LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowboys fell behind early and never recovered in an 88-53 loss to Colorado State on Saturday afternoon at Moby Arena, while the Cowgirls used a fourth-quarter surge to secure a 59-54 win over San Jose State at the Arena-Auditorium.
Cowboys Falter Against Hot-Shooting Rams
Wyoming (12-14, 5-8 MW) struggled offensively from the start, opening the contest 1-of-11 from the field and finishing at 37.7 percent shooting. Meanwhile, Colorado State (20-6, 8-5 MW) was red-hot, shooting 60.7 percent from the field and 58.3 percent from beyond the arc, hitting 14 three-pointers.
“It is extremely frustrating. We told our guys two aren’t touchdowns and you can’t give up any threes,” Wyoming head coach Sundance Wicks said. “The effort wasn’t good enough tonight and we need a response to take the next step.”
The Cowboys were led by Obi Agbim and Dontaie Allen, who each scored 15 points. Agbim recorded his 21st double-figure scoring game of the season and hit three or more triples for the 12th time this year. Allen tied a season-high with five made baskets.
The Rams seized control early with a 9-0 run fueled by three-pointers. Agbim broke the drought with a triple, but Wyoming fell behind 18-3 as it struggled to generate offense. CSU hit eight first-half threes to build a 44-19 halftime lead.
The Cowboys showed some fight early in the second half, with Agbim and Allen trimming the deficit to 46-29. However, the Rams responded with a 7-0 run and later knocked down five consecutive three-pointers to put the game out of reach. CSU’s Nique Clifford led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting and secured 11 rebounds for a double-double.
Wyoming returns to Laramie for a two-game homestand, beginning with Air Force on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
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Cowgirls Use Fourth-Quarter Surge to Down Spartans
The Wyoming Cowgirls (16-8, 9-4 MW) overcame offensive struggles with a dominant fourth-quarter run to pull away from San Jose State (7-18, 4-10 MW). Wyoming opened the final frame with a 14-1 surge, turning a tight contest into a comfortable lead before a late Spartan push made the final score closer.
“We were obviously still able to do some stuff today and hit some shots,” Wyoming head coach Heather Ezell said. “It was the same defensive scheme that we saw against them at their place, we just didn’t hit as many shots today. We got to the free-throw line today, I wish we had finished there better. I wasn’t worried about the score there at the end. I wanted to get some rest for the starters today since we play Tuesday.”
Wyoming led 21-17 after a back-and-forth first quarter but struggled offensively in the second, scoring just seven points while holding SJSU to five. Both teams endured long scoreless droughts, with Wyoming going the final 4:44 of the half without a basket and the Spartans failing to score for more than five minutes. The Cowgirls led 28-22 at the break.
The offensive struggles continued in the third, but Wyoming used four late points from Kati Ollilainen to push its lead to 41-32 entering the fourth. The Cowgirls finally found a rhythm in the final frame, as Allyson Fertig opened the quarter with a layup, followed by an Emily Mellema free throw to extend the lead to double digits. A three-pointer from Tess Barnes and another from Malene Pedersen put Wyoming ahead 55-33 with 5:27 to play.
Pedersen recorded her second consecutive 20-point game and fifth of the season, scoring 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including three triples. Fertig contributed 18 points and dominated the boards with 16 rebounds. Mellema added seven points and tied for the team lead with three assists.
Despite a late push by San Jose State, which applied full-court pressure against Wyoming’s reserves, the Cowgirls held on for the win. Wyoming shot 44 percent from the field but struggled at the free-throw line, making just 11-of-23 attempts. SJSU finished at 32.8 percent from the floor and hit only 3-of-17 from deep.
The Cowgirls will look to carry their momentum into a home matchup against Air Force on Tuesday.
