ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Offensive rebounds and turnovers proved to be the difference Wednesday as the Wyoming Cowgirls lost a hard-fought battle on the road at New Mexico to close out the year 2025. UW fell 62-48 in the contest as the Lobos pulled away late. UNM forced 19 Cowgirl turnovers and had a 17-3 margin on second-chance points.
Both teams got off to slow starts offensively Wednesday as the Cowgirls missed their first six shots while New Mexico scored the first 10 points despite committing four early turnovers. The Lobos led 10-0 at the first media timeout. Out of the timeout, a Henna Sandvik three-pointer got Wyoming on the board for the first time. The Cowgirl defense was able to play strong for the rest of the quarter, despite the offensive struggles as UNM led 12-5 after the first.
Malene Pedersen’s three-pointer opened the scoring in the second as UW clawed within two possessions. From there, Pedersen continued her seven-point scoring run with a pair at the free-throw line before as the Wyoming defense continued to play hard and get stops. Eventually, Pedersen’s 10th consecutive point and then a Jane Rumpf three-pointer forced a New Mexico timeout with 6:15 left in the half, as the Cowgirls surged in front 16-12. Following the timeout, the Lobos started crashing the offensive glass, leading to second-chance points, putting them back in front…