Vandiver enjoys her return

UW photo/Junior Aubrey Vandiver scored 14 points against Adams State Monday night.

Wyoming-Adams State boxscore

by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

The toughest part for Aubrey Vandiver on Monday were the hours leading to the Cowgirls exhibition opener against Adams State.

The game, as usual, is somewhat of a breeze for the talented Laramie athlete.

Vandiver, in her first game since the 2007 NCAA tournament against Pittsburgh, scored 14 points and played 28 minutes in leading Wyoming to an easy 72-36 victory in the Arena-Auditorium.

"The first minutes were a lot more relaxing than the minutes before that going up to the game, I was really nervous," Vandiver said. "Once I got out there, it was an amazing feeling to be back out on the court playing with my teammates and having the support of the fans."

Vandiver, a third-team all-conference performer her sophomore season, sat out last year with a bad case of mononucleosis.

Wyoming head coach Joe Legerski said that he wanted to make sure that Vandiver got some quality court time Monday night because she had been so inactive while battling the illness.

"She needs to get as many minutes as possible and we were able to do that," Legerski said.

Despite the long layoff, if there was a little rust, it didn't really look like it as Vandiver hit a pair of 3-pointers early as the Cowgirls ran out to a 10-0 lead.

"That got my confidence going and it made me feel like I hadn't missed a year," Vandiver said.

One of the more athletic and physical players in the Mountain West Conference, Vandiver also mixed it up down low, which brought not only a sweet to her forehead, but a smile on her face.

"I like the physical aspect and it was nice to get some tough rebounds. It was a great feeling," she said. "I think our team overall was physical."

It's been an eventful preseason for Vandiver, who has shown bits of rust and picking up where she left off her sophomore season.

"There are something that after playing for two years that I understand, but I am just trying to get back into the rhythm and getting used to playing with Hill (Hillary Carlson), Emma (Langford) and Kristen (Scheffler)."

Up until this season, the last time Vandiver stepped out on the court, she was a sophomore on a senior-laden team. Her role has changed dramatically, on and off the court.

"I think I'm ready for it and I am comfortable with it," she said. "Even through we had the seniors then, I feel like there were times I had to step up. Even though we don't have any seniors on this team, there are people who can step up, so I don't feel like I necessarily have to take it on myself. If I need to be counted upon, I feel like I can step up and help out."

Legerski liked the composure that Vandiver showed, even in a preseason game.

"At times I think that is what a young group needs. We needed it last season," Legerski said. "We got out there and all of the sudden, she knocks down two 3s and gets us off to a great start. Aubrey is probably the hardest worker that we have. She is always in the gym getting some extra shooting. It is just nice to have her back out on the floor. When you look at her numbers: 14 points, six rebounds, four steals. That's a great night for 28 minutes."

While sitting out last year was tough on Vandiver, she said there were some benefits: her teammates got more experience and she was able to see the game at a different angle.

"When you are playing, you see how the motion works as a player and when you see it as an observer, you see some of the things that you can take advantage of," Vandiver said. "Defensively, you can see how other things work."