Lopes aim to keep momentum, host Wyoming Saturday afternoon

Saturday, January 31

Phoenix, Ariz.

1 p.m. (MST)

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Wyoming

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Photo by: Brayden Stenner

Lopes aim to keep momentum, host Wyoming Saturday afternoon

1/30/2026 1:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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6th place GCU faces 7th place Wyoming on Channel 3

By: Nick Macdonald

Facing a Wyoming team that has won four straight, GCU returns home and looks to maintain momentum from its 20 point victory earlier this week in a Saturday afternoon contest against the Cowgirls.

AT A GLANCE

Coming off its largest margin of victory in the 2026 calendar year, the Lopes return home for a crucial Mountain West seeding implication contest against Wyoming Saturday.
GCU enters the weekend sixth in the standings, one game back of New Mexico and a game and a half back of Boise State for a top four seed. Wyoming is seventh overall, and win for the Cowgirls would propel them over GCU due to head to head.
Graduate Casey Valenti-Paea aided GCU to arguably its best offensive game of the season, draining four 3 pointers and finishing with 16 points and seven boards at Utah State Wednesday. In that win, the Lopes set season-highs in 3-pointers made (13), field goals made (32), field goal percentage (57.1%) and assists (21).
Junior Julianna LaMendola leads the squad with 6.2 rebounds per game (130 total) and has grabbed at least four boards in all but one game this season (season opener). Against MW teams, her numbers move to 6.8 rpg and has seven games with six or more rebounds.
Since Jan. 14, GCU has tallied at least four blocks in each contest it has played in (five games). In that span, it has totaled 26 blocks and is averaging 5.2 blocks per game.
Senior Anisa Jeffries became the third player to move her scoring output to double figures per game against league foes. She is coming off a 14 point/8 rebound/4 assist outing at Utah State and is now third on the team with 10.1 ppg in conference action.
The squad pulled down 42 rebounds in the win over Utah State, moving to 5-1 in games where the team grabs 40+ rebounds.
After shooting less than 70% in back to back games, the Lopes shot 81% from the line against the Aggies Jan. 28. Sophomore Chloe Mann went a perfect 6 of 6, improving her season stat line to 86% for the season, second best in the conference.

THIS GAME

Coming off a 20 point victory at Utah State Wednesday, GCU looks to keep it rolling and improve its conference standing Saturday afternoon versus Wyoming.
Saturday is the first game ever between the two programs.
The Lopes have won four of its past six games, including two of its last three at Global Credit Union Arena.

SCOUTING WYOMING

Winners of four straight, Wyoming enters Phoenix 8-12 overall and 5-6 in conference play, one game back of GCU in the seventh position.
The Cowgirls hold a 7-3 record at home but are 1-9 on the road.
The conference's top scorer enters Global Credit Union Arena in Malene Pederson, averaging 16.7 points per game. She is first in free throw percentage (87%) and second in total points (334), field goal percentage (45.2), and field goals (123).
The Cowgirls average 3.8 blocks per game, second best in the MW and are led by Jane Rumpf, who has 24 on the season to rank third in that category in the conference.
A disciplined team, Wyoming averages 12.3 fouls per game, sixth lowest in the nation.
In its past four games against Air Force, Utah State (twice), and Fresno state, it has outscored its opposition 251-193 with 56 points being the most scored against them in a single game in that span.

WHAT'S NEXT?

For the first time since January 10-14, GCU stays home for its second straight contest and hosts top seeded San Diego State Wednesday, February 4.
Tip-off is at 6 p.m. on Arizona's Family Sports Network.