Cowgirls ready for conference opener

Richard Anderson photos
At top, UW coach Joe Legerski watches action from an earlier game. At bottom right, junior Hillary Carlson looks to move past a Weber State player.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

With seven of their first 12 games on the road, the Wyoming Cowgirls got a little preseason taste of what it will be like to play in the Mountain West Conference.

Winning nine of those 12 games has left a good taste in veteran head coach Joe Legerski’s mouth.

The Cowgirls prepared well for the conference season, which begins Tuesday night in Fort Collins, Colo., as Wyoming takes on rival Colorado State (6 p.m., Moby Arena). The game will be televised on The Mtn.

The game will be the first of three road contests to open league play in UW’s first four encounters. Their previous road experience should help the young Cowgirls in the long run, Legerski said.

“You’re checking into a hotel, playing in an unfamiliar environment and that is how conference play is going to open up," Legerski said on Monday. “I think there were games that were just a tremendous challenge for a young team. I think you’re going to see that in Mountain West Conference play. The Mountain West Conference is loaded with teams at the top end. TCU, San Diego State and New Mexico are in the Top 50 in the RPI, so they are competing at a very high level. We open up with those three teams, along with the rod trip to Colorado State. I like the progress that we are showing with this group. The challenges ahead are tremendous, so we’ll see where we are at.”

Although the Cowgirls are 9-3, two of those losses have come in their last two games -- at home against Oregon and on the road last week against Boise State. Despite those setbacks, Legerski said the team has responded as well as expected.

“Playing Oregon and at Boise State are not exactly easy tasks," he said. “I have been pleased overall with the way we have played this preseason. To be 9-3 is better where I thought we would be at this time. We’ve had games where we have played extremely well. Once again, as a young group, we’re still just trying to figure out who we are and where we are headed. Sometimes it changes from game-to-game.”

The Rams, 8-5, haven’t challenged much in the last few years, but are one of the most improved programs in the conference under second-year head coach Kristen Holt.

CSU is led by Kim Mestdagh, who is averaging 17.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while Megan Heimstra leads the way with a team high 8.8 rebounds while adding 8.3 points.
They welcome back one starter and seven letterwinners to a team that went 9-20 overall and 4-12 in the MWC last season.

“I think CSU is a good team. You take a look at their roster, when you start having four or five players who can score from anywhere from eight to 18 points a night, that puts a great deal of pressure on you defensively,” Legerski said. “They are undefeated at home. I always think that is a good mark of a team. You have to figure out how to win your home games and find as many road breakthroughs as you can. With CSU being undefeated, it presents us a big challenge to go down there and open up conference play.”

Four Cowgirls are scoring in double figures, by junior Aubrey Vandiver with a team-leading 14.8 points and 9.5 rebounds. She is followed by junior Hillary Carlson at 13.5 points and 2.3 blocks, while Emma Langford is adding 10.8 points and Kristen Scheffler with 10.7 points per game.

“Needless to say, what most games come down to is who shoots the ball better,” Legerski said. “I think that is why you see so many home teams win because you are in a familiar environment and you just shoot the ball better at home.”

Like most young teams, Legerski strives for a little more consistency from his team from game-to-game and within the game.

“We just have to go out and make sure that we keep getting better every day and not worry about so much how the results are, but make sure we are taking care of Wyoming,” he said. “We’re ready to play. We’re excited for it, to get started for the conference season.”