led the way with a game-high 27 points and Afam Muojeke added 16, but it was the Cowboys’ ability to get to the free throw line that made the difference in the game. With 44 made free throws in the game, Wyoming not only got the win, but set a school and Arena-Auditorium record in the process. Schroyer said his team’s goal is to get to the charity stripe at least 40 times a game and he credited his team for such success.

The Pokes picked up another win on Saturday over the Denver Pioneers, 62-54.

Points off turnovers were a big part of the Wyoming victory as they scored 21 points off Pioneer miscues, and Schroyer admitted that was the difference.

“I was pleased with our 1-3-1 defense,” Schroyer said. “It took them out of their rhythm, and we were able to get the tempo a little bit more to our liking.”

That freed up Sean Ogirri to find his outside shooting touch as the senior scored a season-high 19 points, with 18 of them coming off 3-pointers. The senior made six 3-pointers in the game, fourth most in Cowboy basketball history.

“Sean came to the party tonight [and] we started to see that look in Sean’s eyes,” Schroyer said. “Having him and Brandon out there leading us is a nice thing for me as a coach.”

Ewing chipped in with 16 points, while Johnson followed up his career game with another double-digit rebounding performance and was one point away from his second consecutive double-double. Muojeke and Waddell rounded out the scoring with nine and eight points, respectively, as the Cowboys were held to a season low in points.

The Cowboys now have the chance to move to 6-0 on the season, as they face off against Boise State, but as Schroyer predicts, it won’t be an easy task. The Pokes hit the road for the first time this season, facing a Bronco team that competed in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

“They like to get the ball up the court quickly; we have to come out of the locker room ready to play,” Schroyer said of Boise State. “They are a good team and extremely well coached.”

Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. tomorrow in Boise, Idaho.

Email the author

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites