LARAMIE, Wyo. (December 2, 2018) – The Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team continues its four-game home stand when UW welcomes Denver to the Arena-Auditorium on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., as two of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation are set to square off.
 
The game will be broadcast live on the Mountain West Network, and can be heard across the 25 stations of the Cowgirl Radio Network with Reece Monaco on play-by-play and Wyoming Hall of Famer Margie McDonald with color commentary.
 
A LOOK AT THE COWGIRLS
The Cowgirls are 4-2 this season and a perfect 3-0 at home following last week's 66-58 win over Montana State. The Cowgirls are led offensively by senior forward Marta Gomez who averages 16.8 points per game while shooting among the nation's best from three-point range, 53.7 percent (22-of-41). Freshman forward Tereza Vitulova is scoring 11.0 points per contest on 60.0 percent (24-of-40) shooting from the field, doing most of her damage in the paint. Senior forward Bailee Cotton averages 10.2 points per contest and pulls down a team best 7.2 rebounds per game. Cotton has also taken a team-leading seven charges this season. Senior guard Clara Tapia is in control of the Cowgirl offense, averaging a team-best 3.5 assists per game. Defensively, freshman guard Karla Erjavec has recorded 13 steals this season, while Cotton leads the way with four blocks.
 
Offensively, the Cowgirls are shooting at a 46.2 percent (163-of-353) percent clip from the field while shooting 42.6 percent (58-of-126) from three and 77.2 percent (61-of-79) from the free throw line to average 74.2 points per game. The Cowgirls average 16.7 assists and just 11.5 turnovers per game. Opponents are shooting 40.6 percent (128-of-315) from the field, 30.2 percent (26-of-86) from three and 67.9 percent (55-of-81) from the free throw line to average 56.2 points per game. Cowgirl foes average 10.5 assists and 18.0 turnovers per game.
 
Head coach Joe Legerski is in his 16th year at the helm of the Cowgirls, and he has compiled a 293-179 record as Wyoming's head coach. He is the winningest coach in program history.
 
SCOUTING DENVER
The Pioneers are 6-1 on the season and are riding a four-game winning streak. The game against Wyoming will be the Pioneers' first trip outside of the state of Colorado this season. Denver is led offensively by one of the best shooters in the country, Lauren Loven, who averages 21.1 points per game and shoots 64.9 percent (37-of-57) from three to lead the nation in made three-point field goals per game while shooting at the second-best percentage from distance in the country. Denver has three other players averaging double-digit scoring in Madison Nelson (14.1), Claire Gritt (12.4) and Sydney Mech (10.0). Nelson averages a double-double, as she pulls down 10.6 rebounds per game. Samantha Romanowski directs the offense averaging 7.0 assists per game. Defensively, Mech averages 2.0 blocks per contest, and Gritt records 2.3 steals per game.
 
Offensively, the Pioneers are shooting 45.3 percent (220-of-486) from the field, 45.1 percent (79-of-175) from three and 77.6 percent (111-of-143) from the free throw line to average 90.0 points per game. Denver averages 16.6 assists to 15.3 turnovers per game. Defensively, Denver opponents have shot 36.4 percent (182-of-500) from the field and 30.4 percent (45-of-148) from three to average 73.7 points per game. Denver's opponents have averaged 11.7 assists and 16.6 turnovers per game.
 
Head coach Jim Turgeon is 23-15 in the midst of his second season at the helm of the Pioneers. Overall, he is 77-25 in his fourth year as a collegiate head coach.
 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST DENVER
The Cowgirls and Pioneers have meet 26 times on the hardwood, and have squared off in each of the last 11 years. Overall, the Cowgirls hold a 22-4 advantage, and have won six in a row and 13 in a row at home. The last time the Pioneers picked up a win in Laramie, was during the 1976-77 season, as Denver earned a one-point victory, 60-59. The Cowgirls have won by double digits in four straight games.
 
UP NEXT
The Cowgirls will continue a four-game home stand when they host Idaho on Saturday, Dec. 8. Tip-off in the Arena-Auditorium is scheduled for 1 p.m., and Cowboy wrestling will follow in the Double-A at 5 p.m.