Cowgirls Faces Gonzaga and Idaho on Road
Cowgirls bring 3-1 mark into this week’s action
LARAMIE – The Wyoming women’s basketball team will embark on the first two games of its three-game road swing beginning on Thursday night.
The Cowgirls will face the Gonzaga Bulldogs followed by a Saturday matchup against the Idaho Vandals. Thursday’s game is set to begin at 7 p.m. MT before a 3 p.m. MT contest in Moscow. Live stats, audio and video can be found on the women’s basketball Gameday Central page located on the GoWyo.com website.
Wyoming is currently 3-1 overall on the young season after a nine-point win, 76-67, over the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos on Friday night. Four starters finished the night in double-figures led by Marquelle Dent. She finished with 17 points and six assists in 26 minutes.
Marta Gomez had 16 points, Jordan Kelley added 13 points and Liv Roberts recorded 12 points. Roberts also had a team-high seven rebounds. The Cowgirls shot 22-of-44 (.500) from the field and 27-of-35 (.771) from the free throw line. UW outrebounded UCSB 29-27 and had 24 points off turnovers.
Gomez currently leads all scorers averaging 18.0 points along with 4.3 rebounds per contest. She currently ranks first in scoring, three-point field goals made and three-point field goal percentage in the MW. Dent follows with 15.8 points and a team-high 5.8 assists while Kelley has 9.5 rebounds per contest.
UW is shooting 94-of-223 (.422) from the field and 28-of-80 (.350) from beyond the arc. The Cowgirls are also outscoring opponents 70.5-61.5 and outrebounding teams 36.0-29.
The Bulldogs are 4-3 entering the contest. Gonzaga has four players almost averaging double-digits led by Elle Tinkle. The senior guard is averaging 11.8 points along with 3.8 boards per contest. Jill Barta is adding 11.4 points and 4.7 points off the bench.
As a team, Gonzaga is averaging 66.3 points per contest and 40.1 rebounds. The Bulldogs return three starters and eight letterwinners to a team that went 26-8 overall and 16-2 in the West Coast Conference. This is the fifth meeting between the two schools. Gonzaga holds the series record 3-1.
The last time the two teams met was Dec. 12, 2014, with the Bulldogs winning 70-56 in Laramie. Lisa Fortier enters her second season at the helm of the Gonzaga program.
The Vandals are currently 5-1 overall after a recent win over Iowa State, 97-65, and will play Wednesday night. Geraldine McCorkell leads the way with 18.5 points and 6.7 rebounds. Christina Salvatore follows with 12.3 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds.
As a team, the Vandals are scoring 79 points per contest compared to the 57.7 points scored by their opponents. Idaho returns four starters and 11 letterwinners to a team that went 14-15 overall and 8-10 in league play. This is the 11th meeting between the two schools with the Cowgirls leading the series 6-4. The last time the two teams met was Nov. 25, 2014 in Laramie. Idaho is coached by Jon Newlee, who is in his eighth season.
Pokes at Pioneers for Wednesday Showdown
LARAMIE – The University of Wyoming men’s basketball team seeks its first road win of the 2015-16 season on Wednesday, but faces a tough task at Denver. The home team has won in each of the last 13 meetings between the Cowboys (4-2) and Pioneers (5-1), as the Pokes have not claimed a victory in Magness Arena since 2001.Tip is set for 7 p.m. MT.
The contest will be televised by ROOT Sports (Charter: 523, DirecTV: 659) and broadcast on the radio by the Cowboy Sports Network. Fans can follow live stats and audio of the game through the men’s basketball Gameday Central page on GoWYO.com.
A Look at the Matchup
The Cowboys and head coach Larry Shyatt upped their record to 4-2 with an 82-68 win over Montana State last Saturday in the Arena-Auditorium. Wyoming was behind by four, 40-36, at the break, before coming out of the break with a quick 5-0 spurt to retake the lead.
The Cowboys and Bobcats would swap the advantage for several minutes, before back-to-back threes gave Wyoming the lead for good five minutes into the second half. The Pokes would extend the lead to as much as 15 at 72-57 with six minutes remaining.
Wyoming shot 51 percent (27-of-53) from the field for the third game this season above 50 percent, and added 42 percent (11-of-26) from deep and 77 percent (17-of-22) at the charity stripe. MSU connected on 44 percent (26-of-59) and 37 percent (10-of-27), respectively. Wyoming led in rebounds for the first time this season with a 35-33 advantage on the boards and added a 17-8 lead in assists.
On the season, Wyoming averages 74.0 points on 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from deep, while allowing 70.4 points on 43 and 35 percent, respectively. The Cowboys make 9.8 threes per game, which ranks second in the MW and 29th in the NCAA. Wyoming’s 9.6 turnovers per game this season lead the conference and are 14th in the nation, while its plus 1.4 assist-turnover ratio is first in the conference and 44th nationally.
Longtime head coach Joe Scott has a young Denver squad out to a 5-1 start to 2015-16. Like the Cowboys, the Pioneers added six freshmen this season. 77 percent (13-of-17) of DU’s roster is underclassmen to 80 percent for Wyoming.
The Pioneers opened with a 71-58 setback versus Milwaukee on Nov. 13, but have since reeled off five-straight victories. Denver downed Santa Clara, 55-33, and Lipscomb, 82-69, before earning home wins over Utah Valley, 75-62, Idaho State, 79-69, and most recently South Alabama, 69-56, last Saturday. The Pioneers used the help of their three seniors, who combined to score 47 of Denver’s 69 points.
DU jumped out to a 24-point lead in the second half and the Jaguars were able to cut the deficit, but the lead never got closer than nine points. Denver shot 57 percent (25-of-44), to South Alabama’s 39 percent (18-of-46) from the field for the game. The Pioneers shot just 31 percent from behind the three-point line (5-of-16), while the Jaguars hit 23 percent (4-of-17) from three.
Overall, Denver scores 69.7 points per game on 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from deep. DU is 35th in the NCAA in three-point percentage. Defensively, the Pioneers allow 60.0 points on 39 and 32 percent, respectively. The Pioneers are 18th in the nation in scoring defense. DU has a minus 2.2 rebounding margin, but a plus 1.0 turnover margin.
Each Team’s Leaders
Senior guard Josh Adams topped 20 points for the fourth-straight game with 25 against Montana State last Saturday. His 24.6 points per game lead the MW and rank fifth in the NCAA, as he adds 4.6 rebounds and a team-high 4.8 assists per game.
His 3.2 triples per game are first in the conference and 34th nationally, while his 4.8 assists are fourth. Junior guard Jason McManamen tied his career high for a second-consecutive contest with 16 points versus the Bobcats. He averages 11.6 points per game, thanks in part to a team-high 48 percent (11-of-14) beyond the arc.
Sophomore forward Alan Herndon grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds against MSU and averages a team-high 5.0 per game to go with 7.8 points and 1.4 blocks. Fellow sophomore forward Jonathan Barnes in the other half of UW’s frontcourt at 2.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per contest. Sophomore guard Alexander Aka Gorski made his first career start last Saturday. He adds 5.6 points and 1.2 assists per game.
Senior guard Nate Engesser is Denver’s top scorer at 16.2 points per game, but he comes off the bench and averages 22.5 minutes per game. He adds 3.3 rebounds and is shooting 62 percent from the field this season and 58 percent from deep, which ranks fifth in the nation.
His 3.5 triples per game are 16th in the NCAA. He had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists against South Alabama. Senior guard Bryant Rucker contributes 10.0 points per game and freshman guard Joe Rosga adds 10.3. Rucker had a season-high 16 points versus South Alabama, while Rosga notched 10 points and a season-high seven rebounds.
Redshirt senior forward Marcus Byrd scored a game-high 16 against South Alabama and averages 9.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Freshman forward C.J. Bobbitt adds 7.8 points and a team-high 4.3 rebounds per contest and freshman guard Thomas Neff rounds out DU’s probable starters at 3.3 points and 2.0 assists.
About the Series
The Pokes own a 102-50 lead in the all-time series with the Pioneers, including 39-35 in Denver, but the home team has won each of the last 13 meetings between the two programs. Wyoming has not won at Denver since 2001. In their last matchup, the Cowboys won a 68-42 home game over the Pioneers on Dec. 2, 2014. Wyoming led by as many as 27 points late in the second half thanks to 17 points from Larry Nance Jr. and 10 from Charles Hankerson Jr.
Up Next
Wyoming hosts its biggest opponent of the nonconference season when RV/RV California visits the Arena-Auditorium on Saturday at 1 p.m. MT. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Wyoming Athletics Ticket Office at 877-WYO-FAN1 (877-996-3261) or online at GoWYO.com.
Beach, Slofkiss Earn All-Mountain West Honors
Copeland Named MW Freshman of the Year
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Wyoming junior’s Laura Beach and Kayla Slofkiss have been named All-Mountain West selections, while Reed Copeland was tabbed the Freshman of the Year, the conference office announced today.
It marks the second all-conference award for Beach and first for Slofkiss. Copeland became the third-ever Cowgirl to be named Freshman of the Year, as Jodi Purdy and Rachel Smith won the award in 2009 and 2004, respectively.
Beach was one of eight middle blockers to garner All-MW honors. She played in all 30 matches and 116 sets for the Cowgirls this season. At her position, Beach hit over .400 in 11 matches. She ranked first on the team in attacking percentage at .337, which was fifth-best in the MW as she had 273 kills in 600 attempts.
Beach averaged 1.10 blocks per set, and against conference opponents she finished the regular season with 1.14 blocks per set. Her .337 attacking percentage is tied fifth in Wyoming single-season history. Beach was named to the Rumble in the Rockies, Gonzaga Invite, UniWyo Pistol Pete’s Showdown and Wyoming Invite All-Tournament teams, in addition to being selected MVP of the Wyoming Invite.
Slofkiss added a team-high 306 kills and 2.78 kills per set and was second on the team with 2.52 digs per set this season. She played in 29 matches with 28 starts and 110 sets for the Cowgirls. A six-rotation player, Slofkiss recorded 14 double-doubles on the season, which was second-best in the MW.
She led the Cowgirls in kills 14 times this season and also recorded at least 10 digs in 15 matches. In conference play, Slofkiss averaged 2.85 kills per set with a total of 185. Slofkiss posted a career-high 19 kills in a five-set victory against New Mexico. She was also selected to the Rumble in the Rockies and Gonzaga Invite All-Tournament teams.
In Copeland’s first season wearing the Brown and Gold, the middle blocker not only led UW and the MW but finished ranked first nationally in total blocks and blocks per set. Her 190 total blocks set a new MW record for blocks by a freshman and ranked third overall in program history in a single season.
She ran away to lead the NCAA with 1.68 blocks per set to end her freshman campaign and averaged 1.73 blocks per set in conference play. Copeland recorded 13 total blocks against Fresno State, tying the MW record for a freshman in a single MW match. Her 121 total blocks in conference play is also a MW Freshman record.
Copeland also recorded double-figure blocks in six matches. She played in 113 sets for Wyoming, started in 29 of the 30 matches and was fifth on the team with 138 kills.
2015 MW ALL-CONFERENCE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Name Class Position Institution
Akokwe Clement# Sr. OH Air Force
Sarah Baugh# Sr. S Boise State
Sierra Nobley# So. OH Boise State
Maddy O’Donnell# Jr. MB Boise State
Kaitlyn Oliver So. MB Boise State
Maddi Osburn So. L Boise State
Acacia Andrews Jr. MB Colorado St
Adrianna Culbert%# Sr. S/OPP Colorado St
Alexandra Poletto So. MB Colorado St
Alex Reid Sr. OH Colorado State
Maggie Eppright Jr. L Fresno State
Madison Morell Jr. OH Nevada
Skye Gullatt Sr. MB New Mexico
Hannah Johnson%# Sr. S New Mexico
Deja Harris R-Fr. MB San Diego State
Bree Hammel# Jr. MB UNLV
Laura Beach# Jr. MB Wyoming
Kayla Slofkiss Jr. OH Wyoming
Honorable Mention
Shelley Spires So. OH Air Force
Jaime Colaizzi# Sr. L Colorado State
Simone Henderson Sr. MB New Mexico
Cassie House# Jr. OH New Mexico
Bailey Little Jr. RS San Diego State
Tyanna Roy Sr. OH/OPP San José State
Player of the Year: Adrianna Culbert, Sr., S/OPP, Colorado State
Freshman of the Year: Reed Copeland, MB, Wyoming
Newcomer of the Year: Alex Reid, Sr., OH, Colorado State
Coach of the Year: Shawn Garus, Boise State
% = 2013 honoree
# = 2014 honoree
Wyoming vs. Cal Officially a Gold Rush
LARAMIE – University of Wyoming men’s basketball fans are encouraged to don their best gameday gold Saturday, as the Cowboys’ showdown with California is officially a Gold Rush. The first 2,000 student will receive a free T-shirt when the Pokes and Golden Bears clash at 1 p.m. MT in the Arena-Auditorium.
Wyoming owns the fourth-youngest roster in the nation, but enters the week with a 4-2 record and a two-game winning streak. The Cowboys downed CSU Bakersfield and Montana State at home last week, thanks in part to their 9.6 turnovers per game which leads the Mountain West and ranks 14th in the NCAA.
Wyoming is led by senior guard Josh Adams, who was last season’s MW tournament MVP and a preseason All-MW pick. He is averaging 24.6 points per game this season to lead the conference and rank fifth nationally, while his 3.2 triples per game are first in the league and 36th nationally. The Cowboys play at Denver on Wednesday.
The Bears are 4-2 as well and were ranked as high as No. 13 in the nation, but suffered losses to San Diego State and Richmond last week and are receiving votes in both of Monday’s national polls. Cal was picked to finish second in the preseason Pac-12 media poll after returning a trio of guards who averaged in double figures and welcoming two of the top recruits in the nation.
The Bears’ 81.5 points per game are eighth in the NCAA. Senior guard Tyrone Wallace is pacing the Bears at 18.7 points per game, while freshman forward Jaylen Brown has added 16.5 per contest. Wallace’s 41 made field goals are the most in the NCAA. Cal hosts Seattle on Tuesday before traveling to Laramie.
The Cowboys are 2-4 all-time against the Bears, but have downed the last seven Pac-12 members to visit the Dome of Doom and the last eight Power 5 members. Saturday will be Cal’s first trip to Laramie, as Wyoming seeks their 17th-straight nonconference home win to tie for the third-longest streak in program history. The Pokes are 208-35 (.855) all-time in nonconference games in the AA.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early, as Wyoming’s largest crowd of the nonconference season is expected. Tickets can be purchase by calling the Wyoming Athletics Ticket Office at 877-WYO-FAN1 (877-996-3261) or online at GoWYO.com.
