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Cowboys play for better seed against BYU

Written by Britt Marsh

Tuesday, 03 March 2009 17:23

After the four-game skid that plagued the Wyoming Cowboys for nearly two months, the Pokes are now riding high on the opposite end of a losing streak, as they have won four in a row.

Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer and his crew haven’t won that many consecutive games since a stretch of pre-conference games in early December. But Schroyer believes his team has “turned a corner” and is starting to play their best basketball at the crucial point of the season.

“Overall as a program we’ve made strides and stayed the course,” Schroyer said in his weekly address to the media. “The guys feel more comfortable with the system, more comfortable with each other and more comfortable with the coaching staff.”

And it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Almost left for dead in the conference with a 3-7 league record, the Cowboys have now emerged as a team that could make some noise in the Mountain West Conference Tournament beginning next week.

But first comes a pair of home games that will be significant in judging Wyoming’s chances of post-season play.

The Cougars of Brigham Young University are the first visitors to the Arena-Auditorium tonight, and bring with them a 10-4 MWC record, only a single game behind the league-leading Utah Utes.

Lee Cummard, Jonathan Tavernari and reigning MWC Player of the Week Jimmer Fredette have been key components in leading the Cougars this season. Fredette, however, has arguably been the team’s most consistently productive scorer as of late.

After already earning Player of the Week accolades earlier this season, Fredette again garnered the honor after posting averages of 26.5 points, 3.5 steals, 3.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game in his team’s wins over San Diego State and Utah.

Schroyer called Fredette the X-factor in the last match-up between the two teams, and with his game-high 28 points, one would be hard pressed not to believe he indeed played a huge role.

“He’s a stud,” Schroyer said of Fredette. “He’s crafty with the ball, he gets in the paint and he can flat out shoot it.”

The Cowboys have visibly improved defensively and will need every bit of their lockdown defense to limit Fredette and BYU’s other offensive weapons.

But in their last meeting, it was Wyoming’s offense that struggled to find any kind of rhythm. The Cowboys were limited to a then season low of 60 total points, and the loss was the first in what turned out to be a four-game losing streak.

This time around, the Cougars must visit the Dome of Doom and face a Cowboy team that hasn’t lost since Feb. 14.

“They have powerful and prolific scorers, and at home they play with a real confident look,” BYU coach Dave Rose said of Wyoming. “We’re going to have to figure out how to stop them from scoring and are in for a real dog fight.”

The Cougars have a lot on the line because with a win, they can stay right on the heels of Utah for a No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

But Wyoming is also playing for a better seed in that tournament, in addition to keeping this momentum they have going after their recent victories.

“It’s big for our fans and for our team to have an opportunity to play BYU at home,” Schroyer said. “We just want to try and keep the momentum leading up into the tournament, and are going to have to play our best basketball to try and pull off the upset at home.”

Wyoming and BYU tip-off at 6 tonight in the Arena-Auditorium.

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Cowboys sweep '09 Border War

Written by Britt Marsh

Thursday, 26 February 2009 17:37

It took Wyoming seven tries and nearly two months but the Cowboy basketball team finally got the one thing that had been eluding them all season: A Mountain West Conference road victory.

But the 82-79 victory against their bitter rivals from Colorado State University in the annual Border War series was not a stroll in the park by any means.

In fact, Wyoming never led in the first half, and trailed by as many as 11 with just under six minutes to play in the first period. But the Pokes closed out the half on a 16-7 run to pull within two, 35-33, as the teams went into the locker room.

The second half turned out to be just as back-and-forth as the first, even though Wyoming could only pull within a couple points until the 10:23 mark. It was then that the Pokes enjoyed their first lead of the night as Tyson Johnson slammed home two of his 12 points and brought the visiting crowd to their feet.

CSU coach Tim Miles quickly called a timeout, but the damage was already done.

The Rams hung around to make things interesting, but Brandon Ewing was not about to let his fellow seniors lose their final regular season game against CSU.

Ewing scored seven of the Pokes’ nine final points to seal the win, and finished the night with a game-high 21 points, as he also passed Flynn Robinson for second on Wyoming’s all-time scoring list.

“Brandon is a special player, and I’ve sensed it more this last month that all Brandon wants to do is win,” coach Heath Schroyer told the Associated Press. “He will probably get records, but winning means more.”

Schroyer couldn’t have been more correct. After the game, Ewing said he didn’t even look at the scoreboard to see his numbers.

“My focus is and always will be to get a [win],” he said.

Leading MWC Freshman of the Year candidate Afam Muojeke added 17 points and seven rebounds.

Fresh off their first MWC road win of the season, Wyoming will now try for their second in as many tries as they travel to Air Force. The Falcons have not won a single conference game, and have yet to win in 2009 as they have lost 14 straight dating back to New Year’s Eve.

“We are playing better and we have improved, but it’s hard to see that improvement when you don’t get a win,” Falcon coach Jeff Reynolds said in his weekly media address.

“Some games we’re three or four possessions away from a win, but we’re still inconsistent.”

Set time for tip-off is 4 p.m. in the Falcon’s own Clune Arena.

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Teams eagerly await MWC Championships

Written by Britt Marsh

Thursday, 26 February 2009 17:37

Men’s

Utah @ BYU – BYU

Utah is one of the hottest teams in the country right now, having won eight straight games in a league with the seventh best RPI in the country. The game that started that roll: an overtime home victory against their in-state rivals from Brigham Young. Barring that road loss, and a one-point road loss to Nevada-Las Vegas a week ago, the Cougars are also fairly hot, having won seven of their last nine. And after losing the last meeting, I think BYU will use the rowdy Marriot Center in Provo to their advantage. Lee Cummard, Jonathan Tavernari, and Jimmer Fredette have been consistently producing wins out in the Utah desert and this weekend will be no different. BYU makes it neck and neck for conference supremacy after the victory.

Wyoming @ Air Force – Wyoming

Poor Air Force. Just a couple years removed from seasons of 20-plus wins and they still have not garnered a single Mountain West Conference victory thus far this season. After starting the season a promising 9-3, the Falcons have lost 14 straight under second-year coach Jeff Reynolds.

At this point, all they can do is hope to play spoiler, and Wyoming better be wary of that role. After their first conference road win of the season against CSU, the Pokes look to make it two in a row on the road and four straight overall.

There is a slight risk of a let down, but I think the Cowboys have a lot of momentum going into the homestretch. Wyoming pulls to an even 7-7 in the MWC.

New Mexico @ CSU – New Mexico

New Mexico has been somewhat of a sleeper team in the MWC this season. Steve Alford and his crew have quietly been putting together quality wins at home and on the road. Four Lobos average in double figures and this looks to be a dangerous team come tournament time in Vegas.

With the possible insertion of freshman sharpshooter Jesse Carr back into the lineup, and the way Marcus Walker and Andy Ogide have been playing at home, CSU is primed to pull an upset here. But I just don’t think it will happen. New Mexico has developed into a solid team and won’t get tripped up even as they look ahead to hosting Utah.

SDSU @ TCU - SDSU

Jim Christian was having one of the most successful season’s the MWC had ever seen from a rookie coach. He still has his team playing competitively, without a doubt, but they have visibly struggled as they dove into the heart of conference play.

San Diego State has also suffered some key road losses of late, but they will take care of business in Fort Worth on Saturday. Billy White and Kyle Spain headline a deep group of big men that will be tough for the Frogs to counter.

Women’s:

BYU @ Utah – Utah

The Utah women can clinch the Desert First Duel for the University of Utah with a win in Salt Lake on Saturday. The Duel is a year long rivalry between the schools in all sports that they compete against each other in.

Barely halfway through the schedule, Utah already has a commanding lead, and the Lady Utes of women’s basketball will clinch the trophy and maintain their first place standing in the MWC.

The two teams have almost identical overall records coming into the match-up, but Utah has only lost only one MWC game in 12 tries while the Lady Cougars stand at 7-5. Reigning MWC Player of the Week, Kalee Whipple, and her partner in crime, Morgan Warburton, will be too much at home for BYU.

Air Force @ Wyoming – Wyoming

Just like the men’s team, the Lady Falcons will remain winless in MWC play thanks to a defeat from the Cowgirls.

Wyoming has not quite been able to get over the hump this season in losing a couple close games to quality opponents.

Yet after Hillary Carlson and the young Cowgirls take care of Air Force, they will even up their conference record and look to create some momentum going into the MWC tournament.

CSU @ New Mexico – New Mexico

New Mexico, by the team’s own standards, has had somewhat of a down year. They were in and out of the Top 25 rankings early in the season after a hot start, but have stumbled down the stretch of MWC play.

They currently sit at 7-6 in the MWC, four games out of first place, but will move to 8-6 after beating up on the Lady Rams at home in ‘The Pit.’ Coach Don Flanagan’s group lost a heartbreaker on the road to TCU Wednesday night, and will unfortunately take their anger out on the Rams.

TCU @ SDSU – SDSU

In the most interesting match-up on the women’s side of things this weekend, the Horned Frogs and Aztecs go head-to-head for second place in the league. TCU won the previous battle in Fort Worth, Texas by a narrow three points.

They’re coming off a big win against New Mexico, while SDSU is still celebrating after Wednesday night’s victory against BYU. Each team has something to prove, but I believe the Aztecs have a little more motivation after losing to the Frogs on the road in Texas. SDSU wins a close one.

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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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Cowboys take down TCU

Written by Brtitt Marsh
Saturday, 21 February 2009 17:09
Contrary to how the Wyoming Cowboys usually win at home with numerous 3-pointers, free throws, and points, the Cowboys did things a little more defensively in their Saturday afternoon victory over Texas Christian University. The Cowboys, who average 76.3 points per game on the season, managed to stave off the Horned Frogs in a defensive battle, 61-56. Wyoming led by as many as 11 points midway through the second half after Brandon Ewing led an 11-4 Cowboy run. The senior scored nine of his 16 points over a four-minute stretch as the Pokes went up 42-31. But TCU was not going away quietly. After Horned Frog Edvinas Ruzgas hit a 3-pointer similar to the game winner he buried last time against Wyoming, TCU pulled to within two at 57-55, with just over a minute left to play. But the Cowboys made enough of their free throws and made two key defensive stops to secure the win. “The last two games have been our best defensive efforts of the year, and this was the first grind-it-out game this season that we were able to win,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. Prior to Saturday’s victory, the Cowboys only other win in which they failed to score 65 points came early in the year against Denver. Their wining trend this season has been to score points in bunches, but the Pokes got it done on the other side of the basketball. Wyoming forced 12 TCU turnovers, and converted them into 14 points, and limited the Frogs to only 32.7 percent shooting in the game. The Cowboys shot almost 43 percent from the field themselves, but were only 2-for-18 from behind the 3-point arc and 17-for-32 from the free-throw line. “I can’t say how proud I am of the guys to win a game when we weren’t able to knock down free throws or 3-pointers the way we normally do,” Schroyer said. Even without their normal hot hands from the outside, the Cowboys dominated in the paint. They doubled TCU’s offensive production in the key, outscoring them 36-18. In fact, senior Tyson Johnson nearly outscored the Frogs in the key himself. The senior bounced back after a rough scoring drought, going for a game high 19, with the majority of those baskets coming from within the painted area. He also shot 70 percent from the field, to go along with six rebounds. “Tyson and Brandon were big in the second half,” Schroyer said. And with Sean Ogirri’s nine points all coming in the first period, Schroyer said all his seniors “played the way you need seniors to play if you want to win games in February.” The last time the Frogs and Cowboys faced off it was in Fort Worth, Texas, where TCU forward Kevin Langford torched the Pokes for 36 points and was the difference in the Cowboy’s overtime loss. This time, however, Schroyer said Djibril Thiam and Adam Waddell did a great job on Langford. The two limited Langford to only 12 points on 3-for-9 shooting. Zvonko Buljan led the Frogs with 14 and Jason Ebie was the only other player to score in double figures with 11. Wyoming now leaves the Double-A for a two game road swing against Colorado State University and Air Force on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively. Email the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Write comment (0 Comments)
Last Updated ( Monday, 23 February 2009 19:24 )

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