Second Quarter Surge Helps Cowgirls in 64-56 Win Over Air Force

Fertig and Pedersen score 30 and 20, respectively to lead UW 

LARAMIE, Wyo. (Feb. 12, 2025) – Allyson Fertig (30) and Malene Pedersen (20) combined to score 50 of the Wyoming Cowgirls’ 64 points Wednesday night. The Cowgirls were able to battle past Air Force, 64-56 in a hard-fought contest. Wyoming used a 17-2 run to end the first half and then hung on from there.

Wyoming hit its first five shots of the game as it got out to an early 11-6 lead. Air Force would come right back, however, as the Cowgirls led just 14-12 at the first media timeout. Out of the timeout, both teams started to pick it up on the defensive end before both teams would drill a 3-pointer. Things were tied 19-19 after one quarter as the Falcons beat the buzzer with a driving layup.

Air Force came out strong to begin the second quarter as it surged in front, 26-20 as the Cowgirls continued to be lethargic to open the contest. Three consecutive layups came from Fertig to eventually tie the game at 26-26. UW pushed back in front before the media timeout thanks to Pedersen’s second 3-pointer of the game, 29-26. Following the timeout, Fertig continued her strong first half as the Cowgirl lead was pushed up to 11. Wyoming ended the final seven minutes of the first half on a 17-2 run and led 37-28 at the break. Fertig scored 21 points and had nine rebounds in the first 20 minutes.

Both teams started the second half like they did the first, with strong offense before sputtering late in the frame. Fertig would again begin to assert her dominance, as the Cowgirls got the lead back up to double digits. Wyoming led 47-37 at the media timeout. Following the media, the Falcons would whittle the deficit down to 48-39, going to the fourth as both teams struggled to score to end the third.

After the Cowgirls got the first hoop of the fourth, AFA was able to keep pace as things were a battle the first few minutes of the quarter. Wyoming wasn’t able to get its outside shots to fall in the second half, but a Pedersen 3-pointer helped give UW a 59-47 lead into the media timeout. After the timeout, UW was able to keep the lead in double figures for most of the game’s final three minutes as it was able to hold off the Falcons down the stretch, despite a late surge.

Fertig made 12-of-14 from the floor, including her first 3-pointer of the season in the win, while also pulling down 15 rebounds and recording three blocks. Pedersen finished shooting 7-for-11 and made three of the Cowgirls’ six made 3-pointers. Four different Cowgirls, Tess Barnes, Emily Mellema, Kati Ollilainen and Pedersen led the way with three assists each.

Wyoming shot 46-percent in the contest and made 12-of-16 at the free-throw line. Air Force shot 40.7-percent from the field but went just 8-of-15 at the charity stripe. The Cowgirls enjoyed a slight edge in second-chance points (6-2) and points in the paint (32-26). UW ended the game with 17 assists, 13 of which came in the first half.

“I thought we were a little flat in the first quarter,” said Heather Ezell postgame.

“It was a lot of a preparation thing. We expected (Air Force) to press us and get up and make every catch tough, and credit to them, they changed from the first meeting. It made us have to work a little bit differently then what we prepared for, so that first quarter was flat, but then I thought we figured it out in the second.”

The Cowgirls will remain home Saturday for their second consecutive game inside the AA. Wyoming welcomes San Jose State for a 2 p.m., tip-off.