Cowgirls hang tough with No. 17 Gonzaga

Posted 12/19/19

The Wyoming Cowgirls stepped up against the No. 17-ranked Gonzaga in the Arena-Auditorium on Tuesday. UW kept the Bulldogs within a few points in the fourth quarter, but Gonzaga (10-1) made late free …

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Cowgirls hang tough with No. 17 Gonzaga

The University of Wyoming’s Karla Erjavec drives toward the hoop in the Cowgirls’ Tuesday evening loss to No. 17 Gonzaga University. Erjavec hit a late layup that brought UW within seven points of the favored Bulldogs late, but Gonzaga was able to hold off the Wyoming rally.

Photo courtesy University of Wyoming Athletics

Posted Thursday, December 19, 2019 10:00 am

“I thought we battled, I thought we scrapped and I thought we did everything we could do,” said UW head coach Gerald Mattinson. “Obviously we needed to make more baskets at key times, but they weathered the storm, too. You have to give credit to Gonzaga. They’re well-coached, they’re talented and they execute.”

The Cowgirls were led by sophomore Tereza Vitulova’s team-high 14 points and six rebounds. Vitulova has now scored in double-figures in six straight games. Sophomore Quinn Weidemann had 10 points, all coming in the first half.

Senior Taylor Rusk and sophomore Alba Sanchez Ramos each scored seven points while freshman Jaeden Vaifanua added six points.

Wyoming shot 33.3 percent (17-51) from the field, 31.6 percent (6-19) from 3-point range and 87.5 percent (14-16) from the free throw line.

Gonzaga was led by a trio of double-digit scorers: LeeAnne Wirth with 18 points and nine rebounds; Jessie Loera with 16 points and Katie Campbell with 10.

The Bulldogs ended the night shooting 42.6 percent (23-54) from the field, 30.0 percent (3-10) from three and were perfect at the line, shooting 16-of-16 from the charity stripe.

UW led 9-4 early before Gonzaga rallied to draw even at 13. However, Weidemann hit a 3-pointer to help make it 16-15 Wyoming after one quarter.

The teams went back and forth in the second period, until Gonzaga made a late run to lead 29-24 at halftime.

Gonzaga built its lead to 45-34 going into the fourth quarter.

GU pushed its advantage up to 55-38 early in the final period, but Rusk hit a basket, Sanchez Ramos a 3-pointer, Vitulova and Bradshaw a pair of free throws each to make it 55-47. A driving layup from sophomore Karla Erjavec later pulled the Cowgirls within seven, 59-52 with 1:29 to play, but Gonzaga was able to hold on.

The Cowgirls return to the hardwood on Wednesday, Jan. 1, when they host Boise State.