Cowgirls make the plays to beat Lobos

Richard Anderson photo
Wyoming senior Elisabeth Dissen looks for a shot against New Mexico on Wednesday. Pictured at bottom, left, sophomore Hillary Carlson.

Wyoming-New Mexico game stats

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

For a change, the basketball bounced the Wyoming Cowgirls’ way.

Hillary Carlson’s basket with 0.3 seconds remaining lifted Wyoming to a 52-50 come-from-behind win over New Mexico on Wednesday in the Arena-Auditorium.

The loss snapped a four-game skid in the A-A for the Cowgirls, who finished the first half of Mountain West Conference play at 3-5 (11-10 overall).

“We just knew that we need to get a shot up and take a chance,” said Carlson, who led all scorers with 16 points and also had the game-winner earlier in the season at Weber State. “The ball just bounced to me. That’s the breaks. It was pretty lucky, I’d say.”

Luck or skill, it didn’t matter for the Cowgirls, who had been struggling offensively as of late, even in the first half on Wednesday.

“There are a few more smiles tonight from the players, as well as the coaches,” said Wyoming coach Joe Legerski, who was indeed smiling in the postgame news conference.

It was a tale of two halves, as Wyoming went over 11 minutes without a field goal and New Mexico led 28-16 at halftime.

The Cowgirls turned to a little defense of their own, holding the Lobos scoreless for the first five minutes of the second half and taking their first lead of the game at 36-35 on a layup by Carlson with 6:56 left.

Emma Langford hit a 3-pointer, two free throws and then a layup with 1:55 to play for a five-point Wyoming lead.

The Lobos rallied and tied the game at 50-50 with 19.2 seconds left on a 3-pointer by Amy Beggin.

Wyoming played for the last shot and Randi Richardson drove to the basket in the final seconds and missed a layup, with Carlson grabbing the rebound and putting back the shot for the game-winner.

Both Carlson and New Mexico coach Don Flanagan were a little surprised with how easy it weas for Carlson to get the game-winner.

“I didn’t feel anyone around me,” Carslon said.

Flanagan might have been more mad than surprised.

"One of the keys is blocking out and at the end, we just didn't block Carlson," Flanagan said.

New Mexico had one last chance, but the full-court pass was off the mark to end the game.

Legerski said that the game is always about players and coaches just give directions.

“The last play of the game, we did what we talked about," he said. "We were going to go to Hillary inside. If it got down to five, somebody had to get to the basket and get it up on the rim. Randi did that and we were fortunate enough that it came off on Hillary’s side and she put it back in. I always say that players make plays and Hillary made a big one.”

The Cowgirls have been waiting for good things to happen to this team and the ball to bounce their way one time.

“It seemed that over this last stretch, that we had been in so many games and the plays always go to the opponent in the last two minutes, last three minutes,” Legerski said. “Tonight, we were able to finally have the ball bounce -- fortunately, I call it -- Wyoming. Believe me, if that ball comes off the other way, it’s overtime. It just happens to find Hillary and she had enough composure to get up and get the basket.”

The loss denied Flanagan his 300th career win (299-131), as the Lobos fell to 5-3, 16-5.

“I thought we had the game at halftime. We were dictating what was happening,” Flanagan said. “Then, all of the sudden, no one could score, and my post player is in foul trouble. I thought a bunch of our players didn’t compete, and I’m very unhappy with them. We are going to war in practice because in games, they are not showing me enough.”

Beggin led the Lobos with 12 points, as New Mexico scored just five field goals in the second half.

After shooting 25 percent from the field in the first half, Wyoming shot 48 percent in the second half and got two big 3-pointers from freshman Kristen Scheffler and one from Langford, who added 12 points for the Cowgirls before fouling out with two minutes left.

“We had been close in so many games, it feels good to just get over that hump,” said senior Elisabeth Dissen, who scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds. “I think the crowd definitely helps us in these close games.”

The Cowgirls will begin the second half of league play by taking on Utah on Sunday afternoon in Salt Lake City.