In a gritty contest, the Wyoming Cowgirls pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure a 59-54 victory over San Jose State on Saturday afternoon.
A strong start to the final period helped Wyoming build a significant lead before a late San Jose State surge made the final score appear closer than the game had been.
The opening quarter saw both teams trading baskets, with eight lead changes and three ties before Wyoming took a 21-17 lead into the second. The Cowgirls extended their advantage to 26-20 after a Malene Pedersen three-pointer midway through the second quarter, but both teams struggled offensively, combining for just 12 total points in the period. Wyoming held a 28-22 edge at halftime despite going scoreless for the final 4:44 of the half, while San Jose State endured a 5:12 scoring drought.
The low-scoring trend carried into the third quarter as Wyoming’s offense struggled to find a rhythm. The Cowgirls maintained a narrow lead, calling a timeout at 30-27 with 5:42 left in the period. A late push, including four points from Kati Ollilainen, gave Wyoming a 41-32 advantage heading into the fourth.
Wyoming finally found an offensive spark to open the final quarter, going on a dominant 14-1 run. A layup from Allyson Fertig pushed the lead to double digits, and a Tess Barnes three-pointer gave the Cowgirls their first 20-point advantage at 55-33 with just over five minutes remaining.
With a comfortable lead, Wyoming turned to its bench for the final minutes. San Jose State responded with full-court pressure and a 19-2 run in the last 3:34, cutting the deficit and making the final margin appear closer than the game had been.
Pedersen led the Cowgirls with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including three three-pointers. Fertig recorded a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Emily Mellema added seven points and shared the team lead in assists with Ola Ustowska, each contributing three.
Wyoming finished the game shooting 44% from the field (22-50) but struggled at the free-throw line, making just 11 of 23 attempts. San Jose State shot 33% (21-64) and went 3-for-17 from three-point range. The Spartans held a slight 42-40 rebounding edge and outscored Wyoming 20-9 in points off turnovers, with much of that coming in the closing minutes.
With input from News Letter Journal and 7220 Sports.
