Photo Courtesy of Jose Briceno
The USU Eastern men’s basketball team traveled to Wyoming over the weekend for two games against Central Wyoming and Western Wyoming Community College. The Eagles would have little trouble with Central Wyoming 77-52 but would fall in a nail-biter to Western Wyoming 62-61.
The game with the Central Wyoming Rustlers on Friday showcased the Eagles defense, as they held the Rustlers to 26.7% shooting in the game. Allowing just 28 points in the first half and 24 in the second USU had the clamps down for the majority of the contest.
Kurt Wegscheider led the Eagles with 24 points and 12 rebounds while dishing out four assists. Obenga Olubi scored 17 while grabbing 10 boards and collecting three blocked shots. Payton Falslev threw in 11 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the win.
Game two on Saturday was a battle back and forth the whole game. This was the second time that the Eagles would lock horns with the Western Wyoming Mustangs in seven days. Back on the 13th at the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center the Mustangs got the better of the Eagles 61-45.
This time around the venue would change to Western Wyoming’s home floor but the game was played much closer.
Western Wyoming carried a 36-29 lead into the half, one of the most glaring stats in the game was that the Eagles were out rebounded 52-30 in the contest.
The Eagles came out ready to play in the second half outscoring the Mustangs 32-26. But when the buzzer sounded USU Eastern found themselves on the wrong side of the 62-61 score.
Wegscheider once again led the Eagles in scoring with 16. Olubi added 14 and Isaac Castagnetto put in 12 points to go with his four rebounds.
The Eagles are sitting at 4-3 on the young season with now two losses to Western Wyoming and the loss to Salt Lake Community College in the home opener. USU Eastern will get into the heart of the region schedule on Wednesday Dec. 1, when the College of Southern Idaho comes to town.
The USU Eastern men will start a four game home stand starting Wednesday when they welcome Utah Peaks Prep. Game time is set for 5:00 p.m.