Cowgirls Set New Standard With Win At UNLV
The Wyoming Cowgirls established a new school record with their eighth straight Mountain West Conference win with a 64-49 victory at UNLV Wednesday night.
Wyoming (17-5, 10-3) won for the first time in Las Vegas since 2013. Marta Gomez scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way.
Head coach Joe Legerski pointed to his team’s defensive effort again, as a key to their road breakthrough.
“They know their assignments, they do what we ask and we don’t have a breakdown anywhere down the line. There’s players that are figuring out how to help and do more than one thing. You do have to guard the ball. You have to help, then you have to get back to your player when she gets the ball.”
The Cowgirls used a 24-4 run that bridged the end of the first half and start of the second to break the game wide open. UW went from a 21-20 lead to a 45-24 advantage. They out-scored UNLV 23-8 in the third quarter and had a 53-29 lead as the game entered the final period.
Wyoming shot 52 percent for the game. They were 8-14, 57 percent, from beyond the arc. Bailee Cotton scored 12 points, while Karla Erjavec and Taylor Rusk added nine points apiece. UW also finished with 16 assists. The Cowgirls scored 19 points off 15 Rebels turnovers.
UNLV (9-16, 7-7) shot 36 percent from the floor. They were led by Nikki Wheatley with 14 points. The Rebels did have a 35-23 edge on the glass. They had 18 offensive rebounds that led to 24 points.
This marked the fifth straight game Wyoming held its opponent under 40 percent shooting from the field. UW has also held all of its opponents on their current eight-game winning streak under 60 points.
The game was close early. It was tied 13-13 after the first. A Gomez three-pointer gave the Cowgirls a 16-15 lead in the second. Rusk followed with a three, and Sladjana Rakovic added a jumper, as UW extended to a 21-17 lead with 4:47 left in the first half.
Wyoming returns home for the second meeting versus Colorado State in the Border War Saturday. The game in Laramie is at 2 p.m.