Richard Anderson photo
Wyoming senior Megan McGuffey, left, gets a hug from teammate Hillary Carlson Saturday after being take out of her final home game.
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Cowgirl basketball fans wouldn’t let one of their own -- Cheyenne native Megan McGuffey -- leave her final home game without an extra special memory.
After scoring 15 points in the first half and needing 23 to become the 17th Cowgirl to score 1,000 career points, McGuffey was silent offensively for much of the second half. She would get to the milestone in the 65-34 win, but not without a little help.
McGuffey scored her first points of the second half at the 3:25 mark and then hit another layup. Winning easily, the Cowgirl crowd wanted more. Four points away, McGuffey hit a pair of free throws. Two points away with just over a minute left, she then missed the first of two from the charity stripe.
“When she missed that first one, you felt the crowd, the air was taken out of them,” Wyoming coach Joe Legerski said.
McGuffey made the second free throw, but time appeared to be running out. Suddenly, freshman reserve guard Brenna Freeze stole the ball at midcourt and led McGuffey on the break. She got the ball to the Cowgirl senior and she was fouled once again.
This time, nothing but net.
Legerski called time out for PA announcer Geoff Mack to acknowledge the accomplishment and then took McGuffey out to a standing ovation after she made the second free throw.
“I sure didn’t want to end on 999,” McGuffey said. “Luckily, I got fouled again.”
McGuffey couldn’t help but know how close she was in the final minutes. She had a little help from the Cowgirl fans, the UW coaches and players.
“I kept hearing shout outs from the crowd, ‘Come on, eight more points to go...,’” McGuffey said with a laugh.
The announced crowd (3,816) was also there to honor fellow seniors Elisabeth Dissen and Rebecca Vanderjagt and see one more win on the home court. They got their wishes in both cases.
“It makes it nice that it was here and I got the response that I did,” McGuffey said. “But as far as the season goes, it didn’t really mean much for our team. More so, it was just getting another win. I think we’ve won seven out of our last games, so that is really positive for us right now.”
Legerski said it was a special moment for McGuffey.
“It is special that Megan could get it here, not only in front of her family, but in front of all of the Wyoming fans,” he said.
Averaging 10.3 points a game this season, McGuffey had scored just nine points in her last two games, hitting 2-of-19 from the field. On Saturday, she finished 8-of-16 from the field, including 3 of 8 3-pointers. The blue-collar McGuffey also grabbed nine rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
“I’m not averaging anything near 20 points, so going into the game, I didn’t expect to get it at all,” McGuffey said. “If I wouldn’t (have scored 15 in the first half), I probably wouldn’t have thought about it. Who knows?”
Freshman Kristen Scheffler, who otherwise would have been the story of the game with 22 points on six 3-pointers, was asked about the celebration for McGuffey and the rest of the UW seniors in the media room after the game.
The Lovell native said he couldn’t help but be in a little awe.
“It gives me something to look forward to, just the support here … the crowd, the team and everything,” Scheffler said.
The consummate team player, McGuffey and the rest of the Cowgirl seniors were asked this year to help transition this young team to the future. McGuffey closed her big night by deflecting the attention back to Scheffler.
“She’ll get 2,000 (points),” McGuffey said with a smile.
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