Cowgirls Set for Saturday Tussle at Air Force
* University of Wyoming press release
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., -- The Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team looks to make it a 2-0 week on the road as they travel to face Air Force in a Saturday matinee at 1 p.m., at the Academy.
The Cowgirls opened their week on the road with a 54-48 win over Utah State Wednesday night.
Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on the Mountain West Network and can be heard across the Cowgirl Radio Network with David Settle on the call.
ABOUT THE COWGIRLS
Wyoming has started the conference slate 2-0 for the first time since 2019-20, when it began the year 3-0 in Mountain West play. Allyson Fertig led the Cowgirls with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win over the Aggies. Fertig, who shot 7-of-11 from the field, recorded her fourth double-double of the season. In four career games now against USU, Fertig is averaging 18 points, 10.5 rebounds and two blocks per game while shooting 76-percent from the floor.
Tess Barnes also finished in double figures Wednesday as she recorded 11 points and had two of the Cowgirls’ four made 3-pointers. Barnes has scored in double figures now in three of the last four games.
Through the first two games of league play, a trio of Cowgirls are scoring in double digits, led by Fertig’s 12.5 a game. Fertig also has a team-leading eight rebounds per and is shooting nearly 53-percent overall. Barnes is at 12 a game and has four 3-pointers while McKinley Dickerson is averaging 11.5 per game.
Malene Pedersen has a team-best six assists through the young conference season. As a team, the Cowgirls have held their two opponents to just 47.5 points per game, 32.2-percent shooting overall and 5-of-35 (14.3-percent) from beyond-the-arc.
Overall, in 2023-24, Wyoming is holding its opponents to just 26.4-percent from 3-point range, a mark that ranks second in the league. Individually, Fertig is averaging 14 points per game, which ranks sixth-best in the conference and 7.6 boards a game, which is fourth. Pedersen, meanwhile, is averaging 10.2 points a game while Emily Mellema has a team-leading 36 assists and 20 steals.
SCOUTING AIR FORCE
Once again, Air Force is one of the top defensive teams in the Mountain West, forcing opponents into over 21 turnovers per game and averaging 12.3 steals a contest. In two conference games this season, one of which went to overtime, the Falcons have held their opponents to just 61 points per game. AFA is averaging 61.4 points per game on the season and is shooting nearly 36-percent from the floor and 26-percent from 3-point range.
The Falcons commit six fewer turnovers per game than their opponents. Air Force is being out-rebounded by nearly six boards per contest. AFA is 7-1 at home this season.
A pair of Falcons average in double figures in scoring to lead the team. Milahnie Perry leads the team averaging 15.3 points per game and is second on the team with 27 assists and 14 3-pointers. Madison Smith is averaging 12.3 a contest and a team-high 5.9 rebounds a game.
Taylor Britt leads the team with 43 assists and 43 steals on the year. The 43 steals lead the Mountain West in that category.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST AIR FORCE
Wyoming has owned the all-time series with Air Force, 58-4, with all four of those defeats coming on the road. However, five of the last six meetings have been decided by single digits while the last three have been decided by an average of just three points.
UW won by just one in last season’s meeting in Colorado Springs while in 2022, it was a two-point defeat on the road. The last four played at Clune Arena, have been decided by just a two-point margin.
POKES: The Seven Best Games In The History Of The Wyoming-CSU Border War Rivalry (Naturally, they were all Wyoming wins)
More From 7220 Sports
