December 11, 2023 |
Photo – #2 Kobe Newton free throw – Courtesy gowyo.com
Wyoming outbattled the Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin inside the AA Saturday in a 79-70 win that was anything but pretty.
Down by four at the half, the Pokes tightened down on defense and hit a season high of 25 free throws, to pull away in the second half.
Wyoming fell behind by ten points early in the second half. The Cowboys then went on a 5-0 run to make it a 51-46 game at the 12-minutes mark when senior Aquel Kot hit a three-point. The Cowboys kept grinding, making it a four-point game on a Kobe Newton three pointer halfway through the half.
The Uphill battle was relentless. Newton tied the game at 57 at the free throw line at the 7:28 mark. Brendan Wenzel would find Newton for a corner three for a 68-63 game with just over four minutes left.
Keith Kelly had the call as Wyoming’s gritty, no-quit effort paid off down the stretch for the win.
Wyoming Head Coach Jeff Linder said he challenged his team at halftime after the Cowboys went scoreless for over three minutes in the first half. Turnovers dogged Wyoming toward the end of the first half when Lumberjacks pushed their lead to 10 points.
The Cowboys will take care of schoolwork this week, with semester coming to an end and with the Christmas break on the way. Wyoming will host Weber State in a Saturday night game that will tip at 7 p.m. for Dec. 16 inside the Arena-Auditorium.
