Cowboys ready for Rams in Border War

Written by Britt Marsh

Tuesday, 24 February 2009 17:53

Tyson Johnson fights for the ball against TCU Saturday Erin Heffron/Branding Iron Colorado State currently sits in eighth place in the Mountain West Conference standings with a 4-9 record, just above lowly and winless Air Force.

The Rams victory at Air Force last Saturday was their first MWC road win of the year and snapped a 19-game road-losing streak in the MWC.

Although inconsistent, CSU’s record doesn’t necessarily show how competitive the Rams can be at home in Moby Arena this season.

CSU lost a one-point heartbreaker to a Minnesota team that has been in and out of the top 25; upset Nevada-Las Vegas early in the year, and took league-leading Utah to overtime a week ago.

If anyone knows the Rams are dangerous at home, it’s Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer.

“We know we’re going to play a good team in a hostile environment on Wednesday,” Schroyer said.

And as good as Wyoming has been at home this season with a 12-1 record, they have been that bad on the road.

The Pokes are winless in six conference games away from the Double-A, but have a prime opportunity to steal their first victory tonight against their border war rivals.

Schroyer has his team playing what he believes is their best defense of the season, and they’re back on the winning track after dropping four straight.

But Saturday against Texas Christian University, Wyoming didn’t shoot the ball from beyond the 3-point or the free-throw line as well as Wyoming usually does.

Luckily, the Cowboys got the job done on the defensive end. Wyoming, however, is going to need to hit some more shots if they hope to sneak out of Fort Collins with a victory.

“If we can continue to play consistent defense like we have this week, and get back into our offensive flow we hopefully can put ourselves in a position to win,” Schroyer said.

With Marcus Walker and Andy Ogide both averaging in double figures for CSU coach Tim Miles, the Cowboys will undoubtedly have their hands full.

Walker averages a team high 16.1 points per game, while Ogide scores just over 10 each contest.

Walker did not play in the first game of the Border War series, but teammates Ogide, Travis Franklin, and freshman-shooter Jesse Carr did, lighting up the scoreboard in the process. The trio combined for 51 of the team’s 74 total points, with Carr going off for a season high 21.

The freshman has not played in the Rams previous two games with a strained groin, the first games he has missed all season.

Regardless of whether or not the Rams have Carr in the lineup, the Cowboys will need a complete game on both sides of the ball to send Brandon Ewing, Sean Ogirri and Tyson Johnson out with a victory against their rivals from the south.

This year’s final regular season edition of the annual Border War tips off at 6 p.m. in Fort Collins, Colo.

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