Cowgirls Are WNIT Champions!

Wyoming knocks off Wisconsin, 72-56, in front of largest women's basketball crowd in Arena-Auditorium history.

Wisconsin's Jolene Anderson, left, looks to pass around Wyoming's Megan McGuffey during the first half.
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March 31, 2007

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Jodi Bolerjack and Justyna Podziemska scored 16 points apiece to lead Wyoming to a 72-56 victory over Wisconsin in the WNIT championship game Saturday.

The Cowgirls (27-9) had a double-digit lead through most of the second half. Wisconsin (23-13) got to 55-44 on Jolene Anderson's four-point play, and Janese Banks' hook shot over Bolerjack with 7:50 left brought the Badgers to 57-48, but that was as close as they'd get.

Megan McGuffey answered with back-to-back layups for the Cowgirls, the first on an assist from Podziemska, the second a fast-break basket on an assist from Dominique Sisk. Podziemska hit a pair of free throws to make it 63-48 with 5:40 left.

The tournament title caps the most successful season in school history. No Wyoming team has won as many games - the previous record was set by the 1978-79 team, which finished 25-7 - and no Wyoming team ever advanced so far in postseason play.

Wisconsin was denied its second WNIT title. The Badgers were runners-up in 1999, then won in 2000.

Podziemska also had 10 rebounds and eight assists; Hanna Zavecz scored 12 points, and McGuffey had 10 in front of a soldout crowd of 15,462 - the second-largest in WNIT history. It's the biggest crowd ever for a Wyoming women's game, and the second-largest in the Arena-Auditorium.

Wyoming had set four consecutive attendance records: 7,362 against Oregon, 11,253 against South Dakota State in the quarterfinals, and 12,225 against Kansas State in the semifinals.

Anderson led Wisconsin with 21 points, Mariah Dunham scored 13 and Banks had 12.

Zavecz was named the tournament MVP, and Bolerjack, Anderson and Banks joined her on the all-tournament team, along with Kansas State's Ashley Sweat and Western Kentucky's Crystal Kelly.

Wyoming closed the first half on a 7-0 run, and Aubrey Vandiver had a hand in all seven points. She scored twice from the right block, getting fouled on the second shot and hitting the free throw. Vandiver then had an assist on Elisabeth Dissen's shot with 23 seconds left that gave the Cowgirls a 39-26 lead at halftime.

Wisconsin guard Rae Lin D'Alie injured her right hand early in the first half and did not return.