BOSLER, Wyo. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined more by grit than grace, the Wyoming Cowgirls edged the Grand Canyon Antelopes 59-57 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Tuesday night at Arena-Auditorium.

The game, witnessed by 2,171 fans, was a rematch of a Jan. 31 contest won by Grand Canyon, and this time Wyoming returned the favor in similarly low-scoring fashion. The outcome hinged on a tense final minute, with Wyoming’s Malene Pedersen converting a critical free throw with eight seconds remaining to provide the final margin.

Grand Canyon, which fell to 12-18 overall, mounted a significant second-half rally after a frigid offensive start. The Antelopes managed only 19 points in the first half, trailing Wyoming 24-19 at intermission after shooting 7 of 31 from the floor. The third quarter, however, saw a dramatic reversal as Grand Canyon erupted for 27 points. A 13-2 run, fueled by three-pointers from Chloe Mann and Sifa Joyeuse, propelled the Antelopes into a brief lead and set the stage for a back-and-forth final period.

Wyoming, improving to 10-19, relied on the consistent production of its international backcourt duo. Malene Pedersen, a guard from Aabyhoej, Denmark, led all scorers with 20 points and added five assists in 39 minutes. Her backcourt partner, Henna Sandvik of Helsinki, Finland, played all 40 minutes, contributing 16 points, four assists and a key block. Their combined 36 points were essential for a Cowgirls team that shot just 1 for 11 from three-point range but compensated by making 23 of 53 two-point attempts.

Grand Canyon was led by Chloe Mann of Fort Worth, Texas, who scored 20 points, with 15 coming in the second half. Ines Zounia of Lille, France, added 14 points, and Julianna LaMendola of Coppell, Texas, chipped in 10. The Antelopes’ offense, however, never found a consistent rhythm, finishing the game shooting 21 of 62 from the field and committing nine turnovers against only five assists.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final 90 seconds. With the score tied at 55, Wyoming’s Sandvik drove for a layup, assisted by Pedersen, to take a 57-55 lead with 1:53 left. Grand Canyon’s Zounia answered with a layup of her own off a LaMendola assist, knotting the game at 57 with 1:21 remaining. After a missed jumper by Pedersen, Grand Canyon secured the defensive rebound with a minute to play and called timeout.

Out of the stoppage, the Antelopes ran a play for LaMendola, whose driving layup was off the mark. Wyoming collected the rebound and, after a challenged call that was upheld, advanced the ball. With 17 seconds left, Wyoming’s Jane Rumpf missed a three-pointer, but the Cowgirls retained possession on an offensive rebound. On the ensuing inbounds play, Pedersen was fouled by Zounia while attempting a shot.

Pedersen, at the line for two shots with eight seconds on the clock, missed the first but calmly sank the second to put Wyoming ahead 59-57. Grand Canyon used its final timeout to advance the ball. The designed play for Mann resulted in a contested three-point attempt from the wing as time expired, which fell short, sealing the narrow victory for the home team.

Statistically, the game was a battle of defensive pressure and offensive rebounds. Wyoming posted a superior offensive rating of 94.3 on 63 possessions, compared to Grand Canyon’s 85.5 on 67 possessions. Both teams struggled from distance, combining to shoot 7 of 35. Wyoming’s ability to generate points inside and at the free-throw line, where they went 12 of 18, proved decisive against a Grand Canyon squad that managed just 9 of 12 from the stripe.

The win gave Wyoming a season split with Grand Canyon and halted a two-game losing skid. For the Antelopes, the loss snapped a three-game winning streak that included victories over San Jose State, Fresno State and Utah State.