LARAMIE, Wyo. (Feb. 27, 2018) – In what is the first meeting of the year coming in the final week of the regular season, the stakes couldn’t be any higher with the Pokes hosting Air Force on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. The Cowboys will honor their four seniors prior to the game, as UW remains in the heart of contention for a bye in the first round of the MW Tournament.
A Look at the Matchup
The Cowboys are 18-11 overall and 9-7 in the MW after their 78-68 road win at Fresno State on Saturday. The Pokes continue to force opponents into turnovers adding 17 points on Saturday after 15 turnovers by Fresno State. Wyoming ranks second in the MW and No. 58 in the nation forcing 14.9 turnovers per game.
Wyoming has also used the three ball recently, as UW averages 9.0 per game for fifth in the MW and No. 63 in the nation. Wyoming has hit 261 triples this season for third in single-season school history. Wyoming has hit 53 three pointers in their last five games. The Pokes have made 546 free throws this season to lead the MW and rank fifth in the nation.
The Falcons head to Laramie with an 11-17 overall record and a 5-11 mark in the league. Air Force is fifth in the MW in scoring defense at 72.1 points per game. Offensively, the Falcons average 67.5 points per game for 10th in the conference.
Air Force is shooting 42 percent from the field on the season for 10th in the MW, while opponents shoot 47 percent for 10th in the league. AFA is solid from the free throw line shooting 74 percent on the season for fourth in the conference. The Falcons are third in the conference with 6.5 steals per game.
Each Team’s Leaders
The Pokes are led in scoring by junior guard Justin James at 19.0 points per game. That number ranks third in the MW and No. 73 in the nation. James also adds a team-best 3.0 assists per game. He leads the Pokes with 132 made free throws this season. Senior forward Hayden Dalton adds 18.2 points per game and has scored 20 or more points in nine of his last 11 games. He has made 19 three pointers in his last four contests. He also leads the Pokes in rebounding at 8.1 per game for fifth in the MW.
Senior forward Alan Herndon adds 11.6 points per game and leads the MW in blocks this season with 65, which ranks No. 26 in the nation. His 2.2 blocks per game also leads the league and ranks No. 28 in the nation. Senior guard Louis Adams averages 9.9 points per game off the bench and scored a career-high 31 points against New Mexico last Wednesday.
The Falcons are led in scoring by forward Lavelle Scottie at 12.0 points per game. He leads the team with 33 three pointers. Guard Trevor Lyons adds 9.6 points per game to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Forward Ryan Swan is third on the team in scoring at 9.2 per game and adds a team-best 4.6 rebounds per night.
About the Series
The Cowboys lead the all-time series with the Falcons 77-37 in a series that dates back to 1958. Wyoming is 40-14 in Laramie against Air Force. The Falcons took the last meeting in the first round of the MW Tournament last season by a score of 83-68.
Up Next
Wyoming wrap up the regular season on Saturday facing off against Boise State on the road for a 5 p.m. start on AT&T SportsNet.
