The Wyoming Cowgirls shot 61 percent from behind the arc and rolled past UNLV Saturday 90-62 for their first conference win this season.

Wyoming (8-3, 1-1) knocked down 14-of-23 three-point shots. That’s the second-best mark in school history. It helped the Cowgirls beat the Rebels at home for the sixth straight time.

Freshman Quinn Weidemann scored a career-high 24 points on a career-best seven 3’s to lead UW. Senior Bailee Cotton added a career-high 20 points, which also included a couple of triples. Freshman Karla Erjavec added 14 points, while Taylor Rusk chipped in 12 points and career-best eight assists.

The Cowgirls used an 8-0 surge at the end of the first quarter for a 26-12 lead. Erjavec and Rusk each made a three in their run. Wyoming’s lead was pushed to 29 points late in the half on Weidemann’s fourth three-pointer of the quarter. It was 54-30 at halftime. UW’s lead got to 34, at 77-43, when Weidemann made her fifth triple late in the third. The biggest lead of 36 points came early in the fourth and the Cowgirls cruised from there.

Wyoming shot 59 percent for the game, as they went 33-56 from the floor. They had 22 assists and only 11 turnovers. The Cowgirls also scored 25 points off 17 Rebels turnovers.

UNLV (2-10, 0-2) shot 46 percent from the field. Katie Powell had 20 points to lead the way.

UW returns to action Wednesday at home against San Diego State. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m.

Wyoming Cowboys

A five-minute scoring drought in the second half led to the Cowboys losing their second straight conference game Saturday at UNLV, 68-56.

Wyoming (4-11, 0-2) enjoyed a 36-30 lead early in the second half after baskets by Justin James and Hunter Thompson.

UNLV responded with a 20-2 run, in which the Pokes went 0-10 from the field. That put the Runnin’ Rebels ahead 50-38. The only points in the run were a pair of made free throws by Thompson.

UW pulled within 56-47 on a Jordan Naughton three-point play, but that’s as close as the Cowboys got.

Wyoming was led by Thompson with 17 points, 13 came in the first half. James added 15 points, Trace Young 10 points and a career-high eight rebounds, and A.J. Bank had nine points in his return to his hometown of Las Vegas. The Pokes shot 41 percent for the game, but it was a tale of two halves. They were 50 percent in the first half and only 33 in the second half.

UNLV (8-6, 2-0) is off to a 2-0 start in league play for the first time since 2006. The Rebels were led by Joel Ntambwe with 31 points and 10 rebounds. UNLV shot 39 percent in the game. They also scored 23 points off 18 Wyoming turnovers.

The Cowboys have a quick turnaround, as they play at San Diego State versus the Aztecs Tuesday at 8 p.m.

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