ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Feb. 16, 2023) – In a game that featured 14 ties and 22 lead changes, New Mexico was able to pull away late from the Wyoming Cowgirls Thursday night in The Pit, 71-62. The Lobos were able to go on a 14-4 run over a seven-minute span in the fourth quarter to turn a one-point deficit into control of the contest late.
UW got off to a solid start to open, taking an early 9-4 lead four-plus minutes into the contest and held an 11-6 advantage at the first quarter media timeout. The Lobos came out of the timeout and went on a 9-2 run to end the frame and took a 15-13 lead into the second. Turnovers hampered the Cowgirls in the first quarter.
The two teams spent the first part of the second exchanging hoops as a Tommi Olson 3-pointer gave Wyoming the lead back at 22-21 with 5:25 left in the frame. UNM hit a pair at the line just before the media timeout, the fourth lead change of the first half. Following the timeout, it was more of the same as the lead was exchanged multiple times before the close of the half. The Lobos got the final basket of the second to take a 27-26 lead into halftime. Both teams turned the ball over double-digit times in the game's first 20 minutes. The Cowgirls shot just 1-of-9 from beyond-the-arc in the first half.
Both teams hit 3-pointers to open the second half and things were off and running. Things went the same to open the third as they went to end the second, with the two teams trading the lead back-and-forth. Things were tied at 40 at the media timeout as Wyoming continued to hit shots and New Mexico continued to make trips to the free-throw line. After the timeout, the script remained the same as neither team could gain much separation and the score was knotted at 47-47 going to the fourth.
The Lobos came out firing in the fourth, scoring the first two baskets before Allyson Fertig would respond for the Cowgirls with a personal 5-0 run to push UW out front, 52-51 with 7:56 remaining. After a Wyoming timeout, both teams went a little cold on the offensive end before New Mexico would recapture the lead, 55-52 with 4:22 left. UNM would continue its 8-0 run out of a timeout, to build the lead up to seven with under three minutes to play before a Quinn Weidemann mid-range jumper ended a Cowgirl scoring drought. From there, however, UW couldn't get any closer as the Lobos closed things out late.
Fertig was again sensational for the Cowgirls in the loss, finishing with a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds while shooting 11-of-15 from the floor. Fertig hit her first four shots on the night, as she stretched her consecutive makes streak to 20. The 24 points tied a career-best for the sophomore center and was the third 20-plus point outing of the season for her. Weidemann also finished in double figures as she had 13 in the loss. Olson and Malene Pedersen led Wyoming with five and four assists, respectively.
On the night, the Cowgirls shot 44.8-percent (26-58) but went 6-of-16 in the fourth, despite finishing the game hitting four of their last five. New Mexico shot 48.8-percent from the field while each team made three 3-pointers. However, UW shot just 3-of-18 from beyond-the-arc while the Lobos made 3-of-6 treys. New Mexico also had a huge advantage at the charity stripe, going 26-of-30 at the line while the Cowgirls were 7-for-8. Wyoming entered the night committing just over 14 fouls per game but were whistled for 25 Thursday.
Wyoming looks to split its two-game road trip the next time out, Saturday at 2 p.m., MT with a trip to San Diego State.
-WYO-