The Wyoming Cowboys staged an unbelievable comeback to take down the CSU Rams 79-76 in overtime. Going on a feverish 13-3 run in the last two minutes, the Cowboys sent the game to an extra period where Akuel Kot scored 11 to win it for the Pokes.
The Cowboys didn’t take long to get started offensively, winning the tip off and feeding the ball to Griffin who cashed a three. Similarly, the defense came out hot, forcing the Rams to go 0-3 with a turnover before they were able to get their first points. CSU stepped up the pressure on defense however and the Cowboys began struggling to shoot the ball, but 5 minutes in it was 7-5 Wyoming.
CSU fought back, and despite the shooting troubles for both teams, knocked down a three to make it 10-9 at the 10:50 mark. Thanks to good finishing under the basket and rebounding however, the Pokes put together a small run and went up 15-10 on a Mason Walters layup. The Rams, not behind for long, were aided by consecutive Patri Cartier threes to even the game back out 18-18.
As the first half wound down into its final stage, both teams displayed better shooting than they started the game with, trading points back and forth. Wyoming slowed down offensively in the final 3 minutes, but good defense helped them take a 31-28 lead into the locker room.
Patri Cartier led the Rams in the first half, putting up 13 points with 3 makes from beyond the arc. Griffin had 9 on the half, with Powell getting 4 rebounds. After a slow start, the Cowboys had a 41% field goal percentage and the Rams were sitting at 37%. The Pokes forced 7 turnovers from the Rams, who have only given up 10.4 through this point in the season, while only giving up 4.
Out of the gate, the Pokes slipped behind quickly, missing four straight baskets which allowed the Rams to go up 36-31 after three minutes. The Rams offense was rolling in the early going of the half, but the Pokes hung in the game and were only down 40-36 at 14:15.
A Kael Combs dunk on a break away score tied the game 40-40 and brought the A.A. to a deafening roar. Cam Manyawu then gave the Pokes the lead back with a layup, making it 42-40. The Rams and Cowboys continued to battle back and forth, neither giving an inch, and with 9 minutes left, it was 48-48.
Just at the wrong moment however, the Pokes began another dry spell offensively, and after a few CSU buckets, it was 54-48. With time winding down, the Pokes still struggled to get reinvigorated offensively, but a Mason Walters pair of free throws broke a 5:20 scoring absence, bringing it to 56-50.
Still, the Rams continued slipping away, and the Pokes sought to regain their rhythm despite their cold shooting. A Josiah Strong three for the Rams put them up 61-52 at 2:21, and almost proved to be the final dagger for the Cowboys. A Mason Walters layup with 49 seconds left broke an over 8 minute field goal drought for Wyoming, with the Cowboys picking up only 5 free throws in that span.
What happened next however was almost inexplicable. Wyoming caught fire, offensively and defensively, and brought the game to within 2 points with 1.8 seconds on the clock. In a tense moment, a video replay gave the Pokes the ball on their own half. They inbounded the ball to Walters and he found the hoop as time expired to take the Border War to overtime.
The energy in the A.A. was unlike anything seen thus far this season, with a packed student section bringing the volume level to an incredible roar that bounced off the dome and shook the town of Laramie.
Kot found two points to start the extra period, but CSU responded with a layup and free throw to separate by one. After another Kot layup, Cartier nailed a three to make it a two point Rams’ lead, before adding another layup to make it 73-69.
Wenzel brought it back to within two, and a defensive stand put the ball back in Wyoming’s hands with 38 seconds remaining. Akuel Kot showed the ice in his veins once again and nailed a three with a free throw to make it 76-74.
On the ensuing possession, the Rams sent the ball out of bounds to make it Wyoming’s. They then fouled Kot who coolly went to the line and made one of his two free throws. CSU drove to the basket at breakneck speed and got two, but it remained 77-76 Pokes with 2.6 left. The Cowboys inbounded to Kot once more, but this time he sank both free shots. A CSU prayer came up short at the buzzer, and pandemonium descended on the court.
With a final score of 79-76, the Pokes upset #24 seeded Colorado State in one of the greatest last minute comebacks that Laramie has ever seen.
Kot was the hero of overtime, and ended with 18 points on the game. Griffin continued his offensive leadership, scoring 24, and Brendan Wenzel got 9 rebounds to boost the Wyoming effort. Wyoming only gave up 7 turnovers, a category they have struggled with this season. Despite their lead at half, the Pokes almost let it slip away, a theme that appeared against both Utah State and San Diego, but a team effort carried them to a memorable Border War win.
The Cowboys are now 11-9 overall and 4-3 in the conference, and will travel to Colorado Springs for a showdown with Air Force this Tuesday, January 30th.
