Northern Colorado Comes Up Short Against Wyoming

During the first half and early parts of the second half, it looked like Northern Colorado might pull off an impressive home win against a good Wyoming club. The Wyoming went on a 23-5 run in the second half to take control of the lead, and didn't give it up down the stretch, winning 69-60.

Like has been the case a lot over the past couple of years, Northern Colorado was done in by their turnovers, as they looked sloppy at parts in the first and second halves, turning the ball over a total of 20 times. Point guard Tevin Svihovec seemed to struggle the most, as he had five turnovers himself, often getting the ball just stolen from him. I know taking care of the ball has been a point of emphasis for the Bears coaches, but it didn't get through in this game.

Paul Garnica led the team with 13 points, and he continues to be a guy that can play you into games or out of games. He takes quick shots at times, often before anyone else has even touched the ball. On the other hand, he is one of their best playmakers with the ball in his hands, and has an outside shot that has to be respected. He also had three assists and no turnovers.

Derrick Barden had nine points and seven rebounds, and scored in some different ways. He drained a three, and also showed some nice moves off the dribble. He is a player that needs to be more aggressive, and I think that will come with time.

Two other quick player notes... James Davis played what I would guess was a career high in minutes in the backcourt, and handled himself well. He looks like he is their best on the ball defender. Emmanuel Addo is a guy with a ton of talent, and they tried to go to him often, but he just wasn't effective in this game. He played just 10 minutes, but had four turnovers.

The Bears drop to 1-2, and will travel to take on Colorado State next Monday, where I hope to be in attendance to see them in person. If they play like they did tonight, particularly in the second half, it could be a long evening for them.

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