Cowgirls Fall At New Mexico 65-75
University of Wyoming release:
The Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team had their six-game winning streak snapped with a 75-65 loss against the New Mexico Lobos, on Wednesday night, in Albuquerque. The Cowgirls are now 10-3 overall on the season and 1-1 in conference action, while the Lobos are 6-7 overall and 1-1 in MW play.
Four Cowgirls finished the night in double-figures led by Fallon Lewis. She recorded a team high 16 points and eight rebounds. Kaitlyn Mileto followed with 15 while Marquelle Dent and Kayla Woodward added 12 and 10 points each. Wyoming shot 23-58 (.397) from the field and 15-24 (.625) from the free throw line.
New Mexico was led by Sara Halasz with 18 points and nine rebounds. Antiesha Brown recorded 13 points while Alexa Chavez and Bryce Owens each had 11 and 10 points. The Lobos were 29-56 (.518) from the field and out rebounded the Cowgirls, 39-34.
"It really came down to field goal percentage and knocking down shots," said head coach Joe Legerski. "New Mexico shot 56 percent compared to our 35 percentage in the second half. In the first half, it was really a battle. We talked about coming out and establishing ourselves in the second half and there was no doubt it was a struggle for us the entire game. New Mexico had the energy, made the shots and took away our transition game and ways we are able to score.
New Mexico struck first with a Bryce Owens basket 20 seconds into the contest. Two field goals by Kaitlyn Mileto and one from UNM made it a 4-4 contest. The two teams combined for the next eight points to even the game up at eight through the first media timeout. The Lobos scored the next four of seven to take a one-point lead, 12-11 which was answered with a 6-0 run by the Cowgirls to give them a 17-12 advantage. Sara Halasz hit a basket to end a three-minute scoring drought and the next five points to even up the score at 17. Two baskets from the Cowgirls a four-point advantage, 21-17, but the Lobos answered with nine straight points to take a 26-21 lead. A three-point basket by Woodward would cut into that lead to make it 26-24 UNM with 4:48 on the clock. A basket by Deeva Vaughn made it a four-point game, 28-24. The Cowgirls pulled to within two, 28-26, but the Lobos closed out the half on a 5-2 run to take a 33-28 lead into the locker room.
The Cowgirls were led by Mileto at the half with nine points followed by Dent and Lewis with six. Lewis also had a team high five rebounds. Wyoming was 12-27 (.444) from the field but just 2-6 (.333) from the free throw line. The Lobos were led by Halasz with 11 points and four rebounds while Chavez followed with seven points and Vaughn had a team high five rebounds. UNM shot 15-31 (.484) from the field and out rebounded the Cowgirls 20-15.
Out of the break, the Lobos built the lead to seven, 37-30. Started by free throws from Woodward, they would go on a 6-3 run to cut into the deficit, 40-36. A three-point field goal by Owens would start a 6-0 run by New Mexico to increase the lead to double-figures, 46-36. A basket by Dent stopped the run, but the Lobos scored seven of the next nine to hold a 53-40 lead with ten minutes left in the game. A basket by Woodward would cut it to ten, 53-43, unfortunately the Lobos scored six of the next nine to get the lead back to 14, 59-45. The Cowgirls closed the gap to ten, 62-52, but the deficit was too much to overcome as New Mexico won the game, 75-65.
Wyoming will return home to close out the week as they host the Boise State Broncos, on Saturday, Jan. 11. The game is set for 2:00 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.