LARAMIE, Wyo. (February 28, 2019) – The Wyoming Cowgirls (20-6, 13-4 MW) will travel to Albuquerque, N.M., on Thursday to face the New Mexico Lobos (23-5, 13-4 MW) in the last game of the regular season for both teams. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (MT). Second place in the Mountain West is on the line, as both teams have identical 13-4 records in league play.
 
The game will be broadcast live on the Mountain West Network and on Stadium, 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 20-6 this season and 13-4 in the Mountain West coming off an 85-56 Senior Day victory over San José State. The Cowgirls are led offensively by senior forward Marta Gomez who averages 16.1 points per game while adding 5.0 rebounds per contest. Senior forward Bailee Cotton averages nearly a double-double with 11.6 points per contest and pulling down a team best 8.8 rebounds per game. Cotton has also taken a team-leading 16 charges this season. Junior Taylor Rusk is scoring 9.6 points per contest while adding 87 assists and only 28 turnovers, the 11th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country. Freshman guard Karla Erjavec leads the team in the assist department with 100 on the year. Defensively, Erjavec has recorded 27 steals this season, while Cotton has 25 blocks and 35 steals.
 
Offensively, the Cowgirls are shooting at a 46.2 percent (665-of-1,439) clip from the field while shooting 40.4 percent (193-of-478) from three and 76.8 percent (272-of-354) from the free throw line to average 69.0 points per game. The Cowgirls average 16.0 assists and just 11.6 turnovers per game. Opponents are shooting 40.8 percent (567-of-1,390) from the field, 31.2 percent (114-of-365) from three and 68.9 percent (219-of-318) from the free throw line to average 56.4 points per game. Cowgirl foes average 9.2 assists and 14.3 turnovers per game.
 
Head coach Joe Legerski is in his 16th year at the helm of the Cowgirls, and he has compiled a 309-183 record as Wyoming's head coach. He is the winningest coach in program history.
 
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO
The Lobos are 23-5 this season with a 13-4 mark in Mountain West play following a 66-70 road loss against Boise State. New Mexico is led by preseason all-Mountain West selection Jaisa Nunn, who averages 16.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Aisia Robertson adds 14.6 points and 6.7 assists each game, while Jayla Everett scores 13.9 points and grabs 3.6 rebounds per game. Nike McClure leads the team with 2.3 blocks per game and adds 6.7 rebounds, while Robertson averages 2.4 steals per game on the defensive side of the ball.
 
Offensively, the Lobos shoot 42.2 percent (781-of-1,852) from the field, 31.2 percent (210-of-674) from three and 68.8 percent (372-of-541) from the free throw line to average 76.6 points per game. New Mexico averages 16.0 assists and 16.0 turnovers per game. Defensively, opponents shoot 37.0 percent (658-of-1,778) from the field, 29.0 percent (182-of-628) from three and 68.0 percent (283-of-416) from the free throw line to average 63.6 points per game. Lobo foes average 13.3 assists and 18.5 turnovers each game.
 
Head coach Mike Bradbury is 63-31 in three years at New Mexico, and he owns a 241-148 in 13 years as a Division I head coach.
 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST NEW MEXICO
The Lobos narrowly hold a 40-37 lead in the longtime series between these two schools, but the Cowgirls have claimed six of the last seven meetings and the last two games played in Albuquerque. New Mexico picked up the win in Laramie earlier this season, 75-78. Last season, Wyoming picked up three wins against the Lobos, winning at home, in Albuquerque and in the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas.

UP NEXT
The Cowgirls will find out their first-round opponent in the Mountain West Tournament following the New Mexico game. The tournament runs March 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nev.