Strong Second Half Lifts Wyoming to Win over Bobcats

Saturday, December 8

Bozeman, MT

2 p.m.

Montana State University

6-2

WYOMING

7-1

Wyoming

Montana State

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

12/8/2012 5:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Despite a career-high 23 points by Montana State junior Ashley Brumwell, the Bobcats couldn’t overcome a second half breakdown under the boards and foul trouble to its all-conference center, as Wyoming posted a 68-60 win over MSU, Saturday afternoon in Worthington Arena.

By: Tom Schulz

Despite a career-high 23 points by Montana State junior Ashley Brumwell, the Bobcats couldn't overcome a second half breakdown under the boards and foul trouble to its all-conference center, as Wyoming posted a 68-60 win over MSU, Saturday afternoon in Worthington Arena.

“I thought we did a nice job handling things in the first half,” said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. “We were getting the looks we wanted and we were keeping them off the offensive boards.

“Unfortunately, in the second half we lost our focus and gave them too many second chance opportunities,” Binford said. “We had mental lapses on defense and they knocked down some three-pointers, which allowed them to pull away.”

Montana State (6-2) built a 36-30 advantage at intermission after closing out the last eight minutes of the first stanza on an 18-4 run behind ten points from Brumwell.

“Rachel (Semansky) was in foul trouble and Ashley did a nice job taking over the scoring load,” Binford said. “In the second half, we weren't getting the same looks and the ball reversed.”

At 42-all with just over ten minutes remaining in the game, Wyoming (7-1) rattled off an 11-2 run- bookend by two Kaitlyn Mileto three-pointers. MSU cut the lead to 57-52 following a Peyton Ferris runner with 3:15 left, but would get no closer.

Brumwell, a 6-foot-1 forward from Hamilton, connected on 10-of-19 from the field and hauled down five rebounds, while notching three assists. Also in double-figures for the Bobcats was Latisha Adams with 11 points.

MSU held a three-rebound advantage over the Cowgirls at halftime, but Wyoming finished with a 40-34 margin under the boards. For the game, the Bobcats shot 37 percent from the floor, including 41 percent in the opening half. MSU hit just 9-of-28 shots in the second period.

Wyoming had four players in double-figure led by Chaundra Sewell with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

“We'll use this as a learning lesson,” Binford said. “We just weren't crisp in the second half and our lapses came back to haunt us.”

Montana State will take the next eleven days off before opening the Big Sky Conference season when it hosts Sacramento State on Dec. 20.