Cowboys face difficult road test

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By ERIC SCHMOLDT

Monday, November 19, 2007 2:05 AM MST

If the Cowboys thought Denver was unfriendly, they don't have to look far to know Beaumont, Texas could be worse.

A simple phone call to his friend Dave Rose, head coach at BYU, told Heath Schroyer all he needed to hear.

"BYU had a great season -- went to the NCAA tournament -- and lost (at Lamar in the regular season)," the first-year head coach said. "I talked to Dave about it and he said it's going to be a tough place to play.

"But on any given night, especially on the road, anything can happen."

The Cougars learned that the hard way last year, falling 86-77 to the Cardinals in overtime at the Montagne Center.

It was one of just nine games the eventual Mountain West Conference champions lost all season.

"We know that," UW senior guard Brad Jones said. "We know they're a great team. They came here last year, and it was a battle."

Last December, the Cowboys needed a second-half rally to dispel the Cardinals, 69-64 at the Arena-Auditorium.

Lamar brings an uptempo game that is similar to what UW saw last year.

"They want to get up and down, run and gun, kind of like we want to play," Jones said.

That style is a far cry from the Princeton-style offense that the Pioneers employed in the debacle in Denver on Tuesday night.

"It's about a 180-degree difference than Denver," Schroyer said. "I think a couple of big keys for us is conversion defense and trying to contain them off the dribble. It'll be another good test for us."

Lamar was picked as the preseason favorites to win the Southland Conference's East Division by the league's coaches.

The Cardinals are 1-1 in two blowouts -- they beat LeTourneau by 39 to open the season but fell 108-70 at Ole Miss on Friday.

"They're really talented," Schroyer said. "They put five guys on the floor that can all go and make plays.

"We're going to have to be ready and come there with our A-game."

BUNKER STAYS LATE: Junior guard Travis Bunker didn't get a chance to go to the Cowgirls' game on Wednesday night because he was studying for a test.

But after he was finished he made it back to the A-A for a 30-minute shooting session.

The usually sharp shooter has shot nothing but 3-pointers so far this year, but was 1-for-8 in the opener and 1-for-5 against Denver and was hoping the late-night practice would help him find his rhythm.

"Eric (Platt) and Travis and (Ryan Dermody) didn't shoot the ball very well, but they will," Schroyer said. "The thing that's hurt (Platt and Bunker) is that they haven't been able to practice regularly. They just need to find their rhythm again."

POKES CHANGE TRAVEL STYLE: Everything else has changed, so why not tinker with how the Cowboys travel to road games?

The biggest changes have come in clothing and cell-phone use.

"We're all wearing the same things, first and foremost," Schroyer said. "We don't have any cell phones once we get to the city -- no cell phones on the bus, no cell phones at meals, no cell phones at meetings.

"We take notebooks and guys do a lot of taking notes and watching a lot of film in preparation, and all that's a learning process."

Contact sports reporter Eric Schmoldt at (307) 266-0578 or [email protected]

COWBOYS TRACKER

TONIGHT: Wyoming at Lamar, Montagne Center, Beaumont, Texas, 6 p.m.

LAST MEETING: Wyoming 69, Lamar 64, Dec. 16, 2006, Laramie.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Cowboys are looking for their first road win under Heath Schroyer. They lost at Denver on Tuesday.

UP NEXT: UW closes out a three-game road stretch at Wichita State on Saturday