he Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team opened the 2023-2024 season with a solid win against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks this Monday.
McKinley Dickerson opened up the scoring for the Cowgirls on their opening drive with a mid range jumper that was quickly answered on the other end of the court with a Fighting Hawks jumper. Tess Barnes hit a three on the Cowgirls next trip down the floor. Emily Mellema would also hit her own mid range jumper to give the Cowgirls an early 7-2 lead.
The Cowgirls had an early advantage in the post, as back to back passes going over the top of the Fighting Hawk defense lead to open layups for the Cowgirls. Madi Symons would also find her first points in the paint and Kati Ollilainen would hit two free throws as the Cowgirls found themselves up 17-10 late in the first quarter. Marta Savic would also score her first bucket of the night off a pick and roll as the Cowgirls would end the first quarter with a 19-14 lead.
Mellema opened the scoring in the second quarter with an easy lay in off a steal but was quickly answered with a Fighting Hawks three as they began stringing together baskets to make it an even game midway through the second quarter.
The Cowgirls wouldn’t take the scoring run by the Fighting Hawks lightly, as a 6-0 run by themselves would put them back up six. The Cowgirls would keep pace late in the second quarter, but the Fighting Hawks wouldn’t go away. Ollilainen would finally find her stroke from beyond the arc after three tries, hitting a three late in the second as Fertig and Barnes would score late as well to give the Cowgirls a 38-32 lead going into the half.
Fertig would pick off where she left off to start the third quarter, continuing to dominate the paint with a nice move in the post for two. The rest of the Cowgirls struggled early as the Fighting Hawks would go on a quick 6-0 run to bring them within two. Fertig would continue to score down low, as well as Ollilainen to continue fending off the Fighting Hawks.
The Cowgirls would find themselves all wrapped up with Fighting Hawks midway through the third quarter, as Dickerson and Savic would score baskets and Ollilainen would hit her second three to keep the Fighting Hawks away from taking the lead. Fertig would hit two free throws to extend the Cowgirl lead to nine, but the Fighting Hawks would end the third quarter on a 5-0 run to make it a four point game heading into the final quarter.
Fertig would once again start the scoring for the quarter with two free throws. Malene Pederson would also chip for the Cowgirls with a layup to start the second quarter on a quick 4-0 run. The Fighting Hawks still wouldn’t go away, but a Mellema jumper and Fertig layup would give the Cowgirls their second double digit lead of the night since the score was 15-5. Savic and Mellema would help build on the lead as the Cowgirls found themselves with a fifteen point lead late in the fourth quarter, which would end as a 77-60 win off late free throws by Grace Moyers for her first points of the night.
The Cowgirls were led by Fertig with a double-double.with 18 points and 11 rebounds, going 5/9 from the field and 8/8 from the free throw line, a mark in which the Cowgirls were a perfect 18/18 on the night. The Cowgirls were also led in double figures by Mellema with 10 points and Ollilainen scoring 14 off the bench with two threes, a mark that the Cowgirls struggled in, only shooting 14.3% beyond the arc. Barnes led the Cowgirls in assists with 7.
The Cowgirls continue their non-conference campaign in their second game of the season at home this Friday, taking on Nebraska at 6:30 p.m.
