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Wyoming Knocks Out Defending WNIT Champ Kansas State in Triple Overtime Thriller, 89-79
The Cowgirls will host the Wisconsin Badgers in the championship game this Saturday.
March 28, 2007
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Box Score in PDF Format It took three overtimes in front of a record crowd of 12,225, but the Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team (26-9, 11-5 in the MWC) pulled out a thrilling 89-79 triple overtime victory against the Kansas State Wildcats (19-15 overall) in the WNIT Semifinals on Wednesday night in Laramie. "Unbelievable effort by two teams," said UW head coach Joe Legerski. "Everyone knows in the WNIT that you advance by winning. If you don't you are finished for the season. What you saw tonight was two teams that didn't want to finish their seasons. Both teams had their chances in regulation and overtime, and what a remarkable effort by Jodi Bolerjack, Dominique Sisk and Hanna Zavecz. When I look and they played over 50 minutes each, those three did it on both ends of the floor." The Cowgirls now will host the WNIT championship game, on Saturday, March 31, against the University of Wisconsin Badgers. The game is set to tip off at 1:00 p.m. in the Arena Auditorium.
Five Cowgirls finished the night against KSU in double-figures including junior Hanna Zavecz. She recorded 28 points, ten rebounds, six assists and six blocked shots. Justyna Podziemska added 18 points, while both Megan McGuffey and Dominique Sisk each had 14 points. Jodi Bolerjack chipped in 14 points and five boards in a 55 minute effort. Wyoming shot 24-51 (.471) for the game and 37-52 (.712) from the free throw line.
For the Wildcats, Ashley Sweat finished with a game high 31 points, while shooting 12-22 from the field. Shalee Lehning recorded a triple-double with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Kansas State shot 30-70 (.429) from the field, while out rebounding the Cowgirls, 41-38. Kansas State jumped ahead 5-0, but Wyoming answered back with an 8-2 run to take their first lead of the game, 8-7. They increased that margin to six, 13-7, with five unanswered as the Wildcats went over seven minutes without scoring. Kansas State then had a 6-2 burst which would pull them to within two, 15-13. The Cowgirls would get the lead back up to four, 19-15, unfortunately Kansas State scored six straight to regain a two point advantage, 21-19. Wyoming evened it up at 21, but a basket by Sweat put the Wildcats up 23-21. In the final three minutes of the half, a total of five points were scored, all by Wyoming to take a 26-23 lead in to the locker room. Bolerjack led the Cowgirls at the half in scoring with nine points followed by Zavecz and Podziemska with six each. Wyoming shot 6-15 (.400) from the field and 13-16 (.813) from the free throw line. Sweat led all scorers with 13 points followed by Shana Wheeler with six. The Wildcats were 10-25 (.400) from the field and 1-7 (.143) from beyond the arc. The Cowgirls came out of the halftime break and extended the lead to seven, 30-23, but Kansas State closed the gap to three with four straight points. Wyoming responded with a 9-4 scoring run to build the lead back to eight, 39-31. Unfortunately, the Wildcats would score eight unanswered to tie it up with 39 with 11:39 left on the clock. Over the next several minutes the two teams played extremely close with neither team taking a lead larger than a two points. Kansas State would then make a small run to go up six 53-47 with just under five minutes on the clock. After a basket by McGuffey brought the Cowgirls to within four, the Wildcats answered by scoring the next four of six to make it a six point game with 2:45 remaining. Wyoming battled back behind four Zavecz free throws and a Bolerjack three-point play to pull within three, 59-56. On the following Kansas State possession, Kimberly Dietz would miss a jumper, but they would rebound the ball. It was in the cards for the Cowgirls as they would get the ball back off of a Sweat turnover with 18 seconds on the clock. With time winding down, Podziemska would hit a three-point shot to take the game in to overtime, 59-59. In the first overtime, Wyoming struck first with a Podziemska lay-up, but Kansas State went on an 11-6 run to go up 70-67. Zavecz would hit two free throws to pull within two, 71-69, and then with eight seconds remaining on the clock a driving lay-up by Sisk evened it all up at 71. The Wildcats had an opportunity to win it, but the game would head in to a second overtime tied up at 71 all. The Cowgirls went up in the second overtime 75-71 off a basket and two free throws. Sweat answered with two straight baskets of her own to even things up at 75. With the scored tied up at 77, Sweat would hit one of two free throws to put Kansas State up one, 78-77. With 13.2 seconds left, Bolerjack hit one of two free throws to even it up at 78 and that is how the second overtime would end. It was all Wyoming in the third over time as they held Kansas State to just one point. They would run off ten points to pull out the 89-79 victory. |
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