Hanging onto the ball key for Cowgirls

Richard Anderson photo
Wyoming freshman Ashley Sickles looses the ball earlier in the season against Gonzaga.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Field goal attempts equal more opportunities to score. Turnovers take away those opportunities.

For the Wyoming Cowgirls these days, turnovers are an issue.

“We’re averaging close to 20 turnovers a game” Wyoming coach Joe Legerski said. “You start doing that, you’re going to end up being .500, and that’s where we sit right now. We just need to make sure that we become better with the basketball and we do it quickly.”

The Cowgirls, 3-3, look to work on some of those problems this week on the road when they face Weber State Thursday night and Idaho State on Saturday.

At times this year, the young Cowgirls have shown the ability to overcome their own mistakes with outstanding shooting from Emma Langford and Kristen Scheffler. But the two freshmen have also played like freshmen at times.

Without the experience of junior point guard Aubrey Vandiver, who is still out with an illness, the calming effect has not been there for the youngsters at times.

“I think it is huge not having Aubrey,” Legerski said. “We were solid at the point guard position coming in, and with the loss of Aubrey, we’ve had to play people with zero experience. It’s a growing time for them, a learning time for them. But it is also a difficult time for this team.”

Time is running out for Wyoming if it wants to see Vandiver on the court. Legerski said if she isn’t ready by the first of the year, she will be redshirted.

“Then we’ll wait for her to finish her last two years after that,” he said.

The tough Wyoming schedule won’t get any easier for the Cowgirls on Thursday, as they face a good Weber State team, beginning at 7 p.m.

“The schedule is what it is,” Legerski said. “Weber State is undefeated a home, they’ve had a big win against the University of Washington at home and they are playing very well. They’ll come at you in an attacking mode, a lot of ball screens, trying to get to the basket. If you make mistakes, they’ll shoot the 3. Caitlin Anderson leads Weber State (3-2), averaging 20.2 points and 9.6 rebounds, while Ali Thorderson is adding 14.8 points and 5.8 rebounds.

Langford leads Wyoming in scoring with 15.5 points and 4.2 assists per game. Senior Megan McGuffey is leading the way with 7.7 rebounds, while chipping in 9.5 points per contest.

“”We’re going to have to take care of the basketball, start making those free throws and getting those opportunities, what I call easy baskets,” Legerski said. “If we start doing that, we’ll be OK.”