Nov 7, 2025; Laramie, WY, USA; Wyoming Cowgirls guard Malene Pedersen (12) against Long Beach State at Arena-Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-UW Media-Athletics
LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowgirls are heading on the road with momentum after earning their first win of the season, a dominant 72-39 victory over Long Beach State on Friday night at the Arena-Auditorium. The Cowgirls (1-1) will now face UT Arlington on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time in the first of three consecutive road contests.
Wyoming jumped out to a commanding start against Long Beach State, scoring the first 12 points of the game and never trailing. The Cowgirls shot 54.7 percent from the field while holding The Beach to just 27.3 percent. Nine of the 10 Cowgirls who saw action scored in the wire-to-wire victory.
“A game like this is important to see what we talk about on the scouting report, especially on the defensive end, to see it work,” said Head Coach Heather Ezell. “They executed it to almost perfection. I think that’s one key. Then they were able to come out and execute on the offensive end, I think they were having fun out there.”
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Ezell added that performances like Friday’s help her team build confidence early in the season. “To be able to do something like that gets all of their confidence rolling,” she said. “I think they were all playing pretty loose, which is a good thing. Those are the type of games you want from them.”
Malene Pedersen led Wyoming with 15 points, marking her 22nd consecutive game scoring in double figures. She shot 6-of-8 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, while adding eight rebounds and seven assists.
Logann Alvar scored a career-high 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting and tied a career-best with five rebounds. Three other Cowgirls reached career milestones as well: Lana Beslic and Henna Sandvik each scored 10 points, and Madi Symons added eight.
The Cowgirls finished the game with 20 assists on 29 made field goals, outrebounded LBSU by 11, and held a 36-20 advantage in points in the paint.
Through two games this season, Wyoming is averaging 59.5 points per game while holding opponents to 47.5. The Cowgirls are shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from beyond the arc, with a plus-eight rebounding margin.
Pedersen leads the team in scoring (14.5), rebounding (6.5), and assists (4.5) per game. Alvar is also averaging double figures at 10.5 points per game, while Payton Muma leads all reserves with eight points per contest and has a team-high four steals.
Tuesday’s matchup will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and across the Cowgirl Radio Network with David Settle on the call.
UT Arlington (0-2) enters the contest looking for its first win of the season. The Lady Mavericks are averaging 56 points per game and allowing 72.5. They have been effective defensively, averaging 11.5 steals and seven blocks per game.
Kira Reynolds leads UTA with 12.5 points and 12 rebounds per contest, shooting 53 percent from the floor. The all-time series between Wyoming and UT Arlington is tied 1-1, with the Cowgirls winning the only previous meeting in Arlington, 78-68, back in 1986.
Following Tuesday’s game, Wyoming will continue its road stretch with two more contests away from home before returning to Laramie later this month.