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Chaundra Sewell posts up against an Idaho defender in the Cowgirls season-opening victory, 86-53 over the Vandals. (Kari Eakins, Townsquare Media)

Chaundra Sewell scored 22 points, Ashley Sickles had 17 points and Kayla Woodward added 14 points, as the Wyoming Cowgirls rolled past the Idaho Vandals 86-53 in the season opener for both teams at the Arena-Auditorium Friday night. UW shot 50.8 percent from the field and held Idaho to 28.8 percent from the floor.

The Wyoming Cowgirls (1-0) opened the second half on a 6-0 spurt and pushed the lead to 43-27. After Idaho trimmed the advantage to 10 points, UW responded with a 9-0 run over a 3 minute stretch for 56-37 lead with 12:57 left. Wyoming took a 20-point lead on back-to-back 3′s by Fallon Lewis and Woodward. It made it 66-46 with 9:16 remaining in the game, and the Cowgirls cruised the rest of the way.

Wyoming Head Coach Joe Legerski said, “That’s probably as impressive of an opener as I’ve been a part of. To be able to play nine players double digit minutes tonight, and to get the production off the bench, everybody contributed.”

Woodward contributed a career high 6 assists, while Lewis had 9 points and 4 rebounds off the bench. UW had 19 assists as a team on 31 made field goals, shot 7-of-19 (36.8%) from 3 and went 17-20 (85%) from the free throw line. They also out-rebounded the Vandals 41-34, scored 36 points in the paint and had 23 points off 15 Idaho turnovers.

Sickles said, “I thought our team did really well tonight. We moved the ball, got it both inside and outside and I think we played really well together. It really showed on the court.”

Wyoming jumped out to quick 7-0 before the Vandals climbed back within two points. Then the Cowgirls steadily built the lead throughout the entire first half and were up 37-27 at the break. Sickles scored 13 of 17 points in the first period.

Idaho (0-1) was just 17-59 from the field and only 4-21 (19%) from 3-point range.

UW returns to action next Friday night. They host the Denver Pioneers at the Arena-Auditorium, with tip-off at 5 pm. You can listen to Cowgirl basketball on KOWB, as coverage will start at 4:30 pm.

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