Cowgirls Travel to Take on South Dakota – University of Wyoming Athletics

LARAMIE, Wyo. (Dec. 14, 2024) – The Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team continues its month-long swing away from home as it begins its final two games on the road. The Cowgirls will face South Dakota at noon Mountain Time Sunday.

Sunday’s game will be streamed on the Midco Sports Network and can be heard across the Cowgirl Radio Network with David Settle on the call.

ABOUT THE COWGIRLS

Wyoming will be coming off a nine day stretch in between games and is coming off a 62-50 loss at Missouri State December 6. The Cowgirls (4-5) had four players in double figures as Allyson Fertig led UW with 15 points and 10 rebounds, recording her fourth double-double of the season. Tess Barnes and Emily Mellema had 11 points each in the loss while Malene Pedersen added 10. Barnes, Pedersen and Ola Ustowska each had three assists against the Lady Bears.

So far this season, Fertig ranks in the top three in the Mountain West in 12 statistical categories. Fertig is second in the league in scoring with 18.1 points per game while her 11.1 rebounds a contest leads the MW and ranks fifth in the nation. Fertig’s five offensive rebounds per game ranks seventh-best in the country. Fertig also leads the league with a 57-percent field goal percentage and is second in total field goals made.

Mellema and Pedersen enter Sunday scoring in double figures this season, averaging 12.6 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. Mellema also leads Wyoming with 26 assists and 16 steals on the season. Mellema’s 4.1 boards per game, also ranks second on the team. Barnes and Pedersen are tied for a team-best 11 made 3-pointers in 2024-25. Pedersen’s 1.69 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the squad.

SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota is led by its do-it-all guard, Grace Larkins, who leads the Coyotes in scoring (22.8 PPG), rebounding (8.2 RPG), assists (5.7 APG) and steals (1.6 SPG). Larkins is shooting 47.6-percent overall from the floor this season and is making 32-percent of her 3-pointers. USD has two other student-athletes, both scoring 12.5 points per game in Carley Duffney and Alexi Hempe. Hempe has a team-high 27 made 3-pointers on the year, while shooting 37.5-percent from beyond-the-arc. Duffney, meanwhile, is second on the team averaging 5.7 rebounds a contest and has 28 assists.

The Coyotes are scoring at a clip of 70.6 points per contest while allowing 76.7 a game. South Dakota is shooting 41.6-percent overall from the field and 32-percent from 3-point range. Coyote opponents are shooting 41.5-percent and making just under 32-percent from deep. USD has a minus-5.3 rebounding margin thus far and has committed 13 more turnovers and dished out 40 fewer assists. The Coyotes are 3-2 at home in 2024-25.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST SOUTH DAKOTA

Both teams have won three games in the series all time. The Cowgirls have won each of the last two meetings, both in Laramie, including an 84-52 win in last season’s WNIT Super 16. Five Cowgirls scored in double figures in that win. The Coyotes have won all three of the previous meetings in Vermillion.

-WYO-