FORT COLLINS — For nearly 37 minutes Saturday at Moby Arena, there was little to distinguish 18th-ranked and likely NCAA women’s tournament-bound Wyoming from a Colorado State team careening toward a 20-loss season.
It wasn’t until Wyoming’s Jodi Bolerjack hit a 3-pointer seemingly launched from Laramie with 3:12 left in the game that the Cowgirls secured their 18th win, 68-55.
On paper, Mountain West Conference leader Wyoming (18-1, 6-0) didn’t need to show up. The Cowgirls, with a team intact from its NIT championship, were coming off an 87-39 blowout of Nevada-Las Vegas. Three of Wyoming’s first five MWC opponents hadn’t broken 50 points. CSU (2-16, 0-5) had just bottomed out with a 56-43 home loss to Air Force.
“We didn’t come in overconfident. In practice we don’t even know what number we’re ranked. We didn’t expect to blow them out of the water,” Wyoming sophomore guard Aubrey Vandiver said.
What Wyoming wasn’t expecting was 12 points and 18 rebounds from CSU center Amaka Uzomah in her first start. The Blinn (Texas) College transfer had preseason knee surgery and had played in only seven games for the Rams.
Despite Wyoming’s height advantage, Uzomah helped the Rams outrebound the Cowgirls 46-36. She dominated inside, and her 18 boards represented a CSU high since Katie Cronin’s same number in 1999.
“She is very difficult to handle inside,” Wyoming coach Joe Legerski said.
CSU coach Jen Warden said Uzomah gives the Rams “something to build around.”
WYOMING (18-1, 6-0 MWC)
J. Bolerjack 2-8 5-6 10, Zavecz 3-11 7-11 13, Vanderjagt 1-6 0-1 2, Sisk 2-7 1-1 5, Podziemska 6-11 1-2 16, Vandiver 6-9 2-3 14, Dissen 1-2 1-2 3, Carlson 2-2 1-1 5. Totals 23-56 18-27 68.
COLORADO STATE (2-16, 0-5)
Uzomah 6-11 0-5 12, Hunter 1-5 0-0 3, Queen 3-10 4-8 10, Beemer 0-2 0-0 0, Cornell 4-9 4-4 12, Barbee 1-7 0-0 3, Young 1-4 0-0 2, Minor 5-9 3-3 13, Simmons 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-58 11-20 55.
Halftime — 26-26. 3-point goals — Wyoming 4-14 (Podziemska 3-7, J. Bolerjack 1-3, Zavecz 0-1, Vanderjagt 0-3); Colorado State 2-8 (Hunter 1-1, Barbee 1-3, Beemer 0-2, Young 0-2). Fouled out — Cornell, Podziemska. Rebounds — Wyoming 36 (Vanderjagt 8, Zavecz 8); Colorado State 46 (Uzomah 18). Assists — Wyoming 15 (Zavecz 6), Colorado State 10 (Barbee 2, Hunter 2, Uzomah 2). Total fouls — Wyoming 14, Colorado State 22. A — 2,783.
