FT. COLLINS, Colo. (Jan. 13, 2018) – The Wyoming basketball team (11-5 overall, 4-1 MW) won its fourth straight game with a 53-49 victory over the Colorado State Rams (11-6 overall, 3-3 MW) on Saturday afternoon. It's the first win for the Cowgirls in Moby Arena since March 6, 2013 when they won 65-51.
 
"We really showed a lot of composure at the end of the game. We talked about just believing," head coach Joe Legerski. "The crowd really energized CSU, they became the aggressor. We changed the offense a couple of different times and there were a couple of big shots down the stretch. None bigger than Marta (Gomez) on the curl, we got her the ball and she finished the layup. The other big play we were up two, CSU inbounded the ball, Marta got the deflection, got fouled and finished it out on the free throw line. We did just enough defensively in the last 30 seconds but CSU did not go away. I have great respect for their staff. I've known all of them for a long time. We joked at the start whoever got to 50 points can win because both teams like to defend. After the first half, I was thinking who ever got to 40 points you are going to win. That was just how tough everyone was playing and nobody was giving in defensively. I couldn't be more proud for this group. It's the first time the seniors have won here and that is big. It keeps us moving to the direction of you have to compete for 40 minutes and it will be tough the rest of the season."   
 
Junior Bailee Cotton finished her night with a game-high 15 points, team-high eight rebounds and four assists. She was 4-of-5 from the field and 7-of-10 from the free throw line. Senior Liv Roberts followed with 13 points and five rebounds while juniors Clara Tapia and Marta Gomez added eight and seven points respectively. Wyoming shot 17-of-47 (.362) from the field and 13-of-16 (.813) from the charity stripe. As a team, the Cowgirls out rebounded the Rams 32-28 and had 11 assists on 17 baskets.
 
"Bailee (Cotton) was big for us today. There was nothing bigger than her drive right with the shot clock winding down and she lifts up for a baby hook shot. She grabbed rebounds, had a tough defensive assignment and played well on both ends of the floor. For her to lead us in points, rebounds, minutes played that's just a tremendous effort."
 
Colorado State was led by redshirt freshman Jordyn Edwards with a team-high 12 points followed by fellow redshirt freshman Liah Davis with 11 points and six rebounds. Seniors Stine Austgulen and Hannah Tvrdy each had eight points while Tvrdy led the way with nine rebounds. The Rams shot 18-of-46 (.391) and 5-of-14 (.357) from three.
 
The Cowgirls got on the board first with baskets by Tapia and Baker to put them up 5-0 in the early going. Tvrdy hit a three with the shot clock winding down to make it 5-3. Another basket by the Rams tied it up at five right out of the media timeout. Free throws from Cotton broke a several minute scoring drought for Wyoming followed by a Gomez jumper pushed the UW lead to four, 9-5. Colorado State scored five of the next seven to take its first lead of the game 12-11 with 7:19 in the second quarter. Roberts hit a three to help the Cowgirls regain a 14-12 advantage, but Mirkovic hit two free throws to tie it up at 14 all. Wyoming held the Rams scoreless the final 5:40 and ran off eight unanswered to take a 22-14 lead headed in to the locker room.
 
Tapia led all scorers at the half. Roberts followed with five points while senior Natalie Baker brought down four rebounds. UW shot 8-of-21 (.381) from the field and out rebounded the Rams 16-12. Colorado State was led by Austgulen with five points followed by Tvrdy with three points and five rebounds. CSU was 5-of-20 (.250) from the field and 2-of-8 (.250) from three.
 
A quick basket by Cotton out of the break increased the Cowgirl lead to double-figures, 24-14. Following a Colorado State timeout, the Rams went on an 11-2 run to pull within one, 26-25. Wyoming responded eight straight points to give them a nine-point lead, 34-25, late in the third quarter. Davis scored a late basket to make it 34-27 headed in to the fourth period. The teams traded a couple of baskets in the early part of the quarter capped off by a Cotton jumper giving Wyoming a 38-30 lead. CSU continued to battle and scored eight of the next ten points to close the gap to two, 40-38. Cotton hit one of two free throws to end a four minute scoreless stretch by the Cowgirls followed by a Roberts field goal to extend the lead back to five, 43-38. Another small run from the Rams brought the deficit to one, 43-42, with 3:09 on the clock. Out of a timeout, a Cowgirl field goal pushed it to a three point advantage followed by a Davis basket making it 45-44. Four straight by Wyoming which was finished by a Gomez layup made it 49-44 with under a minute left to go. Edwards brought the Rams to within two, 49-47, but that would be as close as it would get. Cotton hit four of six free throws down the stretch to come away with the 53-49.  
 
The Cowgirls have a bye on Wednesday night followed by a home game against the Utah State Aggies on Saturday, Jan. 20. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. MT in the Arena-Auditorium.