Tuck’s Take: Signature Win Still Eluding These Cowboys

LARAMIE -- Cole Henry didn't beat around the bush.

The senior said Tuesday night the "close calls" are getting old. Moral victories have run their course.

Wyoming had another one of those Tuesday night, giving three-loss Utah State all it could handle in front of 3,500-plus inside the Arena-Auditorium.

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Though the Cowboys took a five-point lead into the halftime locker room, numerous lengthy Aggie runs, coupled with extended scoring droughts over the final 20 minutes, again cost the home team in a 71-67 loss.

"I sat here last time talking to guys and saying that I'm tired of blowing leads," Henry said postgame. "We got a lead at halftime -- and blew it again. You know, I think we played our ass off, I just think we gave them however many free throws in the second half. You can't do that."

The exact number is 18. That came on 24 attempts.

The Cowboys shot just 16 on the night.

Wyoming, which is now 11-12 overall and 4-8 in Mountain West play, has now dropped six conference games by 10 points or less. Two of those -- road setbacks at Utah State and San Diego State -- came via the one-possession heartbreaker.

Sundance Wicks said after surrendering a 14-point halftime lead at home against New Mexico back in early January that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

For this mishmash group, it's just another painful loss in an ever growing list of 'em.

Like he's known to do, the team's first-year head coach put a positive spin on this one. He liked the fight on both ends of the floor, especially without the services of leading scorer Obi Agbim, who was sidelined after suffering a concussion. Wicks thinks an identity is being formed. He appreciated the compete level.

"Do not grow weary in this good fight, was my message in the locker room," he said, repeating himself once again. "... There's some things that we're doing that are great. We're making good teams look not so good."

While that is true -- Wyoming limited the Aggies to just 3-of-19 from beyond the arc, for instance -- there are still warts. Like allowing seven first-half offensive rebounds that led to nine second-chance points. Like turning the ball over 14 times. Like failing to score for nearly six minutes late in regulation as Utah State's lead swelled to nine.

Like they did in that disheartening setback against the Lobos last Month, this team missed its go-to player.

"It's a fact, for sure," Wyoming guard Matija Belic said postgame when describing how much this team needs Agbim on the floor. "Offensively, we're missing him, but I feel like we have guys who can step up for him. Obviously, we know he's our best scorer, but you know, it is what it is. We have to produce and play."

Wicks has said in the past his most successful teams, offensively, aren't ones that revolve around a single scorer. The final stat sheet after this one is right on target: Jordan Nesbitt 11, Dontaie Allen 10, AJ Wills and Kobe Newton 9 and Belic and Henry 8.

The balance was there. The timely shooting wasn't.

It certainly didn't help that the Cowboys' closer was on the end of the bench in street clothes.

"What do baseball teams do for closers? How much did Mariano Rivera make? They pay a lot of money for a closer, don't they? This is the day and age we live in now," Wicks said, referring to Agbim and his 17.8 points per game. "Like, people are out there gobbling up all the closers. Guys with big checkbooks are gobbling up all the closers.

"We're trying to create closers here, right? That's what we have to do -- create closers. We got to build them up through the farm system."

Wicks put this team together in 27 days. He pointed out Tuesday night that this group is loaded with role players from other programs, not stars. He also alluded to the fact he is squeezing every ounce out of this lineup. Most guys are having career years.

While the arrow may be pointing up, the signature win remains elusive.

The Aztecs were on the ropes. So were the Lobos, Broncos, Spartans and Aggies -- twice.

In the end, though, those were all Wyoming losses.

While it's doubtful many teams will be eager to play Wicks' bunch this March, it's time for the Cowboys to prove they can play spoiler, not just strike fear.

"We're knocking, but they aren't letting us in yet. We're knocking," Wicks said with a smile, pounding the table in front of him. "Now, instead of knocking, we have to go kick the door down."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players