Friday the Cowgirls faced the 3-0 Iowa State Cyclones, the Cyclones added an 84-63 win over the Cowgirls to their undefeated record.
In the 21-point loss, senior forward Kayla Woodward lead the Cowgirls in scoring with 18 points during her 31 minutes of play. Following on the scoreboard was senior guard Kaitlyn Mileto with 14 points, followed by junior guard Marquelle Dent with 13. Both freshman forward Bailee Cotton and junior guard Jordan Kelley contributed seven points each.
The Cyclones started the game with a quick 14-0 lead before the Cowgirls could make the scoreboard.
At the half Iowa held a 16-point lead, 42-26, as the Cowgirls were unable to close the gap the Cyclones had created early in the half. At the nine minute mark the Cowgirls had closed in on the Cyclones by a seven-point margin but the Cyclones pulled away, holding the Cowgirls scoreless for the next three minutes.
Woodward had eight points at the half, followed by Kelley with seven and Mileto with five. Collectively, the Cowgirls had 19 rebounds, three blocks, three steals and three assists in the first 20-minute period.
In the second half the Cowgirls pulled the score back to a single point margin early on with a three-pointer from Woodward to make an eight-point game. The Cyclones quickly extended their lead 52-36, a 16-point gap, and the Cowgirls were unable to recover.
Of the Cowgirls 63 points nine came off the bench.
Cotton lead the team in rebounds with eight total, Woodward with six, sophomore center Kaylie Rader with five and Dent with four.
Saturday the Cowgirls closed out the St. Mary’s Thanksgiving Classic against the 0-5 Howard Bison.
The Cowgirls took the 67-53 point game for the win, handing the Bison their sixth loss of the season.
Dent recorded a career high game with 32 points and eight rebounds to lead the Cowgirls to victory. Dent’s nine field goals, four three’s and 10 free throws accounted for nearly half of the points put up by the Cowgirl’s in Saturday’s game.
Following Dent on the scoreboard was Woodward with 10 points, Kelley with eight and Mileto with six.
The Cowgirl’s began day two of the Thanksgiving Classic with a three-pointer from Mileto to set the tempo for the Cowgirls.
Howard was able to tie the score around the 15 minute mark at 8-8 but by the end of the half the Wyoming was able to pull away 31-24. The Cowgirls held their largest lead of the half at the six minute mark 25-10 over the Bison. The Bison never lead.
At the end of the first 20 minute period Dent had 14 points, Woodward had 5 points as did Kelley. Wyoming’s 31 points at the half was nearly matched by their 24 team rebounds, five from Woodward and four from both Cotton and Dent.
Howard was 0-5 from beyond the arc and Wyoming tallied 5-14 at the half, two of the five came from Dent.
Entering the second half the Cowgirls continued to build their lead. First with a jumper from Cotton and another three from Dent, the Cowgirls lead by 12 points before the Bison answered with a three-pointer of their own, their first of the night.
At the six-minute mark the Cowgirls held their largest lead of the game 59-32. That 23-point dwindled down to a 14-point game by the end of regulation after a series of missed shots by Wyoming to end the game 67-53.
