Cowgirls Open Postseason Monday Night in MW Championship Quarterfinals
Courtesy photo
UW plays the winner of Air Force and Utah State
LARAMIE, Wyo. (March 8, 2025) – The Wyoming Cowgirls begin postseason play Monday night at 6 p.m., Mountain Time in the Quarterfinals of the Mountain West Championship. The Cowgirls, who are the No. 2 seed in the tournament, will face the winner of 7th-seeded Air Force and the No. 10 seed Utah State.
Monday’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 (20-10) is coming off a 71-66 win over top-seeded UNLV Wednesday on Senior Night in Laramie. Malene Pedersen, who was named the Mountain West Player of the Week for her efforts in the win, scored a career-high 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field. Pedersen also made a career-high five 3-pointers against the Lady Rebels. Emily Mellema and Allyson Fertig scored 17 and 16, respectively on the night while Fertig grabbed 19 rebounds and had three blocks. It marked Fertig’s 12th double-double of the season.
With the win, the Cowgirls secured 20 wins for the second time in three seasons under Head Coach Heather Ezell. UW also set a program record for single-season conference wins with the victory, securing its 14th of the conference slate. This marks the fourth consecutive season the Cowgirls have been a top three seed at the Mountain West Championship.
Fertig closes the regular season in elite company as she becomes just the second Cowgirl in Mountain West history to win the league’s scoring crown (Aubrey Vandiver, 2010-11). In Mountain West play, Fertig averaged 19.5 points per game. Fertig, who also led the MW in rebounding (11.5 RPG), blocks (2.1 BPG) and shooting percentage (58.4), becomes the seventh player in league history to lead the conference in both scoring and rebounding. Fertig is the second-ever, to lead the Mountain West in points, rebounds and field goal percentage. She also becomes the first in league history to lead the conference in points, rebounds, field goal percentage and blocks.
Wyoming ended the regular season No. 1 in the Mountain West in scoring defense (58.4), field goal percentage (47.9), 3-point percentage (36.9) and assists (17.33). The Cowgirls’ 5.1 rebounding margin was second in the league while their 1.26 assist-to-turnover ratio was third. Wyoming is 17-24 all-time at the Mountain West Championship and won the 2021 title.
SCOUTING AIR FORCE
Air Force is led by one of the top-scoring duos in the league in Milahnie Perry (15.9 PPG) and Madison Smith (15.4 PPG). Smith and Perry rank second and third on the team in assists, respectively while Smith leads the Mountain West averaging 2.5 steals per game. Perry leads the team with 85 made free throws this season. Keelie O’Hollaren leads the Falcons with 59 made 3-pointers while Jayda McNabb’s 6.8 rebounds per game and 32 blocks are both team-bests. Jo Huntimer’s 4.6 assists per game ranks second in the MW, as does her 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Falcons average 66.6 points per game and are allowing opponents to score just 63.2. AFA is shooting 40.5-percent from the field and 32-percent from 3-point range. Opponents shoot the ball at a clip of nearly 44-percent and are making 31.2-percent from beyond-the-arc. Air Force leads the league in steals with 10.7 a contest. The Falcons force their opponents into an impressive 19.7 turnovers per game. AFA is a minus-4.2 in rebounding margin this season.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST AIR FORCE
Wyoming swept the series this season against Air Force and now leads the all-time series, 62-4. The Cowgirls and Falcons have met one other time at the Mountain West Championship. The Cowgirls won that meeting 70-48 in 2015. UW won in Colorado Springs, 62-50 on January 22. In the February 12 meeting in Laramie, the Cowgirls prevailed 64-56. In eight career games against Air Force, Allyson Fertig is averaging 16.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and two blocks per game while shooting 82.1-percent from the field (55-67).
SCOUTING UTAH STATE
Utah State is led by one of the league’s top scorers in Cheyenne Stubbs, who is averaging 16.4 points per game. Stubbs in the only Aggie averaging in double figures this season. Stubbs also leads the team with 53 3-pointers and is second in steals (36) and assists (64). Carlie Latta leads USU with 71 assists. Sophie Sene leads the team averaging 5.4 rebounds per game while Jamisyn Heaton’s 5.3 per is second. Gracie Johnson leads the team with 26 blocks.
The Aggies average 65.7 points per game and are allowing 78.4 a contest. USU is shooting 37.2-percent from the floor and 29-percent from beyond-the-arc on 8.3 makes per contest. Opponents shoot it at 45.5-percent from the field and 36.5-percent from 3-point range. Utah State has a minus-nine rebounding margin and is allowing 17.6 assists per game. The Aggies commit fewer turnovers per game than their opponents.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST UTAH STATE
Wyoming leads the all-time series 33-10 and won the only meeting this season, 73-53 in the Mountain West opener. The Cowgirls are 3-0 at the Mountain West Championship against the Aggies. UW won 69-41 in the opening round of the 2021 tournament, in which the Cowgirls won the title.