Central Wyoming hit better than 65 percent of its shots in the final 20 minutes. The visting team used that accuracy to transform a 36-31 halftime deficit into a lead of as many as 13 points in the second half before a frantic Northwest rally brought the Trappers storming back.
Northwest actually had an opportunity to tie the contest in the final minute as it trailed by three with possession of the basketball. The team failed to connect from the perimeter, however, and Central Wyoming knocked down its late free throws to take home the victory.
Frey and Junior Coleman each finished with 14 points to lead the way for the Trappers. Central’s Armani Flannigan outdistanced all scorers with 30 points in the game.
“We never adjusted defensively in the second half to take away the inside from them,” said Ward.
Jeffrey Solarin and Chris Hansen each scored 12 points for Northwest. Frey and Solarin each had nine rebounds as the Trappers controlled the glass for a 35-23 rebounding edge.
The Trappers also dropped a 75-64 decision at Sheridan on Saturday.
“We’re having trouble scoring with the ball right now,” said Ward. “We’re just not getting the offensive output that we need.”
Despite the struggles, Northwest was still in the contest at halftime, thanks to a strong defensive showing. Just like the Central game, however, the Trappers watched as an opponent lit up the scoreboard in the second half. This time, it was Sheridan connecting on more than 63 percent of its second-half shots.
“Our presence defensively was not where it needed to be,” said Ward.
Stats from the Sheridan game were unavailable at press time.
Northwest slides to 17-7 overall and 5-5 in Region IX play. The Trappers are just 3-5 since resuming action since the holidays.
Northwest hosts Little Big Horn on Wednesday night. It will be the only game this week for the Trapper men.
“We’ll use the week to work on our shooting and see if we can’t work through this,” said Ward. “We’ve got some little things to address. We’re not in need of a major overhaul, but there are some little things we can work on.”
While the losses temporarily knock the Trappers clear to sixth place in the Region IX standings, Ward notes the balanced nature of the league doesn’t necessarily mean his team is out of the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the North.
“We’re not in control of our own destiny, but we can still get there,” said Ward. “We still have to play (Region IX North leader) Miles Community College here. We still go to Casper next week. If we can win those games, we’ll be right back into it. We’ll need some help from other people in the region, but we’re not out of it as far as a high seeding goes, that’s for sure.”
C. Wyoming 76, Northwest 71
Jeffrey Solarin 12, Junior Coleman 14, Konner Frey 14, Chris Hansen 12, Diego Pasos 2, Guilherme Carabagiale 6, Zach Stanley 7, Pietro de Andrade 4.