Wyoming Cowgirls Look to Continue Success in Conference Play

"There's no way anybody would have talked about stepping up and being 11-2 with the schedule we placed before such a group of what we returned from a year ago," commented Head Coach Joe Legerski after the Cowgirls finished their non-conference schedule with a thrashing of the South Dakota School of Mines.

Last year, a very young and inexperienced Cowgirl team won just four games before Mountain West play began, and 12 games in the entire year.

"It's such a different year," said senior Chaundra Sewell. "For me, last year I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the record. It was just such a challenging year and really it wasn't a matter of wins and losses for us, it was just growing and maturing. Looking back now, it's incredible to think we've just about hit the same amount of wins that we had at the end of last season."

After returning the entire roster from the 2011-12 season and adding two junior college transfers and two freshman, the Cowgirls have conquered many of the team that defeated them last season. Of six opponents who beat UW last year, Wyoming not only earned victories over five of them, but it was by an average of almost 18 points. They also played through a stretch in December where they played four-out-of-five games on the road and were gone ten-of-fifteen days around finals week.

"We wanted to play as hard as we could each game and pull out as many wins as possible," said senior forward Ashley Sickles. "Definitely a turn around from last year. I think we're showing people that we've definitely improved and come together as a team, so hopefully we can take that into conference."

Coach Legerski concurs, "There's been so many players that have stepped up... I can just go right through the roster, whether we're asking to step in for two minutes or thirty-five minutes. When I look back about this preseason, we've had so many people contribute. It's really been a team effort and that gives me as a coach so many options. If things aren't going well for a player to be able to make a replacement and know that we're going to step up and play at a high level."

Four Wyoming starters are averaging double figures led by Sewell, who is averaging 14.9 points and 10.3 rebounds. Kayla Woodward follows with 13.0 points and 6.2 rebounds. Kaitlyn Mileto is adding 12.4 points while Sickles is chipping in 11.6 points and 6.0 boards as well.

UW heads into Mountain West play leading the league in scoring offense (71.8 ppg), assists (15.1 aspg), shooting percentage from the field (.458) and shooting percentage beyond the arc (.416). The Cowgirls have shown they are not a team to take lightly, but Legerski knows conference play could be an uphill battle.

"Everyone knows each other so well, it just becomes difficult to get a good look, it becomes more valuable each and every possession and it becomes difficult with travel." said Legerski. "So, we've put them through a tough stretch and now we're going to find out how much it's paid off."

The first conference challenge comes in the form of a 7-6 Boise State team on Wednesday night in Boise. Sewell says they are prepared and excited, "I think we're all ready to just get to the really important games. We feel like we're playing well and we want to take the momentum that we have right now right into conference play."

"I really tip my hat to this team for what they've embraced and how they've played," said Legerski. "I don't know what the future holds, but I know we'll compete and play hard each and every night out."