AIR FORCE ACADEMY — No one in Clune Arena could think of anyone who could cause more fear with the ball in his hands and the game on the line than Wyoming’s Brandon Ewing.
With 13 seconds left in the game Saturday, Ewing hit two free throws to lift the Cowboys to a 65-62 Mountain West Conference victory. The free throws came seconds after Air Force’s Matt Holland cashed in a follow shot to shave Wyoming’s lead to a single point.
As the Cowboys (18-10) even their conference record at 7-7, it was a crushing loss for the Falcons (9-18). Their conference record slipped to 0-14 in the season’s last home game, leaving Air Force in danger of going without a conference victory in a season for the first time in 29 years of playing in the Western Athletic Conference and the MWC. The Falcons close out the season this week with road games at Nevada-Las Vegas on Wednesday and at BYU on Saturday.
Air Force was 1-17 in the WAC in 1995-96.
“I told our guys Air Force was going to play its best all year,” Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. “We had to find a way to win. I wouldn’t want anyone else in this league in that situation than Brandon Ewing.”
After Holland’s shot cut the AFA deficit to one, Air Force had to foul, and it was Ewing who had the ball.
“I’ve had the ball like that easily 50 times in my career,” Ewing said. “Playing in college four years pays a dividend in a person’s game.”
“When you can’t make a shot and they keep packing in that zone, it’s difficult,” Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds said. “He (Ewing) has had a remarkable career. He makes tough free throws and tough shots.”
“It’s tough to leave Clune Arena this way,” the Falcons’ Andrew Henke said. “We get open shots and haven’t been able to make them.”
The Cowboys earned the win with a strong effort on the backboards, outrebounding the Falcons 41-19.
They gained the advantage in the first half on some deft 3-point shooting by Sean Ogirri, a former Denver East High School standout who finished 7-for-11 from beyond the arc.
WYOMING (18-10)
Muojeke 3-9 3-5 9, Johnson 2-6 2-2 6, Waddell 1-1 1-2 3, Ogirri 8-13 0-0 23, Ewing 5-9 10-10 23, Thiam 0-0 1-2 1, Davis 0-1 0-3 0. Totals 19-39 17-24 65.
AIR FORCE (9-18)
Henke 8-18 4-4 23, Holland 7-15 1-2 20, Schafer 0-1 1-2 1, Hempsey 1-3 0-0 2, Johnson 2-7 4-7 8, Provost 0-2 0-0 0, Noonan 2-4 0-0 4, Stewart 0-0 0-0 0, Merriex 0-0 0-0 0, McLain 0-0 0-0 0, Washington 2-5 0-1 4, Parker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-55 10-16 62.
Halftime — Wyoming 39-31. 3-point goals — Wyoming 10-21 (Ogirri 7-11, Ewing 3-6, Davis 0-1, Muojeke 0-3), Air Force 8-25 (Holland 5-12, Henke 3-9, Hempsey 0-1, Noonan 0-1, Provost 0-2). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — Wyoming 41 (Johnson, Muojeke 9), Air Force 19 (Holland 6). Assists — Wyoming 11 (Ewing 6), Air Force 15 (Schafer 4). Total fouls — Wyoming 12, Air Force 16. A — 3,808.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
