Wyoming-Fresno State Final Stats | Wyoming Season Stats | Postgame Video
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 7, 2017) — The Wyoming women's basketball team (21-9 overall, 13-5 MW) had its 2017 Mountain West Championship run ended with a 58-48 quarterfinal loss against the Fresno State Bulldogs (17-14, 8-10 MW) on Tuesday night.
Sophomore Marta Gomez led the way with a team-high 14 points, while shooting 6-10 from the field and 2-4 from beyond the arc. Freshman Taylor Rusk with ten points and four rebounds, while junior Natalie Baker recorded nine points and a team-high five boards. The Cowgirls shot 19-48 (.396) from the field including 10-14 (.714) in the fourth quarter, but 6-20 (.300) from three and 4-7 (.571) from the charity stripe.
"First of all, congratulations to Fresno State. I thought they were the aggressor tonight, right from the start. They had us back on our heels and always in short shot clock situations. I also thought that offensively we really struggled to get a good look at the basket," head coach Joe Legerski said. "I'm pleased with the way we ended up competing right through to the end. When you get down the way we were, things aren't going your way for three quarters, some teams will just have a tendency to just finish out the night and we weren't going to let that happen. To get it close back down to six points is a testament to the fight these kids have had all year. There's a number of people that really wondered after we lost Liv Roberts if we'd ever win again. And to this group, they ended up going 3-1 after Liv went down, and found a way just to be able to keep competing and making plays. Tonight, we just came up short but I'm very proud of what they've been able to accomplish all year long. Like I said, give Fresno State credit. They played as the aggressor and played very well. This is just another learning experience for a young group. I know I looked at it one time, I had two freshmen, two sophomores, and a junior on the floor. And they were learning what it's all about to play in the Mountain West Tournament."
Fresno State was led by junior Bego Faz Davalos who finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore Candice White also had 19 points followed by two others with seven. The Bulldogs were 17-39 (.436) from the field, 21-31 (.600) from the charity stripe and out rebounded the Cowgirls 35-19.
Out of the break, the Cowgirls hit a three to cut the lead to ten, 28-18. The Bulldogs responded with eight straight to increase the lead to 18, 36-18. Free throws by freshman Selale Kepenc ended a six minute scoreless stretch which was answered with ten unanswered by Fresno State to give them a 46-22 advantage. Gomez would steal the ball and hit a shot to close out the third quarter. After a basket by Davalos to begin the fourth, a jumper by Gomez started a 22-4 run over the next 7:28 by the Cowgirls to close the deficit to six, 52-46, with just under a minute to go. Unfortunately, that would be as close as it would get. Wyoming was forced to foul and couldn't make enough shots and would lose the game by ten, 58-48.
Fresno State got on the scoreboard with a three and three-point play to go up 6-0. Tapia finally hit a shot to get the Cowgirls in the scoring column followed by free throws by Baker to make it 6-4 through the first media timeout. Four straight by the Bulldogs increased the lead to six, 10-4. Gomez hit a three to make it 10-7, but Fresno State scored four of the last six to continue to lead after one, 14-9. UW shot 3-10 (.300) from the field and 1-3 (.333) from beyond the arc. The two teams traded baskets early in the quarter, then the Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run to extend the lead to 12, 23-11. A jumper by Rusk ended a five minute scoring drought for the Cowgirls. Both teams combined for five points the rest of the quarter with the Bulldogs taking a 26-15 lead headed in to the locker room.
Gomez led the way with five points followed by Baker with four. Kepenc brought down three boards. Wyoming shot 6-24 (250) from the field and 1-8 (.125) from beyond the arc. They were out rebounded 21-10, which was a season-low in the first half and the 15 points was a season low in a first half. Fresno State was led by Faz Davalos and White with nine points. Faz Davalos and senior Emilie Volk each brought down six rebounds. The Bulldogs were 8-22 (.364) from the field and 8-10 (.800) from the free throw line.
