The Wyoming Cowgirls have been inconsistent at best offensively this year, evidenced by their ranking only eighth in the Mountain West in scoring offense and just how much their offense hinges on the production of three to four specific players reaching double figures every night out. However, that inconsistency seems to matter little when the Cowgirls are able to completely restrict even the best of offenses in the Mountain West Conference with their brutally potent defensive prowess.
Their defense has been ever so consistent all year long, though, and their swarming pressure on that end of play has only tightened as the season has gone on. More often than not, the Cowgirls have suffocated the opposition, limiting them with their hard-nosed defense that currently ranks first in the conference in scoring defense. The Cowgirls are holding opponents this year to a staggering 58.4 points per game and that number is even good for 57th in the nation–out of 353 teams, by the way.
Their defense alone has been able to drag them across the finish line in multiple games this season, with no contest more evident of that than when Cowgirls held Nevada scoreless for the final nine minutes of the fourth quarter in a grueling 45-42 victory in Reno that included the Cowgirls firing off a 17-0 run in those final nine minutes to steal a crucial road victory away from the jaws of defeat.
“I think right now it’s all about finishing with toughness. You look at our last game with Nevada, that’s toughness right there,” head coach Heather Ezell said after the Cowgirls took down New Mexico in another defensive slugfest, 59-40.
When you take a magnifying glass to this team, though, what else in specific about them makes them a contender to take home hardware from the Mountain West tournament? The Cowgirls scoring defense is a standout, and another big reason for that is their ability to rebound the ball–keeping opposing teams to one-and-done possessions.
And while the Cowgirls may not have an upbeat and high-flying offense that can put up eye-popping numbers on a nightly basis, they are still extremely efficient on the offensive end of the court. The Cowgirls rank first in the conference in field goal percentage and also host one of the most efficient scorers–and leading scorer–in the conference, Allyson Fertig. Junior Malene Pederson has also proven to be one of the Cowgirls’ most prolific shooters down the stretch, as her play of late has seen her rise to be the Cowgirls’ second-leading scorer and most dangerous outside scoring threat.
The Cowgirls are also one of the better teams in the conference in taking care of the basketball and love to share the wealth, as they also rank first in assists per game in the league.
The Cowgirls will have a chance to secure their place in second in the league after overtaking Colorado State after beating them on the road by a final score of 68-55, avenging the loss the Cowgirls took at home to the Rams earlier this season. Their chance to solidify second place won’t be easy, as they take on UNLV in their final contest of the season this Tuesday night. The Lady Rebels roll into town with an eight-game winning streak and only one loss in league play to their name. In the first contest between the two teams this season, the Lady Rebels were able to escape with a one-point overtime victory on their home floor.
Handing the Lady Rebels their second loss in conference play will undoubtedly invoke a myriad of confidence, let alone momentum as the Cowgirls look to begin their Mountain West tournament championship run on March 10.
