LAS VEGAS – Wyoming’s championship hopes came to a heartbreaking end in triple overtime.
The second-seeded Cowgirls fell 72-68 to No. 4 seed San Diego State in the Mountain West Tournament title game Wednesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Wyoming (22-11) had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds of the third overtime, but Emily Mellema’s jumper rimmed out, sealing the victory for the Aztecs (25-9).
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Mountain West Player of the Year Allyson Fertig led Wyoming with 17 points and 18 rebounds. Malene Pedersen scored a team-high 19 points, while McKinley Dickerson added 10 points.
San Diego State’s Veronica Sheffey led all scorers with 24 points, including two free throws in the final seconds to secure the win.
The Cowgirls held the Aztecs to 37.5% shooting but struggled offensively, finishing at 36.9% from the field in a defensive battle.
Late-Game Drama in Regulation and Overtime
Pedersen hit a 3-pointer to cut Wyoming’s deficit to 61-59 with 57.9 seconds left in the second overtime. On the next possession, Dickerson appeared to take a charge, but officials called a blocking foul. Naomi Panganiban made both free throws to extend San Diego State’s lead.
Pedersen responded with a layup with 19.6 seconds remaining, and the Cowgirls forced a turnover. Mellema was fouled but made just one of two free throws, making it 63-62 with 11.3 seconds left.
After Sheffey also went 1-for-2 from the line, Wyoming had another chance to tie. Fertig was fouled with 6.2 seconds remaining and made both free throws under pressure, sending the game to a third overtime tied at 64. Sheffey’s last-second attempt at the buzzer rimmed out.
San Diego State took control early in the third overtime, scoring the first five points to take the largest lead of the game for either team at 52-47.
Dickerson drained a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 52-50. After Sheffey answered with a jumper, Fertig scored inside to make it 54-52.
With 6.3 seconds left in the first overtime, Mellema tied the score at 54 with a layup. The Cowgirls had a chance to win it after a defensive stop, but Mellema’s desperation shot was blocked with 1.7 seconds left.
Defensive Battle in Regulation
Both teams tightened up defensively in the fourth quarter. Wyoming managed just one field goal in the period until Fertig tied the game at 47 with 1:26 remaining.
Mellema missed a contested layup in the final minute, giving San Diego State possession with 25 seconds left. The Cowgirls forced a stop, as Fertig dove on the floor to secure a crucial rebound after a missed shot by Panganiban.
Earlier, Pedersen hit a corner 3-pointer to tie the game, and Dickerson followed with a layup to give Wyoming a 43-41 lead late in the third quarter. Dickerson also recorded a key steal moments later.
Wyoming started slowly with four early turnovers but found momentum as Pedersen scored the team’s first five points. Fertig’s first field goal cut San Diego State’s lead to 8-7 at the first media timeout.
Tess Barnes, who was scoreless in Wyoming’s 57-45 semifinal win over Fresno State, knocked down a 3-pointer with 44 seconds left in the first quarter. Kati Ollilainen then hit another 3 at the buzzer to give the Cowgirls a 17-14 lead.
Despite shooting 60% in the first quarter, Wyoming committed five turnovers, leading to four points for San Diego State.
Ollilainen converted a tough drive, Pedersen scored on a layup, and Mellema added a basket to put Wyoming ahead 27-24.
Panganiban, who finished with nine points and two assists in the first half, tied the game at 27 with a 3-pointer just before halftime. The Aztecs had 11 more shot attempts in the first half, aided by four offensive rebounds and nine Wyoming turnovers.
Another Close Call in the Title Game
Wyoming, which swept the regular-season series against San Diego State, fell in the Mountain West Tournament championship game for the second time in three seasons. The Cowgirls also lost in the 2023 title game against UNLV.
