LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowgirls capped off their regular season with a historic 71-66 Senior Night victory over UNLV, setting a program record for Mountain West wins in a single season. Meanwhile, the Cowboys struggled with cold shooting in a 62-58 road loss at Fresno State, closing their season on a tough note ahead of the conference tournament.
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Cowgirls Rally Past UNLV for Landmark Win
The Cowgirls (20-9, 14-4 MW) overcame a halftime deficit for the third time in four games, using a strong fourth quarter to secure their 14th conference victory—the most in program history.
Wyoming jumped out to an early 11-3 lead and maintained a 22-16 advantage after the first quarter. However, UNLV (19-10, 12-6 MW) fought back in the second, taking a brief lead before the Cowgirls closed the gap to 36-34 at halftime.
The teams traded momentum throughout the third quarter, with Wyoming leading 48-45 before UNLV reclaimed a 51-49 edge heading into the final period. A 6-0 Cowgirl run to open the fourth gave them the lead for good, with Malene Pedersen’s career-high 27 points and Emily Mellema’s clutch three-point play helping to secure the win in the final minute.
Allyson Fertig recorded her 12th double-double of the season with 16 points, 19 rebounds, and three blocks. Mellema added 17 points and six boards, while seniors Tess Barnes and Mckinley Dickerson combined for 10 assists in their final home game. Wyoming shot 50% from the field, including 12-of-24 from beyond the arc, while UNLV hit 40.3% of its shots.
“This was all about sending our seniors out the right way,” head coach Heather Ezell said. “We withstood their runs and made our own when it mattered.”
The Cowgirls will enter the Mountain West Tournament as the No. 2 seed and face the winner of Air Force vs. Utah State on Monday, March 10, at 6 p.m. MT in Las Vegas.
Cowboys Struggle in Road Loss to Fresno State
The Cowboys (15-16, 8-10 MW) closed their regular season with a hard-fought but frustrating 62-58 loss to Fresno State (14-17, 7-11 MW). Despite hitting 12 three-pointers, Wyoming was outscored at the free-throw line by 14 points and outrebounded 45-33.
“We had to hit shots against their zone, but rebounding was the difference,” head coach Sundance Wicks said. “Fresno State was the tougher team tonight.”
Wyoming shot just 32.8% from the field and 30% from deep. Obi Agbim led the Cowboys with 17 second-half points, including five three-pointers. Kobe Newton and Dontaie Allen added 15 and 14 points, respectively, while Touko Tainamo grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
Fresno State controlled the paint and took advantage of Wyoming’s scoring droughts. After the Cowboys went up 38-37 with 11:45 remaining, the Bulldogs responded with a decisive stretch at the free-throw line to regain control. Wyoming cut the deficit to one on Agbim’s fifth three-pointer, but Fresno State’s late free throws sealed the win.
The Bulldogs were led by Elijah Price (16 points, 13 rebounds) and Alex Crawford (15 points, 11 rebounds), as four Fresno State players scored in double figures.
The Cowboys will head to the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas, opening play in the first round on Wednesday, March 12, at Noon MT.
