(John Barker Photo)
Nothing was seeming to go the Wyoming Cowgirls’ way in their first round matchup against the Air Force Falcons in the Mountain West Tournament. Shots weren’t falling, turnovers continued to pile up and the Falcons kept an iron grip on the lead no matter how close the Cowgirls continued to make it.
Heading into the fourth quarter with an 11-point margin to erase behind a struggling offense, it seemed as if the Cowgirls were going to be snuffed out in the opening round of the Mountain West tournament after competing in two of the last three championship games.
All-Mountain West selection and Cowgirl basketball great Malene Pedersen wasn’t about to relinquish, though.
Pedersen would cash in a contested triple with just around three minutes remaining in the contest, cutting the Falcons’ lead to just three points. Suddenly, the Cowgirls were within one possession after trailing by double-digits to begin the fourth quarter.
Big shot! Malene Pedersen drains a 3️⃣ to tighten the score for Wyoming! pic.twitter.com/jvH7yL3ugi
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 7, 2026
Then, it was a hauntingly familiar set of events that halted the Cowgirls’ comeback effort to a complete stop.
With a chance to knot things up on the possession ensuing Pedersen’s big three, the Cowgirls would see an errant pass sling out of bounds – however, the Cowgirls still had a chance if they got a stop defensively. It all but seemed like that would be a guarantee after the Cowgirls forced the Falcons into a wild layup, but an offensive rebound by the Falcons would lead to a wide-open Bhret Clay triple, a make that would ultimately seal the Cowgirls’ fate.
A late effort by the Cowgirls would fall short, as they’d be eliminated from the Mountain West Tournament with a final score of 60-53.
“Credit to Air Force for coming out and playing a heck of a basketball game,” head coach Heather Ezell said postgame. “It was one of those games where I thought we left everything on the court for us…they made a few more plays than us and came out on top.”
Pedersen put forth a comendable effort in her final contest in a Wyoming uniform, scoring a career-high 29 points in the loss. No other Cowgirl was able to eclipse double-figures, as Henna Sandvik finished with eight points and a team-high six rebounds in her final contest as well. All-Mountain West Freshman Team selection Jane Rumpf struggled immensely in her first collegiate postseason outing, finishing 0-of-8 from the field.
“She was all over the court, diving or whatever it might be. That’s how hard you have to play, and that’s the epitome of Cowgirl toughness right there,” Ezell said of Pedersen.
This contest ultimately served as a microcosm of the entire season for the Cowgirls. Despite their defense limiting the Falcons to just 2-of-13 (15%) from deep and 25-of-63 (40%) from the field, their offense was unable to lift them to a first round victory – with turnovers and inefficient shooting burying their winning chances.
With the loss, the Cowgirls finish the season 10-20 overall and 7-13 in the Mountain West. Their .333 winning percentage is the program’s worst since the 1998-99 season, when they finished 7-19.
