LARAMIE, Wyo. (January 24, 2019) The Wyoming Cowgirl basketball returns to the friendly confines of the Arena-Auditorium to face Boise State, the team atop the Mountain West Standings, in a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 24. The Broncos claimed the first matchup of the season in Boise, and are on a 10-game winning streak. The Cowgirls picked up their first road win of the season, downing San José State on Wednesday, 70-56.
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A LOOK AT THE COWGIRLS
The Cowgirls are 10-5 this season coming off a 70-56 road win over San José State. The Cowgirls are led offensively by senior forward Marta Gomez who averages 15.3 points per game while adding 4.7 rebounds per contest. Senior forward Bailee Cotton averages nearly a double-double with 11.0 points per contest and pulling down a team-best 8.9 rebounds per game. Cotton has also taken a team-leading 10 charges this season. Junior Taylor Rusk is scoring 10.8 points per contest while adding 52 assists and only 13 turnovers, the second best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country. Senior guard Clara Tapia leads the team in the assist department with 54 on the year. Defensively, freshman guard Karla Erjavec has recorded 20 steals this season, while Cotton has 11 blocks.
Offensively, the Cowgirls are shooting at a 46.4 percent (407-of-877) clip from the field while shooting 41.1 percent (132-of-321) from three and 74.1 percent (146-of-197) from the free throw line to average 72.8 points per game. The Cowgirls average 16.0 assists and just 11.1 turnovers per game. Opponents are shooting 42.9 percent (342-of-797) from the field, 37.3 percent (87-of-233) from three and 70.5 percent (134-of-190) from the free throw line to average 60.3 points per game. Cowgirl foes average 10.5 assists and 15.5 turnovers per game.
Head coach Joe Legerski is in his 16th year at the helm of the Cowgirls, and he has compiled a 299-182 record as Wyoming’s head coach. He is the winningest coach in program history.
SCOUTING BOISE STATE
The Broncos are 15-2 on the season, and in the midst of a 10-game winning streak after toppling Air Force, 79-48. BSU is led offensively by Riley Lupfer, the MW Preseason Player of the Year, who scores 12.1 points per game with 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest. Braydey Hodgins scores 10.4 points while pulling down 3.4 boards an averaging 2.1 assists per game. A’Shanti Coleman joins them in double-figure scoring with 10.3 points per game and adds a team-best 20 blocks and 27 steals. Joyce Harrell leads the Broncos on the glass with 6.1 rebounds a night to go along with 7.6 points.
Offensively, BSU shoots 45.7 percent (500-of-1,093) from the field, 38.0 percent (148-of-389) from three and 68.4 percent (160-of-234) from the free throw line to average 76.9 points per game. The Broncos average 17.1 assists and 14.9 turnovers per game. Defensively, opponents shoot 38.6 percent (385-of-994) from the field, 31.3 percent (94-of-304) from three and 70.4 percent (207-of-294) from the free throw line to average 62.9 points per game. Opponents average 19.1 turnovers and 10.8 assists.
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Head coach Gordy Presnell is 258-169 in 14 seasons at Boise State. Overall, he is 654-296 in 32 years as a Division I head coach.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST BOISE STATE
The Cowgirls and Broncos enter their eighth season as conference rivals, and the teams are an even 7-7 during their tenure in the Mountain West. Overall, Boise State holds an 11-10 lead in the series that dates back to 1989. Last season, Wyoming picked up its first-ever win in Boise with a 66-51 victory over the Broncos. However, Boise State took the game in Laramie, 67-63. The Broncos took the first of two games this season, a 72-64 decision.
UP NEXT
The Cowgirls will travel to Fresno, Calif., to face the Fresno State Bulldogs on Wednesday, Jan. 30, with tip-off scheduled for 8 p.m. (MT).
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