Pokes Win 2nd Straight with Balanced Attack

It took the Cowboys nearly a month to win their first conference game. It took them four days to win their second…

Luke Nevill put the Utah team on his shoulders and tried to carry them to a victory.

It proved to be too heavy a burden.

Despite Nevill’s 25 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, Wyoming prevailed on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, 69-64.

For the Cowboys, winners of two consecutive conference games, the victory was marked by something head coach Heath Schroyer had been preaching all season: balance.

Wyoming had four players in double figures, including guard Brandon Ewing, who finished with 21 points, and guard Brad Jones, who put up 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

The inside play of the Cowboys helped out too, with center Travis Nelson and forward Tyson Johnson pitching in with 13 and 12 points respectively.

The game started out with the Pokes building a 10-4 lead early, thanks to a couple 3-pointers from Ewing and two layups from Johnson. Utah came roaring back to take its first lead with 12 minutes to go, 15-14.

Wyoming endured a scoring drought of nearly four minutes but managed to take a 34-28 lead into halftime, thanks in part to Ewing’s five 3-pointers in the first half.

In the second period, the Pokes held a 55-46 lead with around six minutes to play, but Utah refused to go away. Lawrence Borha’s three-point bucket with 48 seconds left pulled the Utes within 65-61.

But Jones made two free throws after a three-point play by Utah’s Tyler Kepkay to make the score 67-64 with just 12.3 seconds left, and Kepkay’s 3-point attempt in the closing seconds bounced off the rim. A pair of free throws by Ryan Dermody preserved the Cowboys' victory.

Kepkay led the way for Utah with 11 points, and Johnnie Bryant added seven points and six rebounds in the losing cause.

Wyoming will return home to face Brigham Young this Saturday in the Arena Auditorium.