LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Tre’ Coggins scored 20 points and Max Yon added 14, including the go-ahead free throws, as Air Force held on for a 55-53 win over Wyoming on Tuesday.
Coggins hit four of his first five shots to lead the Falcons (11-15, 5-10 Mountain West) to only their second win in 10 games.
“I was in a slump for a little while, but I’ve worked my butt off in practice, before practice, after practice, getting those shots up,” Coggins said. “My shot’s coming back and it feels like it’s going to stay the rest of the season.”
Nathan Sobey scored 18 points to pace Wyoming (17-11, 8-7), while Jerron Granberry added a season-high 14 and Josh Adams had 11. Derek Cooke Jr. had 11 rebounds to go with seven points.
Yon’s two free throws with 2:37 left put the Falcons ahead 51-50, and after Granberry was called for a charging foul, Yon added two more foul shots at the 1:47 mark.
After a Coggins free throw made it 54-50, Adams drained a 3 with 13.6 seconds left to trim the lead to 54-53. Kamryn Williams made 1 of 2 free throws for Air Force with 11.7 seconds remaining, and Sobey missed a 3 just before the buzzer.
It was the second straight loss for the Cowboys since losing Larry Nance Jr., their top scorer and rebounder, for the season to a torn ACL in his right knee.
“It’s obviously going to be different,” Sobey said. “You’re losing a player who plays 30-35 minutes, who’s our leading scorer, but that’s no reason (for the loss). We were in this game. We had a shot to win it. It didn’t go in, and we missed some free throws.”
Air Force led 27-23 at the half, but Sobey scored on three straight possessions to put Wyoming ahead for the first time since midway through the first period. The Aussie stole the ball and dunked, then canned a 3 and followed with another dunk - all in a span of 64 seconds - to put the Cowboys ahead 30-29.
The lead then changed hands nine more times before Yon’s late foul shots put the Falcons ahead to stay.
Both teams shot poorly from long range - a combined 9 of 42 from beyond the arc - but Air Force won the rebound battle 37-29 and was better at the free throw line, 70 percent to 53.
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