LARAMIE, Wyo. (Dec. 12, 2025) – The Wyoming Cowgirls return to action Sunday with their final non-conference contest of the season. The Cowgirls travel to face Big Ten foe Minnesota in a 4 p.m., Mountain Time contest in Minneapolis.
Sunday's game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Plus and can be heard across the Cowgirl Radio Network with David Settle on the call.
ABOUT THE COWGIRLS
Wyoming (3-5) is coming off a 58-46 loss at Colorado the last time out on December 7. Malene Pedersen and Henna Sandvik led the Cowgirls with 11 points each in the loss while Logann Alvar also finished in double figures, scoring 10. Madi Symons had a solid all-around game, tying with Sandvik with a team-high five rebounds while also leading the way with four assists and recording a pair of blocked shots.
The Cowgirls recorded 12 assists on 18 made baskets against the Buffs and has assisted on better than 65-percent of their made field goals this season. Wyoming is averaging 14 assists per game in 2025-26, good for fourth in the Mountain West. Defensively, UW has been solid all season long. The Cowgirls enter Sunday ranking third in the league in opponent scoring, surrendering 57 points per game. Wyoming also allows just 38.6-percent shooting from the field overall and 24.8-percent from 3-point range. Both marks rank third-best in the conference.
Although she missed her first free throw of the season in the loss, Pedersen is shooting 94-percent at the line. Pedersen is also shooting just under 55-percent from 3-point range this season, a mark that ranks third in the country. Entering the week, Pedersen was the only player in Division I out of 466 qualified student-athletes, that is shooting 90-percent-or-better from the free-throw line and better than 50-percent from 3-point range. To qualify, players must have attempted at least 30 3-pointers and 15 free throws this season so far. On the season, Pedersen is second in the MW averaging 17.1 points per game and shooting 52.5-percent from the floor. Her 2.13 3-pointers made per game are sixth in the league.
Through eight games this season, Alvar and Sandvik are second and third on the Cowgirls in scoring, averaging 8.3 and 8.0 points per game, respectively. Payton Muma leads the team with 23 assists and 13 steals. Symons, meanwhile, leads Wyoming averaging 4.5 rebounds per game while Lana Beslic's 4.4 boards per game and 19 assists are both second on the squad.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Minnesota is 6-1 at home this season, with its only loss in Williams Arena coming at the hands of No. 7 Ohio State in double overtime. The Golden Gophers average nearly 80 points per game and are allowing just 52.4 a contest. Minnesota shoots nearly 44-percent overall from the field and makes over 34-percent of its 3-pointers. Gopher opponents are shooting just 34-percent from the floor and 27-percent from beyond-the-arc. Minnesota is plus-nine on the glass this season and is forcing its opponents into nine more turnovers per contest. The Golden Gophers average 19.2 assists per game and nearly 10 steals a game.
Four Golden Gophers average in double figures in scoring in 2025-26 and are led by Tori McKinney's 13.9 points per game. Grace Grocholski is averaging 13.2 a contest while Sophie Hart and Mara Braun are averaging 10.7 and 10.6 points per game, respectively. Amaya Battle leads Minnesota averaging 4.5 assists per game and is one of three Gophers with at least 30 assists this season. Battle also leads the squad with 7.7 rebounds per contest. McKinney leads the team with 20 steals in eight games while Bruan has 17 steals and a team-best 10 blocks on the season.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST MINNESOTA
Minnesota has won each of the previous four meetings in the series against the Cowgirls. Wyoming is 0-2 on the road in the series. The last time the two teams met was a 65-54 Golden Gopher win April 1, 2024, in Laramie in the WNIT.
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