It took just three and a half minutes for the Cowgirls to open up a double-digit lead over Long Beach State.
It took only two minutes into the second quarter for that lead to bloom to 20 points.
Then, it wasn’t too long before the Cowgirls earned their first win of the season, firmly placing their season opening 56-47 loss to Saint Mary’s in the back of their minds as they celebrated their first win of the season.
First 𝗗𝘂𝗯 of the season 🤩 pic.twitter.com/7pPVO9iIig
— Wyoming Cowgirl Basketball (@wyo_wbb) November 8, 2025
“I think it’s important to see when we talk about scouting report and understanding what we’re trying to do, especially on the defensive end, to see it work. I think when they can understand that and see this is what coaches we’re talking about, and then execute to almost perfection when they did it, I think that’s one key,” head coach Heather Ezell said.
That slow-paced defensive slugfest against the Gaels featured the least amount of points scored in a season opener since Joe Legerski’s Cowgirls grinded out a 47-35 victory over Sacramento State in 2005 in his third season at the helm. Legerski’s Cowgirls were no strangers to slow starts in his first years as the head man, as the Cowgirls opened his coaching career with a measly 62-39 loss to Denver, then began his second season with a 85-42 bludgeoning against Kansas State.
Ezell’s current Cowgirl squad had little struggles offensively with Long Beach State, however, as the Cowgirls pieced together a convincing 72-39 victory that saw the Cowgirls shoot 54.7% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc.
“When we have 20 assists on 29 field goals, that means we’re finding the right people at the right times,” Ezell said.
There was little doubt that the Cowgirls were the much better team in this contest – however, that doesn’t mean this young team was without struggle throughout the course of the game.
Each game will be a learning experience for this roster as they begin to morph into the identity they want to be heading into conference play. According to WarrenNolan.com, the Cowgirls have a predictively ranked 127th in the nation for their nonconference schedule – so a few losses seem inevitable. However, there’s no doubt this team would rather learn while winning than losing.
“It wasn’t a great game on Tuesday, so I think a lot of us really could have used some confidence today,” senior Logann Alvar said. “So, I think that’s great for a majority of us.”
One thing that hasn’t changed from last year, however, is the ever-consistent and calming presence of Malene Pedersen. She finished her night flirting with the first triple-double in school history, capping the game off with 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
“She’s amazing, she sees the floor unlike anyone I’ve ever played with before,” Alvar said of Pedersen. “She’s just such a good player. She stays so calm, so whenever I know I’m getting rushed or I feel like someone else is getting rushed, she’s always right there for us to lean on.”
The Cowgirl offense as a whole showed more promise than it did on a dreary 34.1% shooting night – including an even more dreadful 17.6% from deep that included just three made triples – in their season opening loss against Saint Mary’s.
Even then, the Cowgirls once again seemed puzzled to attack a zone defense brought by Long Beach State in the second quarter – one very similar to the one that stalled the offense against Saint Mary’s. The Cowgirls went on a near five minute field goal drought in the second quarter after Long Beach State brought forth a zone defense.
“I just think, as a team, especially looking at kind of last year, we weren’t used to a whole lot of zone. And, so, we just kind of weren’t ready for it,” Alvar said.
The Cowgirls now enter an early three-game road swing that begins Nov. 11 against UT Arlington, then rounds out on the road at Santa Clara and North Dakota.
This young team is due for a serious gut check early on in the season – how will they respond?
“We don’t have all of our fans that are awesome here and you’ve got to have each other’s back,” Ezell said of the upcoming road trip.
“We got to bring our own energy. We don’t have the scout guys when we travel, so we’ve really got to buckle in and be there for each other.”
