SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Wyoming Cowgirls capped off their time at the Discover Puerto Rico San Juan Shootout with a hard-fought 71-66 victory over Virginia on Saturday. Wyoming led for most of the contest, building a double-digit advantage in the fourth quarter before holding off a late Cavaliers rally.
The Cowgirls set the tone early, recovering from an early 5-2 deficit with an 8-0 run to take a 10-5 lead. Wyoming carried a 16-13 lead into the second quarter, capped by an acrobatic driving layup from Emily Mellema at the buzzer.
Wyoming continued to control the game in the second quarter, stretching its lead to 28-20 with less than two minutes remaining in the half. Virginia trimmed the deficit to 28-26 before Allyson Fertig’s putback layup secured a 30-26 halftime lead for the Cowgirls. Fertig and Malene Pedersen paced Wyoming in the first half with 10 points each.
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The second half began with a flurry of action, including traded 3-pointers from both squads. Pedersen scored five straight points to push the Cowgirls’ lead to 40-31, but Virginia answered with a run that cut it to 40-37, prompting a Wyoming timeout. The Cowgirls responded strongly and entered the fourth quarter with a 49-43 advantage.
Wyoming extended its lead to 58-50 following a three-point play by Tess Barnes and a Fertig layup with just over three minutes remaining. Virginia fought back with a late surge, trimming the deficit to three points in the final minute. However, the Cowgirls held firm, securing a key defensive stop and converting two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining to seal the win.
Pedersen and Fertig led Wyoming’s balanced attack, scoring 23 and 22 points, respectively. The duo became the first Cowgirls to notch 20 points apiece in the same game since Barnes and Mellema achieved the feat against Colorado State last season. Barnes added nine points, while Mellema contributed eight points, a career-high 13 rebounds, and six assists. Heidur Karlsdottir provided key first-half minutes off the bench, scoring four points.
Wyoming shot 42% from the field and made 3-of-16 from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers hit 39% of their shots, including 7-of-21 from deep. The Cowgirls capitalized on their free-throw opportunities, finishing with a plus-five margin at the line. Wyoming also outrebounded Virginia 44-37 and outscored the Cavaliers 38-28 in the paint.
The Cowgirls (4-4) will continue their road swing on Dec. 6, taking on Missouri State at 5:30 p.m. MT.
