The Wyoming Cowgirls began 2024 with an emphatic 73-53 win over Utah State on Wednesday, marking a strong start to Mountain West Conference play and lifting their record above .500 for the first time this season, County 10 reports.
Wyoming (7-6, 1-0 MW) opened with a fast pace, scoring on four of their first five possessions to take a 10-3 lead. Despite a brief scoring exchange, Kati Ollilainen’s three-point play extended the lead to 15-7, a margin that held through the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw the Cowgirls push their advantage to double digits, prompting multiple timeouts from Utah State. A strong offensive showing from Malene Pedersen, who scored 14 points in the first half, helped Wyoming build a 40-25 lead heading into halftime.
The Aggies tried to close the gap in the third quarter, scoring four unanswered points to start the second half. While Wyoming’s offense slowed initially, the Cowgirls eventually regained momentum and entered the fourth quarter with a 51-39 advantage.
In the final frame, Wyoming extended their lead with timely shots from Ollilainen and Allyson Fertig. By the closing minutes, the Cowgirls were up by as many as 21 points, sealing the win.
Standout Performances
- Malene Pedersen: Led all scorers with 22 points, just shy of her career high, on 7-of-13 shooting.
- Allyson Fertig: Finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double.
- Kati Ollilainen: Tallied 11 points, five assists, and contributed key plays in her first career start.
- McKinley Dickerson: Recorded a season-high 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
- Emily Mellema: Registered six assists, six rebounds, two blocks, and two steals.
Head coach Heather Ezell praised the team’s performance, especially their defensive effort.
“I thought we guarded pretty dang well on the defensive end, especially from our guards,” Ezell said. “Overall, we wanted to take away their threes, and I thought we did that well today.”
By the Numbers
- Wyoming shot 46.4% from the field (26-of-56) and 42% from beyond the arc (8-of-19).
- Utah State struggled offensively, shooting just 30.6% (19-of-62) and 21.7% from three-point range (5-of-23).
- The Cowgirls outscored the Aggies in the paint (32-24) and dominated second-chance points (18-9).
