February 26, 2024 |
Photo – Hook shot – Courtesy gowyo.com
The Cowgirls fell short to New Mexico 59-58 on Saturday afternoon at home in another heartbreaker.
Wyoming started out strong, ahead by six points at the end of the first quarter. The second period turned nightmarish for Wyoming. The Cowgirls scored just six points while the Lobos went on a ten-point run to lead 26-18 at the half.
The Cowgirls came out on fire in the third quarter, putting up 27 points, including a three-pointer from Emily Mellama to tie the game at 38 apiece.
David Settle had the call here on Bigfoot 99 as the Cowgirls shook off their funk to take a six-point lead heading into the fourth and final period.
A bucket from Marta Savic put Wyoming ahead and Wyoming took a four-point lead into the fourth quarter.
New Mexico’s 44% shooting from three-point range was the difference maker. The Lobos knocked down 11-three-point shots.
The Cowgirls went cold in the fourth quarter, shooting just 31%. Only two shots of eight from three-point range found their mark. Wyoming had a shot to win it at the end with a shot from the right corner, but the shot went in and out.
With the loss, the Cowgirls fall to 14-12 overall and 9-6 in conference play. Wyoming is knotted up with San Diego. Both squads have identical conference records. The two teams will end the regular season on March 5th with a showdown on the coast.
Cowgirl Head Coach Heather Ezell summed up the heartbreaking loss.
Wyoming Sophomore Malene Pedersen led all scorers with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Mellema, a junior, added 11 points and a pair of steals while Fertig closed the game with 10 points but shot the ball just five times in the contest.
Riding a four-game losing streak, Wyoming now hits the road for a Wednesday night game against San Jose State. The tip is set for 8 p.m.
