CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Cowgirls’ gritty, grind-it-out 67-59 win over Montana State showcased a number of different themes throughout the game.
Here are some of the main takeaways from Friday’s win:
Cowgirls finally escape slow start
The biggest theme from all three of the Cowgirls losses have been their inability to get going right from the jump. In the first quarter of those games, the Cowgirls have averaged just 27.25% shooting. They have also trailed by seven or more points in the opening frame.
Friday’s game started out eerily similar to these three losses. The Cowgirls shot just 33% from the field and fell behind by seven points at the six-minute, 12-second mark of the first quarter. However, this time, they were able to overcome it with a much better performance in the second quarter on both ends of the court.
UW used that wave of momentum to take a lead into the second half, and despite some pushes by the Bobcats, UW held them at bay.
“We are starting to figure it out,” Cowgirls coach Heather Ezell said. “It is still just taking a little time, and that is what teams do.”
Against Montana State, however, the Cowgirls were finally able to overcome the slow start. While it was the final result the team was looking for, the Cowgirls know they need to have faster starts to games if they are going to win moving forward.
“It was good to see that we can fight back,” Quinn Weidemann said. “But, in the grand scheme of things, we do need to focus in, especially in those first five minutes of the game.”
Gritty win
The Cowgirls have played in three tightly contested games so far this season. UW had chances to win its first two games of the season, but had late fourth-quarter leads slip away.
Friday’s game was the first time the Cowgirls were able to win one of these types of games. It got a little hairy late in the fourth, but Weidemann came up with a massive 3-pointer and some clutch free throws to seal the win.
While a 1-2 record in these close games is not quite what the team wanted, it is important for them to learn how to win these games now, as opposed to later. Conference play begins in less than a month, and these types of games will become far more common place.
“It’s super important (for us to learn how to win close games),” Weidemann said. “When we can play a full 40 minutes, that really prepares us for when we get into conference and the conference tournament, where those games come down to the last few seconds.”
Ustowska shines
Part of the reason UW was able to overcome its slow start was the play of junior guard Ola Ustowska, particularly in the first quarter. After falling behind by six with just over two minutes remaining, Ustowska drained back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the game late in the period.
Ustowska made just one more 3-pointer for the rest of the game, but finished with six assists. She also drew two big charging fouls late in the game to force Montana State turnovers.
Ustowska, who has struggled shooting early in the season, was a big part of the Cowgirls’ success last year. A game like this goes a long way in helping to get her to where she was last season.
“The biggest thing has been getting her in those situations more and more,” Ezell said. “For a kid coming back from injury to put their body on the line like that, that is how you know they are back.”
The win over the Bobcats was by no means pretty. The Cowgirls weren’t at their absolute best defensively for parts of the game, and ran into a few dry spells shooting. But they still managed to pull out a win, regardless.
