The Cowboys basketball team defeated Coastal Carolina, 83-59, last Friday in the Arena Auditorium to win the College Basketball Invitational.
UW head coach Allen Edwards is the seventh coach in NCAA DI history to win a postseason title in his first season. The win was also the Cowboys first postseason title since winning the national championship in 1943.
“Not many teams get to finish their season off with a win, so it’s pretty special,” Justin James said. “It was an amazing journey with these guys and to send Jason (Mcmanamen) and Mo (Moemeka) out like that is nice.”
James was also named the CBI tournament MVP after averaging just over 17 points a game.
“J.J. (Justin James) is a talented young man,” coach Allen Edwards said. “I don’t think you can say when you look around this league that he isn’t one of the most talented players in our league.”
The Cowboy’s shot 43 percent from the field and were led by forward Hayden Dalton, who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.
Two seniors played their final game in the AA on Friday. Jason Mcmanamen and Morris Marshall both cut the nets down in their last game in the brown and gold. Mcmanamen, a Torrington native, finishes as Wyoming’s all-time three-point leader.
“Playing here for 5 years and being from Wyoming, I just loved every second of it,” Mcmanamen said. “Getting to play with this group and ending my college career with a win, I’m not sure it could have ended any better.”
Coach Edwards also tipped his cap to his senior leader after the game.
“Jason (McManamen) has always been a team guy,” Edwards said. “When we began this tournament I talked to him about his role maybe changing in this tournament, but he told me he would do whatever he could to help the team. Whatever that young man does in the future, he will be successful at it.”
The Chanticleers never had a lead in game three of the championship series. The score was tied 2-2 a minute into the first half, but for the remainder of the game the cowboys were in control, holding Carolina to 35 percent shooting and 19 percent behind the arc.
“I think the same we saw on Wednesday night happened tonight, we just didn’t make shots and they did,” Coastal Carolina head coach Cliff Ellis said. “You really have to give them credit defensively and taking away what we wanted to do.”
UW can move into next season with high hopes after their first postseason title in 75 years. Edwards took a moment to thank the fans after the win.
“I can’t say enough about the fans tonight. They provided great energy for us,” Edwards said. “I couldn’t be happier for our players, our coaches and our fans. This is truly about the team. I was the one chosen to lead this program, but this is about everyone who has worked so hard all year.”
