Cowgirls Open Mountain West Play With Convincing Win Over San Jose State
The Wyoming Cowgirls opened Mountain West play in emphatic fashion Wednesday night, rolling past San Jose State 83-60 behind a balanced offensive effort and a dominant middle stretch of the game. Wyoming took control with a 29-point second quarter and followed it up with 25 more in the third to pull away from the Spartans.
San Jose State’s early zone defense slowed Wyoming’s rhythm out of the gate, but the Cowgirls settled in as the game progressed and began finding quality looks through improved movement and ball reversal. Malene Pedersen accounted for Wyoming’s first eight points, though the Spartans jumped in front early and held a 9-6 edge at the first media timeout. Out of the break, Wyoming grabbed its first lead when Heidur Karlsdottir knocked down a jumper, but San Jose State quickly answered from deep. The opening quarter ended deadlocked at 12-12.
The Spartans continued to connect from long range to start the second quarter, while Wyoming steadily found its offensive groove. A Henna Sandvik three sparked the Cowgirls, and both teams traded triples as the score remained tied at 25 at the media timeout. Wyoming seized momentum shortly thereafter, using back-to-back threes and a Pedersen jumper to build a nine-point cushion. A late surge, capped by a Jane Rumpf buzzer-beating heave, sent the Cowgirls into the locker room with a 41-32 halftime advantage.
Wyoming maintained the pressure after the break, opening the third quarter with a basket and continuing the three-point exchange briefly before stretching the lead to 54-40. Another extended run pushed the margin to as many as 21 points, and the Cowgirls closed the quarter in firm control, leading 66-45.
The fourth quarter saw both teams trade baskets early, but Wyoming never allowed the lead to dip below 20. With the outcome well in hand, the Cowgirls slowed the pace late and leaned on their depth to close out the win.
Pedersen and Sandvik paced Wyoming with 21 points apiece, marking the first time since last season that two Cowgirls scored 20 or more in the same game. The bench played a key role, contributing 29 points, including eight each from Lana Beslic and Rumpf, the latter posting a career high. Karlsdottir added six points and seven rebounds.
Logann Alvar finished with six points and joined Beslic, Karlsdottir and Sandvik with a team-high seven rebounds. Wyoming shared the ball effectively throughout the night, recording a season-best 23 assists on 33 made baskets. Payton Muma led the way with a career-high six assists, while Pedersen and Sandvik added five apiece.
Wyoming shot nearly 46 percent from the field and knocked down 10-of-26 attempts from beyond the arc. San Jose State finished at 35 percent overall and struggled from deep after halftime. The Cowgirls also dominated the interior, holding a 34-20 edge in points in the paint and a commanding 24-8 advantage in second-chance points. Wyoming won the rebounding battle by 15, pulled down 15 offensive boards, and limited itself to just seven turnovers.
The Cowgirls will hit the road this weekend, traveling to California for a Mountain West matchup at Fresno State. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Mountain Time.