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Cowgirls have positioned themselves well for start of MWC play
By Scott Nulph
Wyosports
LARAMIE – The team that University of Wyoming women’s basketball coach Joe Legerski envisioned back in June is nowhere close to the team that will open up Mountain West Conference play at the Arena-Auditorium on Wednesday against Colorado State.
Two players – junior second-team All-MWC forward Emma Langford and junior backup center Leah Fitzgerald – elected not to return. Langford left to play pro ball in Australia, and Fitzgerald left to focus on school.
Then, six games into the regular season, starting guard Kristen Scheffler was done for the year after battling recurring back issues.
Down to 10 scholarship players on the roster, the Cowgirls finished the non-conference season with a 9-3 record, one that included four wins away from the Double A. UW’s 9-3 record also is the best nonconference record among the nine MWC teams heading into conference play.
Impressed? You should be. The head coach is.
“We’ve played better than I thought we would,” Legerski said. “This team has really stepped up and I believe has played to their maximum ability. That’s why they’re 9-3.
“It’s a credit to the players who’ve stepped on the floor each and every night to make the best of things and play at such a high level.”
The Cowgirls boast two conference MVP candidates in senior forward Hillary Carlson and senior guard Aubrey Vandiver.
Carlson is third in the MWC in scoring (18.5 ppg), field goal percentage (52.9 percent) and blocked shots (1.9 bpg) and eighth in rebounding (7.4 rpg). Vandiver leads the MWC in rebounding (10.1 rpg), is fifth in scoring (17.3 ppg) and ranks in the top 12 in five other major statistical categories.
“What I’ve been impressed with is how everyone knows about Aubrey and Hillary, and Aubrey and Hillary have continued to put up big numbers,” Legerski said.
The biggest question leading into conference play appears to be if this team, which has regularly gone only seven players deep, can make it and succeed in the grind of a 16-game conference season?
There are reasons to believe the answer is yes.
Senior moments
The Cowgirls knew they’d have to rely on their senior class this season, and they’ve delivered.
In addition to Carlson and Vandiver, Jade Kennedy and Randi Richardson have done what’s been asked of them so far as well.
And for Kennedy, that’s been a little bit of everything.
The senior forward is third on the team in scoring (8.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg) while leading the Cowgirls in assists (4.0 apg) and 3-pointers made (30), and is second in steals (14) and blocked shots (11).
Richardson, while struggling some from the field to start the year, has only 17 turnovers from the point guard spot.
“Aubrey, Hillary, Jade, Randi are unflappable, no matter what situation has been presented,” Legerski said. “Because of our senior leadership, it’s very much why we’re where we’re at today.”
All four seniors average a minimum of 27.7 minutes a game, and that’s not likely to go down from here on out.
Stepping in, stepping up
While losing Langford and Scheffler has certainly affected the team, it’s also opened up opportunities for some other players. And sophomore Chaundra Sewell has made the most of her chance.
The 6-foot-1 sophomore likely would have been the second or third player off the bench for UW this season had everyone returned, but she will start conference play as the Cowgirls’ starting forward.
Sewell is fourth on the team in scoring (8.0 ppg) and rebounding (4.8 rpg). Since entering the starting lineup six games ago, she is averaging 11.1 ppg.
“(Chaundra) has to be the surprise of the preseason right now,” Legerski said. “She has brought great energy to the team. She’s becoming a better defender all the time. Her rebounding is unbelievable, and she is scoring.
“Stepping on the floor with one year of experience, she has really been a big key to the success of this team.”
Depth factor
Currently, sophomore forward Ashley Sickles (3.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and sophomore guard Bec Campigli (2.6 ppg, 2.9 apg) are the only two players off the bench seeing significant playing time. Freshman guard Chelan Landry has played in nine games, averaging 7.1 minutes in those contests.
“It is a grind in conference play. Each team knows each other very well, and you have to be ready to give your best effort each and every night,” Legerski said. “Only having 10 people healthy each and every day for practice is a concern.”
Two unknowns – foul trouble and injuries – also are big concerns for Legerski and his staff. The Cowgirls can’t afford much of either over the next two months.
Bottom line
Just how good the MWC is remains to be seen.
Only four teams start conference play above the .500 mark, with preseason favorites TCU (7-6) and BYU (8-6) struggling some, albeit against some tough nonconference competition.
Five MWC teams currently have an overall Ratings Percentage Index under 100, according to RealTimeRPI.com, with the Cowgirls third at No. 91.
But unless somebody gets awfully hot and comes close to running the table, it appears the MWC will be a one-bid league for the NCAA tournament come March.
The Cowgirls certainly start conference play in the discussion for that bid.
“I just know how good all the teams are,” Legerski said. “I don’t get really hung up on who’s winning in nonconference or who’s dropping games. There’s very few surprises right now.
“You need the ball to bounce your way to ever compete for a conference championship. You need to make a shot at the buzzer; you need to maybe have somebody miss a shot at the buzzer to get a victory.
“This team is definitely playing at a very high level, and I see no reason not to continue that.”
