BOSLER, Wyo. (Interstat) — The Saint Mary’s Gaels opened their season with a gritty 56-47 road victory over the Wyoming Cowgirls in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Arena-Auditorium.

In a contest defined by defensive stops and scoring droughts, the Gaels overcame a slow start and a hostile environment to pull away in the fourth quarter in front of a crowd of 1,970.

Wyoming started strong, capitalizing on early Saint Mary’s turnovers to build a 19-12 lead after the first quarter. The Cowgirls’ offense, however, went cold in the second period, managing only seven points as Saint Mary’s clawed back. The Gaels’ defense tightened significantly, holding Wyoming without a field goal for nearly seven minutes during one stretch. A late second-quarter surge, capped by a Jada Hunter layup just before the halftime buzzer, gave Saint Mary’s a 23-19 lead at the break.

The third quarter was a low-scoring affair, with both teams struggling to find offensive rhythm. Saint Mary’s outscored Wyoming 12-9 in the period to take a 35-28 lead into the final frame.

Wyoming cut the deficit to four points early in the fourth quarter, but Saint Mary’s responded with a decisive 9-0 run to secure control of the game. The Gaels’ offense finally found its footing, pouring in 21 points in the final period to seal the victory.

Addi Wedin led all scorers for Saint Mary’s with 13 points, while Mauriana Hashemian-Orr added 12 points and four rebounds. The Gaels dominated inside, outscoring Wyoming 32-18 in the paint and converting 20 points off Cowgirls turnovers.

Wyoming was led by Malene Pedersen, who finished with 14 points and five rebounds. Henna Sandvik contributed eight points and six rebounds in the loss.

The game was a season opener for both teams. Saint Mary’s begins the year 1-0, while Wyoming starts 0-1. The Cowgirls were a heavy favorite entering the game, with statistical models giving them an 82.9 percent probability to win.

Saint Mary’s next hosts Chico State on Friday. Wyoming will look to rebound at home against Long Beach State, also on Friday.