LARAMIE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team is hosting a former Mountain West rival Tuesday night in Laramie, as the Pokes will welcome BYU to town.
Wyoming (3–2) is coming off a week without a game, and the last time the team took the court was in a 78–32 victory over Chadron State. The Cowgirls were impressive in the victory, scoring 54 points in the paint in the win, the most interior points in a game since 2015.
The Cowgirls’ first 24 points in the game, not including free throws, came in the paint against the Eagles. All 15 Cowgirls saw action in the win, with 12 scoring. Marta Savic led the way as she recorded her first career double-double. Savic scored a career-best 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting and pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds while coming off the bench.
Wyoming also shot 9-of-10 at the free-throw line in the win and is now shooting 87.7% as a team for the season, making it the best free throw shooting team in the nation.
Through five games on the young season, Alyson Fertig leads the Cowgirls in scoring and is the only Cowgirl in double figures with an 11.8 point per game average. Malene Pedersen and Tess Barnes are averaging 9.8 and 9 points per contest, respectively. The duo also leads UW with 13 assists each this season.
Emily Mellema also makes an impact with eight points a game, she is second on the team with 11 assists and she has a team-best seven steals so far this year.
SCOUTING BYU
BYU comes to Laramie with a 6–0 record thus far this season, but will be playing in just its second true road game of the season. The Cougars are potent on both ends of the court, averaging 72 points per game and allowing just 53.5 a contest.
BYU is shooting 49.4% overall from the field and a very strong 44% from 3-point range. Opponents are shooting just 31.5% from the floor and are hitting under 27% from beyond the arc. BYU averages just under 44 boards per contest as a team while its 15.3 rebounding margin is top 10 in the nation.
The Cougars have four players averaging double figures in scoring, and are led by Kailey Woolston’s 17.2 points per game. Woolston is shooting a sensational 60.3% overall, 59% from 3-point range, and has made 23 total 3-pointers, a mark which is among the best in the NCAA. Lauren Gustin is second on the team in scoring, with 15 points per game, and she leads the country averaging 15.7 rebounds per contest. Amari Whiting is third on the squad at 11.2 points per contest.
Nani Falatea scored 11 points in her lone contest of the season, which came Saturday against LMU.
