Wyoming Falls on Road at Gonzaga, 80-64

* University of Wyoming press release

SPOKANE, Wash., – The Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team stumbled on the road Saturday, losing at Gonzaga 80-64. Despite shooting 53-percent from the floor and hitting a season-high eight 3-pointers, the big difference in the game came on the glass.

Gonzaga (4-1) out-rebounded the Cowgirls (2-2) 36-24 in the contest and enjoyed a 24-5 advantage in second-chance points. Despite Wyoming’s hot shooting, the Bulldogs were able to hoist up 17 more shots on the day, neutralizing the UW offense to a degree.

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Wyoming got Allyson Fertig going early, as she scored the first six points of the game for the Brown & Gold. After trailing 6-4 early, Gonzaga responded with a 14-0 run to go up by 12 and didn’t look back from there. GU led 25-18 after the first and 43-33 at halftime.

The Cowgirls would get the deficit down to as little as eight points in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs were able to extend the lead back up to 16, 67-51 by the end of the frame. In the fourth, Gonzaga enjoyed a double-digit lead the final 10 minutes and led by as many as 19 at one point.

Fertig shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and led the Cowgirls with 12 points in the loss. Tess Barnes and Emily Mellema also scored in double figures, posting 11 points each. The duo combined to shoot 9-of-11 overall and hit a trio of 3-pointers in the loss. Mellema also led the way with five assists and was one of five Cowgirls to record a steal in the loss.

Kati Ollilainen led the Wyoming reserves with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting. Ollilainen hit a pair of 3-pointers and had two assists on the day. Malene Pedersen added nine points and four assists. Marta Savic led the Cowgirls with a season-high nine rebounds off the bench.

Overall, Wyoming shot 26-for-49 and made 8-of-23 (34.8-percent) from beyond-the-arc. Gonzaga shot 48.5-percent (32-66) and hit 9-of-24 (37.5-percent) from deep. The Bulldogs made 7-of-9 at the free-throw line while the Cowgirls made just 4-of-7.

Gonzaga recorded 19 offensive rebounds in the contest and had 22 assists on 32 made field goals. UW committed a season-high 16 turnovers, leading to 27 Bulldog points. GU also enjoyed a 17-6 advantage in fast break points on the day.

UW now shifts its focus to a Tuesday matinee back home in Laramie against Chadron State. It will be Education Day inside the Arena-Auditorium for an 11 a.m., tip.

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