By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
As well as the Wyoming Cowgirls have played this season, when it all is said and done, it comes down to experience.
Experience was still on Utah's side on Sunday, as the Utes edged the Cowgirls 52-48 in the Arena-Auditorium.
The loss was a tough one for the Cowgirls, who fell to 7-7 in Mountain West Conference play and 16-10 overall. A win would have put Wyoming in a logjam with six losses but instead drops the Cowgirls to sixth in league.
Utah, meanwhile, at 9-5 is now tied for second place in the conference with BYU.
“We are the only league team to win here,” Utah coach Elaine Elliott said. “The thing that was really in our favor is we have won here and we know we can win here.”
Wyoming coach Joe Legerski said he hopes this is a game that his young team learns from.
“We have so many players that need to understand when to make a play, how we are going to make a play,” Legerski said. “Utah went to their senior (Kalee Whipple) at the end with the score tied. She ended up getting to the free throw line. We then had a shot blocked and had a turnover. Hopefully, we grow from this and get better.”
It appeared as if the Cowgirls would continue their strong play at home, hitting their first two shots for a 5-0 lead. Wyoming, however, would manage just one field goal in its next 15 attempts but still hung around before leading 24-22 at halftime.
It was back and forth the rest of the way.
The Utes overcame a four-point deficit with eight minutes remaining on a 9-0 run, keyed by a three-point play by Taryn Wicijowski. The Cowgirls battled back with six straight to go up by a point, but Whipple broke a 48-48 tie with two free throws with 59 seconds left.
Wyoming, however, couldn't answer when Emma Langford's shot was blocked with 10 seconds left and the Cowgirls fouled immediately. Wyoming still had one last chance to tie the game after a missed free throw by Whipple with 9.5 seconds left, but Wyoming's Randi Richardson was called for traveling with 1.9 seconds remaining, and Utah added a layup by Janita Badon at the buzzer.
“We knew it was going to be a possession by possession game,” Legerski said.
Whipple led the Utes with 17 points, followed by Wicijowski and Badon adding 10. The Utes shot just 35 percent from the field (21 of 59), but outscored Wyoming 17-11 off of turnovers and had a 14-6 advantage in second-chance points.
Hillary Carlson scored 13 points for Wyoming, followed by Jade Kennedy with 12. Kennedy was the lone Cowgirl who shot the ball well, as she hit 4 of 6 from the field. Wyoming made just 29 percent of its shots (16 of 54), including 3 of 17 3-point attempts.
“We talked going in that Whipple was going to get her points, we just have to make sure that we limit what other people are going to put on the board today,” Legerski said. “More importantly, we need to score. When the game was over in Salt Lake, it was the same scenario, 52-47. Today, 52-48. We talked about that we have to be able to come up with more points. It was a difficult shooting night for us. We have not had many evenings like that at home.”
The Cowgirls will close the regular season next when at Air Force on Wednesday, before hosting UNLV on Saturday.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Cold-shooting Cowgirls fall to BYU
The Wyoming Cowgirls would love to have a few of the 11 missed free throws back, after falling to BYU 51-48 Saturday at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
The cowgirls (7-6 MWC, 16-9) led by two points with just over a minute left, but the Cougars (9-3, 18-6) made the plays down the stretch for the win.
“We left too many plays on the floor tonight,” UW head coach Joe Legerski said. “Give BYU credit, they made a couple of plays down the stretch to gain a win."
Junior Aubrey Vandiver led the way for the Cowgirls with her 14th double-double of the season, with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Emma Langford followed with 15 points.
"Aubrey played with great effort tonight," Legerski said. "To compete for 40 minutes in a highly physical game, speaks of her competitiveness.”
It was a tough game offensively for the Cowgirls all around. Wyoming shot just 28 percent from the field (12 of 43) and were 17 of 28 from the free-throw line.
BYU had four players in double-figures, led by Haley Hall with 12 points and six rebounds. Mindy Bonham and Coriann Wood each had 11, while Jazmine Foreman added 10. The Cougars shot 19-of-52 (.365) from the field and 6-of-15 (.400) from beyond the arc.
The Cowgirls will be off until next Feb. 28, as they host the Utah Utes. The game time is set for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on The Mountain Sports Network.
The cowgirls (7-6 MWC, 16-9) led by two points with just over a minute left, but the Cougars (9-3, 18-6) made the plays down the stretch for the win.
“We left too many plays on the floor tonight,” UW head coach Joe Legerski said. “Give BYU credit, they made a couple of plays down the stretch to gain a win."
Junior Aubrey Vandiver led the way for the Cowgirls with her 14th double-double of the season, with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Emma Langford followed with 15 points.
"Aubrey played with great effort tonight," Legerski said. "To compete for 40 minutes in a highly physical game, speaks of her competitiveness.”
It was a tough game offensively for the Cowgirls all around. Wyoming shot just 28 percent from the field (12 of 43) and were 17 of 28 from the free-throw line.
BYU had four players in double-figures, led by Haley Hall with 12 points and six rebounds. Mindy Bonham and Coriann Wood each had 11, while Jazmine Foreman added 10. The Cougars shot 19-of-52 (.365) from the field and 6-of-15 (.400) from beyond the arc.
The Cowgirls will be off until next Feb. 28, as they host the Utah Utes. The game time is set for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on The Mountain Sports Network.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Cowgirls start, finish storng to beat Lobos
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Joe Legerski said going into Wednesday’s game against New Mexico that they talked about getting off to a good start, pushing the pace and making sure that junior Hillary Carlson takes the shots that are open and not try to create shots.
Check, check and check.
Carlson scored 23 points as Wyoming ran past New Mexico 78-55 on Wednesday.
“Hillary got us off to a great start,” Legerski said. “The first half Emma (Langford), Aubrey (Vandiver) and Hillary got 30 points for us and we need people to step up and score, we can’t just rely on those three. Jade Kennedy did that in the second half ; she made some great shots for us. Randi Richardson (10 assists) did a great job of distributing the ball and keeping our energy level high, which is what she does best."
The Cowgirls (7-5 MWC, 16-8) led the entire game but used strong outside shooting in the second half to pull away.
Wyoming scored the game's first seven points and led by as much as 11 before taking a 36-30 lead at halftime.
Carlson came out with five points to open the second half and the Cowgirls used two 3-pointers by Kennedy to open up a 15-point lead early in the second half. Kennedy, who finished with 14 points, hit two more 3-pointers, followed by another three by Kristen Scheffler, to open up a 26-point lead late in the game.
As is always the case, Legerski said they just work on winning four-minute segments, something they did in the second half.
“There are three words written on the board: 20 minutes, intensity and four minutes,” Legerski said. “sometimes 20 minutes is too much to comprehend … are you winning or are you losing?Let’s take it four minutes at a time. I thought we did a very good job of managing the four minutes.”
Georonika Jackson led the Lobos (6-6, 14-10) with 14 points, followed by Sara Halasz with 10.
“I think we go into halftime pretty confident knowing that the other team will bring the intensity, bring the energy, so we need to match it,” Carlson said.
Carlson, a 6-foot-3 forward, hit 7 of 14 field goal attempts, including 3 of 5 3-pointers. She also grabbed seven rebounds, blocked four shots and had three assists.
“I just get some opportunities and I take advantage of them,“ Carlson said. “I’m sure if other players on our team got the same opportunities they would do the same thing.”
Vandiver scored 15 points for Wyoming, with Langford adding 13. Wyoming shot 51 percent from the field (28 of 55 ) and hit 11 of 19 3-pointers, including 6 of 8 in the second half. The Cowgirls also had 21 assists and just five turnovers in the game.
Playing without an injured Amy Beggin (13.5 points a game), the team's leading scorer, the Lobos struggled offensively. Although New Mexico had 17 more field goal attempts than Wyoming, the Lobos shot just 28 percent from the field (20-of-72) and hit just 8 of 28 3-pointers.
The Cowgirls will hit the road for a big matchup at BYU Saturday.
Wyoming Sports.org
Joe Legerski said going into Wednesday’s game against New Mexico that they talked about getting off to a good start, pushing the pace and making sure that junior Hillary Carlson takes the shots that are open and not try to create shots.
Check, check and check.
Carlson scored 23 points as Wyoming ran past New Mexico 78-55 on Wednesday.
“Hillary got us off to a great start,” Legerski said. “The first half Emma (Langford), Aubrey (Vandiver) and Hillary got 30 points for us and we need people to step up and score, we can’t just rely on those three. Jade Kennedy did that in the second half ; she made some great shots for us. Randi Richardson (10 assists) did a great job of distributing the ball and keeping our energy level high, which is what she does best."
The Cowgirls (7-5 MWC, 16-8) led the entire game but used strong outside shooting in the second half to pull away.
Wyoming scored the game's first seven points and led by as much as 11 before taking a 36-30 lead at halftime.
Carlson came out with five points to open the second half and the Cowgirls used two 3-pointers by Kennedy to open up a 15-point lead early in the second half. Kennedy, who finished with 14 points, hit two more 3-pointers, followed by another three by Kristen Scheffler, to open up a 26-point lead late in the game.
As is always the case, Legerski said they just work on winning four-minute segments, something they did in the second half.
“There are three words written on the board: 20 minutes, intensity and four minutes,” Legerski said. “sometimes 20 minutes is too much to comprehend … are you winning or are you losing?Let’s take it four minutes at a time. I thought we did a very good job of managing the four minutes.”
Georonika Jackson led the Lobos (6-6, 14-10) with 14 points, followed by Sara Halasz with 10.
“I think we go into halftime pretty confident knowing that the other team will bring the intensity, bring the energy, so we need to match it,” Carlson said.
Carlson, a 6-foot-3 forward, hit 7 of 14 field goal attempts, including 3 of 5 3-pointers. She also grabbed seven rebounds, blocked four shots and had three assists.
“I just get some opportunities and I take advantage of them,“ Carlson said. “I’m sure if other players on our team got the same opportunities they would do the same thing.”
Vandiver scored 15 points for Wyoming, with Langford adding 13. Wyoming shot 51 percent from the field (28 of 55 ) and hit 11 of 19 3-pointers, including 6 of 8 in the second half. The Cowgirls also had 21 assists and just five turnovers in the game.
Playing without an injured Amy Beggin (13.5 points a game), the team's leading scorer, the Lobos struggled offensively. Although New Mexico had 17 more field goal attempts than Wyoming, the Lobos shot just 28 percent from the field (20-of-72) and hit just 8 of 28 3-pointers.
The Cowgirls will hit the road for a big matchup at BYU Saturday.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Lady Frogs run past Cowgirls
A 22-4 run to close the first half held up as TCU ran past the Wyoming Cowgirls 78-59 Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas.
The loss dropped the Cowgirls to 6-5 in the MWC and 15-8 overall, while the first-place Lady Frogs moved to 9-2, 19-5.
“TCU was excellent in all phases of the game,” said UW head coach Joe Legerski. “For the first ten minutes, we matched that intensity and I was happy with the start. As our opportunities to score diminished, TCU’s confidence started to grow. I was pleased with the effort of our young players. Chaundra, Sara and Bec gained some valuable experience in a difficult setting.”
The Cowgirls were led by sophomore Emma Langford with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. She was followed by Hillary Carlson with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Aubrey Vandiver led the way with a team high 12 rebounds. Wyoming shot 19-of-61 (.311) from the field and 10--of13 (.769) from the free throw line, while out rebounding TCU 43-36.
The Lady Frogs were led by Helena Sverrisdottir with 19 points, six assists and five rebounds. Emily Carter added 13, while Eboni Magnum had 10. TCU shot 32-of-64 (.500) from the field and 8-of-12 (.667) from the free throw line.
A 3-pointer by Langford put the Cowgirls up 20-19 with just under 10 minutes left in the first half. TCU, however, responded and led 41-26 at halftime.
Wyoming made a small little run out of the break to pull within 13, 43-30, but five quick points by TCU gave them an 18 point advantage, 48-30. Freshman Sara Wilson would come in off the bench and score two 3-point field goals to make it 50-36 with just under 15 minutes to go in the game. Over the next seven minutes, the Lady Frogs would go on a 19-2 scoring run to extend the lead to 29 points, 69-38.
The Cowgirls return to action Wednesday when they host New Mexico at 7 p.m.
The loss dropped the Cowgirls to 6-5 in the MWC and 15-8 overall, while the first-place Lady Frogs moved to 9-2, 19-5.
“TCU was excellent in all phases of the game,” said UW head coach Joe Legerski. “For the first ten minutes, we matched that intensity and I was happy with the start. As our opportunities to score diminished, TCU’s confidence started to grow. I was pleased with the effort of our young players. Chaundra, Sara and Bec gained some valuable experience in a difficult setting.”
The Cowgirls were led by sophomore Emma Langford with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. She was followed by Hillary Carlson with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Aubrey Vandiver led the way with a team high 12 rebounds. Wyoming shot 19-of-61 (.311) from the field and 10--of13 (.769) from the free throw line, while out rebounding TCU 43-36.
The Lady Frogs were led by Helena Sverrisdottir with 19 points, six assists and five rebounds. Emily Carter added 13, while Eboni Magnum had 10. TCU shot 32-of-64 (.500) from the field and 8-of-12 (.667) from the free throw line.
A 3-pointer by Langford put the Cowgirls up 20-19 with just under 10 minutes left in the first half. TCU, however, responded and led 41-26 at halftime.
Wyoming made a small little run out of the break to pull within 13, 43-30, but five quick points by TCU gave them an 18 point advantage, 48-30. Freshman Sara Wilson would come in off the bench and score two 3-point field goals to make it 50-36 with just under 15 minutes to go in the game. Over the next seven minutes, the Lady Frogs would go on a 19-2 scoring run to extend the lead to 29 points, 69-38.
The Cowgirls return to action Wednesday when they host New Mexico at 7 p.m.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Cowgirls look for upset at TCU
Can the Wyoming Cowgirls be this Saturday's breakthrough team to win a Mountain West conference game that it is not supposed to win?
They'll get that chance at 11 a.m. when they take on TCU in a game that will be broadcast on The Mountain Sports Network.
The Cowgirls will enter the game with a 15-7 overall record and a 6-4 mark in conference play after earning a 63-51 win over San Diego State on Wednesday. The Cowgirls are led by junior Hillary Carlson, who is averaging 15.5 points and 2.7 blocks per game. She is followed by fellow junior Aubrey Vandiver with 13.7 points and a team-leading 9.7 rebounds per game, while junior Emma Langford is adding 11.7 points and 3.3 assists.
Carlson is first in blocks, third in scoring and 12th in rebounding while being ranked fourth in field goal percentage and free throw percentage in the Mountain West Conference. Vandiver ranks among the Top 15 in points, rebounds, steals, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and minutes played while Langford is 12th in assists and 14th in scoring.
The Lady Frogs are 18-5 overall and 8-2 in the MWC, while being ranked 24th in the Associated Press poll. They earned a 105-96 four overtime victory over Utah on Wednesday night. TCU is led by Emily Carter, who is averaging a team leading 15.1 points along with three rebounds. Starr Crawford is leading the way with 9.1 rebounds, while adding 9.9 points per game.
TCU leads the series 8-7. The last time the two teams met was Jan. 13, as the Cowgirls defeated TCU 73-67 in Laramie. TCU is coached by Jeff Mittie who is in his 11th season with the program and his 18th overall.
They'll get that chance at 11 a.m. when they take on TCU in a game that will be broadcast on The Mountain Sports Network.
The Cowgirls will enter the game with a 15-7 overall record and a 6-4 mark in conference play after earning a 63-51 win over San Diego State on Wednesday. The Cowgirls are led by junior Hillary Carlson, who is averaging 15.5 points and 2.7 blocks per game. She is followed by fellow junior Aubrey Vandiver with 13.7 points and a team-leading 9.7 rebounds per game, while junior Emma Langford is adding 11.7 points and 3.3 assists.
Carlson is first in blocks, third in scoring and 12th in rebounding while being ranked fourth in field goal percentage and free throw percentage in the Mountain West Conference. Vandiver ranks among the Top 15 in points, rebounds, steals, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and minutes played while Langford is 12th in assists and 14th in scoring.
The Lady Frogs are 18-5 overall and 8-2 in the MWC, while being ranked 24th in the Associated Press poll. They earned a 105-96 four overtime victory over Utah on Wednesday night. TCU is led by Emily Carter, who is averaging a team leading 15.1 points along with three rebounds. Starr Crawford is leading the way with 9.1 rebounds, while adding 9.9 points per game.
TCU leads the series 8-7. The last time the two teams met was Jan. 13, as the Cowgirls defeated TCU 73-67 in Laramie. TCU is coached by Jeff Mittie who is in his 11th season with the program and his 18th overall.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Cowgirls make the plays to beat Aztecs
“They were open and once I take my time and get my feet set, I'm pretty good at shooting. I was really happy. Just to go into the half with that lead was really good." -- UW junior Jade Kennedy on two big 3-pointers.
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UW-SDSU boxscore
by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
It wasn't the prettiest night shooting the ball for the Wyoming Cowgirls, but they hit some big shots when it counted, stopping San Diego State 63-51 on Wednesday.
The Cowgirls (6-4 MWC, 15-7) shot just 32 percent from the field, but got the ball to fall at the right time, and then hit some crucial free throws down the stretch in the second half.
"We talked about having to compete for 40 minutes tonight against a great San Diego State team," said UW head coach Joe Legerski said. "We knew that we couldn't let up, because they can score quickly, create turnovers, and we saw that in the first half. We would get out to an eight to 10-point lead and they would close that gap. The team showed great composure down the stretch, stepped up and made our free throws."
The big shots of the game came late in the first half with the Cowgirls clinging to a two-point lead. Jade Kennedy nailed a pair of 3-pointers in the final 42 second as Wyoming went into the locker room with an 30-22 lead.
“We’re up two in the closing minute and Jade Kennedy knocks down two threes,” Legerski said. “Big shots. It gave us a cushion to go up eight at the half. I thought that was important because it gave us some momentum going into the locker room. Jade can really shoot the basketball. She did not get a look in the second half, but she shot the ball extremely well, rebounded well and took care of the basketball. Jade also had nine rebounds. That’s huge.”
With a huge grin on her face, Kennedy said that yes, they were, "kind of big," those two 3-pointers.
“They were open and once I take my time and get my feet set, I'm pretty good at shooting," Kennedy said. I was really happy. Just to go into the half with that lead was really good.”
Junior Hillary Carlson, who scored a game-high 21 points, while grabbing 10 rebounds, said their confidence rose as they ran up the ramp at halftime.
“They (Kennedy's 3-pointers) were big, they got us going into the second half,” Carlson said.
The crazy shots came in the second half, as Carlson banked in a 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer to give Wyoming an 11-point lead with 13:37 to play and Aubrey Vandiver did the same on a 2-pointer with 5:37 left to put the Cowgirls up by 15.
“Every night out, I always say that you need a little luck," Legerski said. "Hillary’s 3-point banker with a second to go on the shot clock; Aubrey’s 2-point with the shot clock ready to expire, you need some luck on your side. Once again, it just gave us that cushion as well as it made the team feel that maybe tonight is our night.”
Jene Morris scored 12 points and Allison Duffy and Quense Davis both added 10 for San Diego State (6-4, 14-8), which shot just 29 percent from the field in the game (19 of-60).
A 3-pointer and three-point play by Vandiver put the Cowgirls up by 15 with 11 minutes left. San Diego State chipped away and cut the lead to nine with 1:44 left, but could get no closer. The Cowgirls hit 9 of 10 free throws down the stretch to clinch the win.
Vandiver finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds for Wyoming, her 13th double-double of the season. Kennedy and Emma Langford added 11 points each for the Cowgirls, who out-rebounded the Aztecs 50-43.
“None bigger tonight than our double-doubles, Aubrey and Hillary," Legerski said.
Vandiver played all 40 minutes, as did Kennedy. All five starters played at least 35 minutes, which was a necessity against the talented Aztecs, Legerski said.
"Tonight was a game where we had to play high minutes just because of San Diego State’s pressure and how they are able to turn you over in a hurry," Legerski said.
The Cowgirls out-rebounded the Aztecs 50-43 and had a 23-21 edge in offensive boards and an 18-12 advantage in second-chance points.
"We did a great job rebounding," Legerski said. "Going into the game, I knew we had to try and keep San Diego State close on the glass. To their credit they grabbed 21 offensive rebounds, but for us, we got 23."
The Cowgirls will be at TCU Saturday in another big league contest.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Cowgirls to host talented Aztecs
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
The Wyoming Cowgirls get an extra spark in their step at home; the shots seem to fall almost at will.
That will have to be the case Wednesday night (7 p.m.) when the Cowgirls host San Diego State.
Oh yeah, the Cowgirls have to outscore the Aztecs.
“We have to be able to be aggressive offensively,” Wyoming coach Joe Legerski said. “I think that is what it comes down to, we have to be able to step up and as I always say, score some points. One thing that is very apparent, when we are held in the 50s, we don’t have a great chance. We have to get up and down the floor, we have to shoot the ball well, we have to put the ball on the floor and attack. It is very difficult at times. Yet, we have to stay the aggressor.”
When the Cowgirls score less than 60 points a game, they are 0-4. When they score more than 60, they are 14-3.
The Cowgirls are also 8-1 at home, 5-6 on the road and 1-0 on a neutral court.
“Playing at home always helps, regardless of the opponent,” Legerski said. “We’re more comfortable at home, we get great fan support. That’s the biggest difference for us playing on the road or at home. The next home games that we have with San Diego State and New Mexico are two teams that are playing very well, in the top half of our league. We’re going to need everything we can get from our fans, to being aggressive. To shooting the ball well and have an opportunity to win.”
The Aztecs, 6-3 in the MWC and 14-7 overall, are coming off a 65-58 loss against New Mexico. San Diego State is led by Jene Morris, who is averaging 15.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Jessika Bradley is averaging a team-high seven rebounds, while adding 8.3 points per game.
The Aztecs beat the Cowgirls 65-50 earlier in the season at San Diego. In that game, the athletic and physical Aztecs outrebounded Wyoming 41-29, grabbing 19 offensive boards that led to a 23-7 edge in second-chance points.
As is the case in most games, rebounding is a big key in Wednesday’s matchup.
“I think rebounding is important, but there are factors that you have to look at,” Legerski said. “Case in point, we had three offensive rebounds against Air Force. But we had very few missed shots. All of the sudden, the rebounding totals are going to be skewed on different or the other in a game. But we need to rebound, we need to get second-shot opportunities and you need to limit second-shot opportunities for your opponents.”
The Cowgirls, 14-7, 5-4, are coming off a big 69-52 win over rival Colorado State. They are led by junior Hillary Carlson, who is averaging a 15.2 points and 2.6 blocks per game. She is followed by fellow junior Aubrey Vandiver with 13.5 points and a team leading 9.5 rebounds per game, while Emma Langford is adding 11.7 points and 3.4 assists.
Wyoming Sports.org
The Wyoming Cowgirls get an extra spark in their step at home; the shots seem to fall almost at will.
That will have to be the case Wednesday night (7 p.m.) when the Cowgirls host San Diego State.
Oh yeah, the Cowgirls have to outscore the Aztecs.
“We have to be able to be aggressive offensively,” Wyoming coach Joe Legerski said. “I think that is what it comes down to, we have to be able to step up and as I always say, score some points. One thing that is very apparent, when we are held in the 50s, we don’t have a great chance. We have to get up and down the floor, we have to shoot the ball well, we have to put the ball on the floor and attack. It is very difficult at times. Yet, we have to stay the aggressor.”
When the Cowgirls score less than 60 points a game, they are 0-4. When they score more than 60, they are 14-3.
The Cowgirls are also 8-1 at home, 5-6 on the road and 1-0 on a neutral court.
“Playing at home always helps, regardless of the opponent,” Legerski said. “We’re more comfortable at home, we get great fan support. That’s the biggest difference for us playing on the road or at home. The next home games that we have with San Diego State and New Mexico are two teams that are playing very well, in the top half of our league. We’re going to need everything we can get from our fans, to being aggressive. To shooting the ball well and have an opportunity to win.”
The Aztecs, 6-3 in the MWC and 14-7 overall, are coming off a 65-58 loss against New Mexico. San Diego State is led by Jene Morris, who is averaging 15.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Jessika Bradley is averaging a team-high seven rebounds, while adding 8.3 points per game.
The Aztecs beat the Cowgirls 65-50 earlier in the season at San Diego. In that game, the athletic and physical Aztecs outrebounded Wyoming 41-29, grabbing 19 offensive boards that led to a 23-7 edge in second-chance points.
As is the case in most games, rebounding is a big key in Wednesday’s matchup.
“I think rebounding is important, but there are factors that you have to look at,” Legerski said. “Case in point, we had three offensive rebounds against Air Force. But we had very few missed shots. All of the sudden, the rebounding totals are going to be skewed on different or the other in a game. But we need to rebound, we need to get second-shot opportunities and you need to limit second-shot opportunities for your opponents.”
The Cowgirls, 14-7, 5-4, are coming off a big 69-52 win over rival Colorado State. They are led by junior Hillary Carlson, who is averaging a 15.2 points and 2.6 blocks per game. She is followed by fellow junior Aubrey Vandiver with 13.5 points and a team leading 9.5 rebounds per game, while Emma Langford is adding 11.7 points and 3.4 assists.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Cowgirls too tough for Rams
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Wyoming coach Joe Legerski has maintained that his Cowgirls can’t always rely on their “big three" of sophomore Emma Langford and juniors Aubrey Vandiver and Hillary Carlson. he likes
But when they play well, that's OK, too.
On Saturday, the three were big in many ways, as the Cowgirls rolled past Colorado State 69-52 in the Arena-Auditorium to begin the second half of Mountain West Conference play.
Carlson led the way with 25 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, while Vandiver added 15 and 11, her 12th double double of the season. Langford scored 13 points and dished out five assists, but more importantly, held CSU’s Kim Mestdagh, the league’s top scorer, to just 12 points.
“I’ve never had two players have double doubles in the same game,” Legerski said. “Hillary Carlson was a force on the inside tonight. Twenty-five and 15, just a tremendous effort from Hillary. Aubrey was just as good with 15 and 11.
“When we moved the basketball and had player movement we were very good offensively. When we started standing around, I thought CSU’s pressure started bothering us and we had to get a little better at it.”
The Cowgirls (5-4 MWC, 14-7) overcame a slow start offensively and shut down the Rams in the second half. Wyoming missed its first seven shots of the game, but still led 27-23 at halftime.
Carlson came out the second half and scored nine straight points and 11 of the team's first 13, as Wyoming opened up a double-digit lead. The Cowgirls maintained a 10-15 point lead for much of the second half, before opening it up in the end.
“We just wanted to come out strong, me especially, and get on a run,” Carlson said. “I was just trying to help my team do that.”
Vandiver said it was important to get Carlson going in the second half because in the last couple of games they haven’t come out strong in the second half.
“To get Hill established like that and to get their players in foul trouble, it made it much easier all night to go to her. She really stepped up,” Vandiver said.
Legerski said the Cowgirls had to establish themselves in the first four minutes of the second half. To do that, they had to have more energy than CSU, something they didn’t have to begin the game.
“CSU came out with a great deal of energy to begin the game,“ he said. “We were a little too ready to play and not as focused as we needed to be. We needed to try to get everybody relaxed, calmed down and play like we needed to play. We needed to establish Hillary and she gave us a big lift. Not only that, she delivered. it’s one thing to be able to take the basketball inside, but when we’re coming away with points, Aubrey and Hillary just did a tremendous job at the block.”
A few times in the game, Legerski said he just had to remind his players about having more energy.
“ I’m sure there were times when people could hear me yelling having energy," Legerski said. “We needed that to be able to come out and get our offense going, as well as what we needed to do defensively.”
Mestdagh went into the game averaging 17.0 points, but was just 4 of 13 from the field, hitting 2 of 8 3-pointers against Wyoming.
“Emma Langford did a tremendous job on Mestdagh, she shadowed her,“ Legerski said. “She is a tremendous offensive player. Emma comes out 36 minutes and has to defend her on the defensive end. I thought the big three of Hillary, Aubrey and Emma played well.”
“She’s a great player, it was tough to chase her around the floor,” Langford added.
Wyoming dominated play inside the paint, outscoring the Rams 42-18.
“I think the key was to just match their physicality,” Vandiver said. “They were very tough inside and they were very aggressive. It was important to match that because at UNLV, at times, we weren’t as strong.”
Natalie van den Adel added 10 for Colorado State (3-6, 11-11), which shot just 29 percent from the field (18 of 61).
CSU coach Kristen Holt said it was a game of two halves.
“I didn’t think that we did everything right in the first half, but I really thought that we scrapped,” Holt said. “After halftime, we didn’t look like we were inspired. We didn’t look like we were four points down and capable of winning the game. I felt like our momentum was totally taken away in the second half.”
The Cowgirls will look to keep that momentum on Wednesday when they host San Diego state.
Wyoming Sports.org
Wyoming coach Joe Legerski has maintained that his Cowgirls can’t always rely on their “big three" of sophomore Emma Langford and juniors Aubrey Vandiver and Hillary Carlson. he likes
But when they play well, that's OK, too.
On Saturday, the three were big in many ways, as the Cowgirls rolled past Colorado State 69-52 in the Arena-Auditorium to begin the second half of Mountain West Conference play.
Carlson led the way with 25 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, while Vandiver added 15 and 11, her 12th double double of the season. Langford scored 13 points and dished out five assists, but more importantly, held CSU’s Kim Mestdagh, the league’s top scorer, to just 12 points.
“I’ve never had two players have double doubles in the same game,” Legerski said. “Hillary Carlson was a force on the inside tonight. Twenty-five and 15, just a tremendous effort from Hillary. Aubrey was just as good with 15 and 11.
“When we moved the basketball and had player movement we were very good offensively. When we started standing around, I thought CSU’s pressure started bothering us and we had to get a little better at it.”
The Cowgirls (5-4 MWC, 14-7) overcame a slow start offensively and shut down the Rams in the second half. Wyoming missed its first seven shots of the game, but still led 27-23 at halftime.
Carlson came out the second half and scored nine straight points and 11 of the team's first 13, as Wyoming opened up a double-digit lead. The Cowgirls maintained a 10-15 point lead for much of the second half, before opening it up in the end.
“We just wanted to come out strong, me especially, and get on a run,” Carlson said. “I was just trying to help my team do that.”
Vandiver said it was important to get Carlson going in the second half because in the last couple of games they haven’t come out strong in the second half.
“To get Hill established like that and to get their players in foul trouble, it made it much easier all night to go to her. She really stepped up,” Vandiver said.
Legerski said the Cowgirls had to establish themselves in the first four minutes of the second half. To do that, they had to have more energy than CSU, something they didn’t have to begin the game.
“CSU came out with a great deal of energy to begin the game,“ he said. “We were a little too ready to play and not as focused as we needed to be. We needed to try to get everybody relaxed, calmed down and play like we needed to play. We needed to establish Hillary and she gave us a big lift. Not only that, she delivered. it’s one thing to be able to take the basketball inside, but when we’re coming away with points, Aubrey and Hillary just did a tremendous job at the block.”
A few times in the game, Legerski said he just had to remind his players about having more energy.
“ I’m sure there were times when people could hear me yelling having energy," Legerski said. “We needed that to be able to come out and get our offense going, as well as what we needed to do defensively.”
Mestdagh went into the game averaging 17.0 points, but was just 4 of 13 from the field, hitting 2 of 8 3-pointers against Wyoming.
“Emma Langford did a tremendous job on Mestdagh, she shadowed her,“ Legerski said. “She is a tremendous offensive player. Emma comes out 36 minutes and has to defend her on the defensive end. I thought the big three of Hillary, Aubrey and Emma played well.”
“She’s a great player, it was tough to chase her around the floor,” Langford added.
Wyoming dominated play inside the paint, outscoring the Rams 42-18.
“I think the key was to just match their physicality,” Vandiver said. “They were very tough inside and they were very aggressive. It was important to match that because at UNLV, at times, we weren’t as strong.”
Natalie van den Adel added 10 for Colorado State (3-6, 11-11), which shot just 29 percent from the field (18 of 61).
CSU coach Kristen Holt said it was a game of two halves.
“I didn’t think that we did everything right in the first half, but I really thought that we scrapped,” Holt said. “After halftime, we didn’t look like we were inspired. We didn’t look like we were four points down and capable of winning the game. I felt like our momentum was totally taken away in the second half.”
The Cowgirls will look to keep that momentum on Wednesday when they host San Diego state.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Cowgirls turn cold in loss at UNLV
LAS VEGAS -- Just as the Wyoming Cowgirls couldn't miss on Saturday in the big win at home over Air Force, they couldn't buy a bucket in the first half at UNLV.
The Cowgirls (4-4 MWC, 13-7), after shooting 75 percent from the field in the 61-point win over the Falcons, connected on just 19 percent of their shots in the opening 20 minutes and could never quite catch up, falling to the Lady Rebels 62-56 on Tuesday.
“I thought the biggest difference tonight was our inability to have a shot go down,” UW head coach Joe Legerski said. “We needed to attack the basket instead of settling for three’s. This was a very difficult game, especially on the boards. Aubrey Vandiver and Hillary Carlson both played their hearts out tonight. They came out and gave us everything that they could. I was also proud of the way all of the young players came in and really gave a great effort.”
Three Cowgirls finished the night in double-figures led by Vandiver, who had another double double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Carlson had a team-high 16 points, while Sara Wilson added 11 points. Wyoming shot 20-of-69 (.290) from the field and 6-of-30 (.200) from beyond the arc.
Four of five starters recorded double-figures for the Lady Rebels, led by Kelli Thompson with 18 points. She was followed by Erica Helms with 16 points and Jamie Smith and Mia Bell with 10 each. Smith recorded 17 rebounds. UNLV shot 19-of-53 (.358) from the field and 10-of-27 (.370) from beyond the arc.
Both teams started slow in the game and UNLC went on a 14-2 run and led 31-18 at halftime. After UNLV built the lead to 16 early in the second half, the Cowboys chipped away and cut the lead to eight, but couldn't maintain that momentum. UNLV went back up by 17. A 13-4 Wyoming run cut the lead back under single digits and Wyoming got as close as five with 31 seconds left, but could get no closer.
The Cowgirls return home to play the Colorado State Rams on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Wilson shows glimpses of the future; Cowgirls return to action at UNLV
“I have been working hard in practice, especially in the last couple of weeks. Coach has said that my time is coming, so when I get into a game, I need to do my best." -- Cowgirl freshman Sara Wilson
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By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Wyoming Sports.org
For Wyoming true freshman Sara Wilson, Saturday was either a breakout game or just one of those games.
Regardless, head coach Joe Legerski, the Cowgirls and UW fans don’t really care. It was a career game, nonetheless.
Wilson scored a career-high 17 points on 5 of 6 shooting from beyond the 3-point line as the Cowgirls rolled past Air Force 98-37.
For the newcomer from Grant, Neb., Saturday was a game she won’t soon forget. Going into the contest, Wilson had played just six games, scoring 12 points on 3 of 11 shooting, including 2 of 9 3-pointers. She had played one total minute in Mountain West Conference play.
Until Saturday, that is, as the blowout allowed Legerski to play clear his bench in the first half.
“I have been working hard in practice, especially in the last couple of weeks,” Wilson said. “Coach has said that my time is coming, so when I get into a game, I need to do my best."
It went for all of the Cowgirls, as all 10 scored and the team combined to hit 20 of 30 3-pointers.
The outside shot, though, night be Wilson’s strength. Ironically, the Laramie Boomerang did a feature story on Wilson earlier in the week, talking about her improved play in practice and the fact that she is a shooter-in-waiting for the program.
Evidently, her wait was just a couple of days to prove just that.
“Our fans got a chance to see our future, Sara Wilson,” Legerski said. “She can really shoot the ball. There were times that she was so open, that we had talked about running the offense a little more, she just looked and I just told her, 'go ahead and shoot it,' because she was that open. To go 5 of 6 shows what a shooter Sara is.”
Will Cowgirl fans see more of Wilson this season? It probably all depends on the situation. Tuesday night, the Cowgirls won’t like be in that same circumstances as they take on UNLV at 9 p.m. in Las Vegas.
The fact that Legerski was able to go with Wilson and other youngsters for such a long time could help with the quick turnaround against the Rebels.
“We’re right back at it, on the road,” Legerski said. “The starters maybe only played two or three minutes into the second half. The biggest thing is that with a short bench is we are playing everyone. You see what Leah Fitzgerald did, Chaundra Sewell, Sara Wilson they ended up getting extended minutes.”
While Wilson score 15 of her 17 points on 3-pointers, Legerski was just as impressed with her regular two-point field goal.
“There was nothing better than the drive Sara had to the basket,” he said. “It was an athletic move to get to the basket … strong to get the ball up to the backboard and into the basket.”
About UNLV
UNLV, 2-5 in league play and 9-12 record overall, is led by Erica Helms, who is averaging 13.2 points and 2.1 rebounds a game. She is followed by Kelli Thompson, who is adding 12.7 points and 4.3 boards per game.
This is the 30th meeting between the two teams. UNLV leads the series 18-11. The last time the two teams met was Feb. 18, 2009, as the Cowgirls defeated the Lady Rebels 50-44 in Las Vegas. UNLV is coached by Kathy Olivier, who is in her second year with the program and 17th overall.
One of those league wins for the Rebels was at Utah, a 54-49 victory. The other was a last-second 77-76 win at Air Force last week.
Legerski said his team needs to play well and not expect to shoot 75 percent from the field as they did against the Falcons.
“Going on the road changes everything,” Legerski said. “Players are comfortable in their own environment, as you could see with the way we shot the ball on Saturday against Air Force. Going to play UNLV, we have to be at the top of our game again and execute for 40 minutes. You want to hope that there is some carry-over and if we were at home, I would believe that there would be more carry-over than on the road.”
The Cowgirls, 4-3 and 13-6, continue to be led by junior Hillary Carlson, who is averaging 14.7 points and 2.4 blocks per game. Carlson had 21 points against Air Force on 10 of 11 shooting. She is followed by fellow junior Aubrey Vandiver with 13.6 points and a team-leading 9.2 rebounds per game, while Emma Langford is adding 11.8 points and 3.4 assists.
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