The shot that banked in in with 1:20 left in the first half Saturday at the Arena-Auditorium elicited an unusually loud cheer for a bucket that was sunk by a team already up 25.
But these were points that had never been scored before. Sam Averbuck had just scored his first collegiate points.
?It was awesome,? the walk-on freshman said. ?Those are the type of moments you dream of growing up, playing basketball in your backyard. It was a great team win. Everyone played really well. Everyone contributed, so I can?t ask for more.?
Averbuck, who had never played more than 4 minutes in a game, played 21 minutes in the 97-78 Wyoming win against Cornell. The Cowboys finish off a six-game home stand Monday against Troy.
?He made his first basket, and the bench was going crazy,? said Wyoming junior Hayden Dalton, who scored 27 points against Cornell. ?We were all so excited for him. It?s great.?
Wyoming (8-2) was without junior guard Alexander Aka Gorski, who missed his second straight game with a concussion, and sophomore guard Justin James and freshman forward Andrew Moemeka were held out of the game because of a coach?s decision.
?I just was ready,? Averbuck said. ?I knew Gorski was hurt, and we were a little thin at the wing position tonight, so I just had to be ready. Luckily, when I came in, I was surrounded by guys like H.D. and Lou (Adams), who were just lighting it up. So they made my job a lot easier out there, and I was able to just sort of ride that momentum.?
In addition to his one basket on four shots, Averbuck had two rebounds and three assists.
?My thing, again, to the team was I think there were about 54 minutes put back on the board (without Aka Gorski, James and Moemeka) that as a staff we were going to be able to put guys out there, maybe more than usual,? head coach Allen Edwards said. ?But my thing to them was, look, this is not an audition. To me, we?re still playing Cowboy basketball. I really didn?t want to see ?I.? Just so you felt like, ?Oh, now it?s my chance. Now I can show Coach what I can do.? Just play how we play.
?And I thought Sam did a great job of defending and moving the basketball. I thought he did a really good job.?
Edwards expects to have all three players back for Monday?s game against Troy.
?Probably a one-game deal,? Edwards said of James and Moemeka?s suspension. ?That?s how I put it to the team, and I put it to them. We knew going into the game that those two were not going to play. They?ll suit up, and I expected them to just be cheerleaders tonight, but outside of that I thought what was great was just showing our depth within our guys. Guys having an opportunity to step up, and guys having the opportunity to play more minutes.?
James is Wyoming?s leading scorer with 15.4 points per game, despite not starting a game this season. Moemeka is scoring 0.3 points per game and has played 7 minutes per game.
Aka Gorski is averaging 7.9 points and 26.3 minutes per game. He started the first six games of the season.
?His deal was more protocol,? Edwards said of Aka Gorski. ?He was more than able of probably playing today. But it?s just protocol. He practiced a little bit yesterday, and he worked out with us today at shootaround and contact. So he?ll be back for the Troy game.?
Troy is 6-5 on the season after an 82-77 loss Saturday against undefeated Southern California. The Trojans led No. 24 USC by as many as 10 points. Monday?s game is a campus game in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic, as were the Trojans? game against USC and the Cowboys? game against Cornell.
Wyoming has won five straight, all during this six-game home spell that began Nov. 30.
But these were points that had never been scored before. Sam Averbuck had just scored his first collegiate points.
?It was awesome,? the walk-on freshman said. ?Those are the type of moments you dream of growing up, playing basketball in your backyard. It was a great team win. Everyone played really well. Everyone contributed, so I can?t ask for more.?
Averbuck, who had never played more than 4 minutes in a game, played 21 minutes in the 97-78 Wyoming win against Cornell. The Cowboys finish off a six-game home stand Monday against Troy.
?He made his first basket, and the bench was going crazy,? said Wyoming junior Hayden Dalton, who scored 27 points against Cornell. ?We were all so excited for him. It?s great.?
Wyoming (8-2) was without junior guard Alexander Aka Gorski, who missed his second straight game with a concussion, and sophomore guard Justin James and freshman forward Andrew Moemeka were held out of the game because of a coach?s decision.
?I just was ready,? Averbuck said. ?I knew Gorski was hurt, and we were a little thin at the wing position tonight, so I just had to be ready. Luckily, when I came in, I was surrounded by guys like H.D. and Lou (Adams), who were just lighting it up. So they made my job a lot easier out there, and I was able to just sort of ride that momentum.?
In addition to his one basket on four shots, Averbuck had two rebounds and three assists.
?My thing, again, to the team was I think there were about 54 minutes put back on the board (without Aka Gorski, James and Moemeka) that as a staff we were going to be able to put guys out there, maybe more than usual,? head coach Allen Edwards said. ?But my thing to them was, look, this is not an audition. To me, we?re still playing Cowboy basketball. I really didn?t want to see ?I.? Just so you felt like, ?Oh, now it?s my chance. Now I can show Coach what I can do.? Just play how we play.
?And I thought Sam did a great job of defending and moving the basketball. I thought he did a really good job.?
Edwards expects to have all three players back for Monday?s game against Troy.
?Probably a one-game deal,? Edwards said of James and Moemeka?s suspension. ?That?s how I put it to the team, and I put it to them. We knew going into the game that those two were not going to play. They?ll suit up, and I expected them to just be cheerleaders tonight, but outside of that I thought what was great was just showing our depth within our guys. Guys having an opportunity to step up, and guys having the opportunity to play more minutes.?
James is Wyoming?s leading scorer with 15.4 points per game, despite not starting a game this season. Moemeka is scoring 0.3 points per game and has played 7 minutes per game.
Aka Gorski is averaging 7.9 points and 26.3 minutes per game. He started the first six games of the season.
?His deal was more protocol,? Edwards said of Aka Gorski. ?He was more than able of probably playing today. But it?s just protocol. He practiced a little bit yesterday, and he worked out with us today at shootaround and contact. So he?ll be back for the Troy game.?
Troy is 6-5 on the season after an 82-77 loss Saturday against undefeated Southern California. The Trojans led No. 24 USC by as many as 10 points. Monday?s game is a campus game in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic, as were the Trojans? game against USC and the Cowboys? game against Cornell.
Wyoming has won five straight, all during this six-game home spell that began Nov. 30.
