grizzlyjournal

Lady Griz Big Sky trophy triggered by loss to Vanderbuilt

In a head-on championship clash between the two premier teams in the Big Sky Conference, won 69-62 Saturday by Montana over Portland State, each team accomplished its drawn-up game plan, said the coaches.

Those plans centered on defense. The task: stop the players and the plays that had been essential to the opponent’s trademark success for 2008-09.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED on both ends of the floor. Story continues below photo.

 PHOTO ABOVE: Montana forward Sarah Ena celebrates Montana's Big Sky championship.

The post-game statistics revealed what the game was: balanced.

In all but one critical statistic, the Montana Lady Griz and the Portland State Vikings battled to a standoff. Each team limited the other to 33 percent shooting from the field. The Lady Griz made 20 of 60 field goal attempts; the Vikings made 19 of 58. Each team had three starters notch double digits in scoring. And the figures for assists, turnovers, blocks and steals were uncannily identical.

“We’re both pretty good offensively, but that game was dominated by intensive defensive play,” said Montana coach Robin Selvig. “Every possession was a dogfight, and neither of us shot. I see we shot 33 percent, they shot 33 percent.”

But – at the end of a grueling conference campaign – the contrast between the two teams finally became very clearly drawn in one critical statistical measurement, enough so that if these two teams were to play three more games, and log the same non-scoring statistics, the better rebounding team, Montana, would win the series.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana's Sarah Ena grabs one of her seven offensive rebounds over PSU forward Kelsey Kahle in second half action. Ena scored on the put-back.

Because that one statistic provides a clearly defined panorama that explains why the Montana Lady Griz are undisputed champions.

REBOUNDING.

Again, as in previous games, Montana was clearly the superior rebounding team. In this championship slugfest, Montana emerged with a 12-rebound, 46-34 advantage. Leading the way once again were the trio of top Montana rebounders. Forward Sarah Ena ripped down 14, post Britney Lohman had eight, and floor general Mandy Morales had nine. In contrast, the highest rebound total for any single Viking was eight.

Montana’s rebounding dominance did not escape Portland State coach Sherri Murrell, who lauded  Ena’s sheer muscular dominance of the boards at both ends of the floor.

PHOTO RIGHT: Mandy Morales scores two of her game-high 23 points. Morales, who had nine rebounds, was named tourney MVP.

Said Murrell: “Sarah Ena. I’m going to tell you again... her rebounding. If I can find one of those kids recruiting-wise, I’ll do everything in the realms of the NCAA compliance to get her into my program.”

Selvig agreed with Murrell’s assesment of Ena.

“She’s relentless to the boards and that’s one of the big things she does for us,” said Selvig. “Some people have the knack, some people just wear you down getting to the offensive boards.”

 Ena’s dominant rebounding performance was even better than the statistics indicate. That’s because Ena was slowed by a nagging virus, and thus did her damage in only 29 minutes on the floor.

Ena’s 14 rebounds meant more than 14 extra possessions. That’s because she snared seven offensive boards, several of which she converted into two of her 19 points scored.

But no single rebound or putback spelled Montana’s victory, however.

PHOTO Above left: Portland State Coach Sherri Murrell with point guard Claire Faucher in the post-tame interview. PHOTO LEFT: Montana coach Robin Selvig thanks Dahlberg Arena fans after Montana's championshuip celebration.

That dramatic play was provided by Morales, who tracked-down an errant pass and fluidly erased a poor shooting night with a sudden trey from the left wing at the game’s 4:30 mark. The flipping net triggered a partisan crowd roar that shook the Dahlberg Arena rafters.

“I knew that I had to step up and do something,” said Montana’s and the Big Sky’s consensus MVP.

“My mom always says, you know... good shooters keep on shooting. So I just had to really focus on that and keep on shooting.“

Morales’ shot bumped a narrow 49-48 Montana lead to four points. But that lead was then widened to 55-50 a mere 30 seconds later by two Britney Lohman free throws.

THE WINNING EDGE 

Something hard to pinpoint happened at that point, but it was visible in both the exuberant celebration of Montana fans and players... and in the defeat-slumped shoulders of the Vikings, who had up to that point valiantly battled blow-by-blow with Montana in a tension-packed fray rarely separated by more than three points.

In the end, though, it was the repeat of a pattern of Lady Griz dominance that has occurred so many times this year. And it signified that point - always visible and always somewhere before the numerical end of the game, regardless of the score - where Montana had both physically and mentally beaten its opponent.

Not so oddly, it had happened at about the same point the previous night in Montana’s semifinal 70-56 victory over the Idaho State Bengals.

Whether Montana’s winning edge is physical or mental or both, Montana’s final surge always has the effect somewhat similar to the final kick of a superior marathon runner as she pulls away from the field.

This season, every Lady Griz opponent has been ready to wage battle.

Every Lady Griz opponent has stepped onto the floor prepared to deliver their toughest physical effort of the year. And there have been battles, many of them knock-down brawls. Every time but once, however, Montana has pulled away for the win.

Early on, the Vikings were up for the battle. They delivered... and absorbed their own blows.

“It’s tournament time,” said Murrell. “You know, I’ve got I think I’ve got a black eye and a couple of (bruised) lips (in my locker room). “

“It’s going to get physical,” Murrell added. “Two teams are going to battle it out. Normally we back down. We didn’t back down tonight. It was not easy for either team to win this game. I don’t think Montana cruised through this game. I think we matched their physical play and we didn’t back down.”

But the Vikings, finally, were beaten. And when it happened, with 4:30 remaining, every person in Dahlberg Arena knew it.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana senior guard Sonya Rogers battles PSU guard Lexi Bishop for control of the ball in first-half action. Rogers scored 12 points against the Vikings and had two steals. Rogers, was named to the All-Big Sky tourney team along with teammates Morales and Ena, PSU's Faucher and Kelli Valentine, and Idaho State's Oana Lacovita.

In the post-game interview, both Morales and Ena alluded to Montana’s winning edge as something that was motivated by their 40-point loss to Vanderbuilt University in last year’s NCAA first-round game. After that crushing loss Lady Griz players responded by spending endless summer hours in Montana’s weight room. And in the practice gym.

“I knew that we had to get into the gym during the summer and get (our) game to a different level than it was last year,” said Morales. “Our girls really worked hard this summer lifting and shooting around and we came back to the game more focused. “

“I don’t think you can expect anything,” said Ena. “But we knew who we had returning and being able to taste that bit of NCAAs last year...  we knew. And this year we could see it was in reach. So we just had to go out and make it happen.”

It’s fitting that each of these outstanding teams will play at least one tournament game. Montana advances to the NCAA playoffs as a potential “ten-to-13” seed, by Selvig’s estimate. And the Vikings move on to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament first round.

“To not go to the NCAA, I understand that,” said Murrell. “But it’s so good to know that a program as young as we are is going to go to the NIT. We’re going to do our darndest to represent... and heck, maybe we’ll go further.”

“I’m still on cloud nine or 20 or whatever,” said Morales. “It’s going to be a sweet night tonight to celebrate with my family and you know, on Monday get focused on the NCAAs.”

Big Sky Champions, 2009

The Montana Lady Griz are the champions of the Big Sky Conference, after emerging with an electrifying 69-62 win over the Portland State Vikings Saturday at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula. Montana senior point guard Mandy Morales was named tourney MVP for the second straight year. Morales is only the second player honored as a two-time MVP.

Joining Morales on the All Big Sky tourney team were: Idaho State Bengal senior forward Oana Iacovita, Portland State sophomore forward Kelli Valentine, Portland State point junior guard Claire Faucher, Montana senior shooting guard Sonya Rogers and Montana sophomore forward Sarah Ena. See photo #2 below.

Lady Griz qualify for Big Sky championship with 70-56 win over ISU

Montana senior point guard Mandy Morales did what she does best... again, scoring 25 points, dishing out seven assists and snaring six rebounds to lead the Lady Griz past the Idaho State Bengals 70-56 in Big Sky Conference Postseason Tournament semifinal action Friday.

PHOTO ABOVE RIGHT: Montana senior center Britney Lohman battles Idaho State guard Devin Diehl for possession of the ball in first-half semifinal action Friday. Lohman scored six points, grabbed six rebounds and hade a game-high five steals in Montana's 70-56 win. Diehl scored eight points, hade three rebounds and dished out five assists in the Bengals' losing cause.

Morales keyed a late Montana surge that helped Montana break away from a tight six-point margin with just under two minutes remaining. Morales made nine of Montana's final 15 points as the Lady Griz pulled from a 56-50 lead with 1:55 remaining to the game's final 14-point margin.

Shooting guard Sonya Rogers was on-target as well, scoring 17 points on 1-of-11 shooting and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Sophomore forward Sarah Ena, suffering from the effects of a viris, scored 14 points and collected six boards in only 29 minutes of action.

Senior forward Oana Iacovita made 11-of-14 shots in the paint to pace the Bengalswith 22 points and seven boards. Senior point guard Jenna Brown made four treys and scored 15 points. The Bengals finished their season with an 11-20 record.

PHOTO RIGHT: Junior guard-forward Lauren Beck drives to the bucket against Idaho State post Oana Iacovita in first half action. Beck scored six points and h ad three rebounds in Montana's win. Iacovita led the Bengals with 22 points and seven rebounds.

Montana, at 27-4, will attempt to record a second-straight Big Sky Conference Title on their home floor. The championship game against the second-seeded Vikings starts at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Vikings nip Bobcats 71-64; advance to championship

The edged the Portland State VikingsMontana state Bobcats 71-64 in Big Sky Women's Postseason Tournament semifinal action Friday. The win advances the Vikings to Saturday's championship tilt against the Montana Lady Griz, 76-50 victors over the Idaho State Bengals in the late semifinal game.

PHOTO RIGHT: Portland State reserve Kelli Bishop battles for possession of sthe ball against three Bobcat defenders in the Vikings 71-64 semifinal win over the Montana State Bobcats Friday. The win catapults the Vikings into the championship game Saturday against Montana.

The Viking - leading by three with 1:39 seconds remaining - forced a Bobcat turnover and converted four straight free throws to put the game on ice in the final seconds.

Viking forward Kelli Valentine paced the Vikings with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the field. She was joined in double figures by point guard Claire Faucher, who had 13, and reserve Kelly Merchant, who had 12.

Junior guard Erica Perry led the Bobcats with 20 points on 9-of-19 shooting. Also in double figures for the Bobcats were forward Sarah Strand with 14 and guard Catie Bussey with 10.

The Bobcats finished the season at 15-15, while the Vikings moved to 22-8.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana State Bobcat point guard Erica Perry goes up for two of her 20 points against Portland State defenders in Friday's semifinal action.

Montana State, Idaho State win first-round Big Sky tourney women's games

The Montana State Bobcats and the Idaho State Bengals won first-round games in the Big Sky Conference women’s post-season tournament at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula Thursday.

MONTANA STATE 74 -- NORTHERN ARIZONA 64

The third-seeded Bobcats got an all-star performance from senior post Nubia Garcia in a 74-64 win over the Norhern Arizona Lumberjacks in the tourney’s first game.

PHOTO LEFT: Montana State senior center Nubia Garcia posts up for two of her game-high 19 points in Montana State's first-round win Thursday. Defending is sophomore Lumberjack forward Lauren Hoisington.

Garcia notched more than a double-double by adding six steals, three blocks and two assists to her double-figured 19 points and 11 rebounds against NAU. She got plenty of help, however, as her four starting teammates also reached double figures in scoring. Junior guard Erica Perry and freshman guard Katie Bussey each scored 13 while sophomore forward Sarah Strand added 12 and senior guard Anne Phippard had 10.

PHOTO LEFT: Bobcat sophomore forward Sarah Strand scores two points over Northern Arizona forward Katie Schafer. Stsrand had 12 points, six rebounds and three assists in the Bobcat victory. Schafer had five points and eight reobunds for the Lumberjacks.

Sophomore forward Lauren Hoisington made 7-of-16 shots and 12-of-13 free throws to lead the Lumberjacks with 26 points, while freshman guard Caty Huntington scored 13 in the losing cause.

The Bobcats, now 15-14, move into the semifinals in a rubber-match contest against the second-seeded, 21-8 Portland State Vikings. The teams split games during the regular season, each notching a win on the other team’s home court.

PHOTO ABOVE LEFT: Bengal junior forward Devin Diehl battles Hornet forward Atty Boyer for possession of the ball in first-half action of ISU's 78-76 overtime win Thursday. Diehl's free throw with 32 seconds left in overtime sealed the win for the Bengals. Boyer, a senior, finished her career with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

IDAHO STATE 78 -- SACRAMENTO STATE 76 The  Bengals eked out a two-point overtime 79-77 thriller over the Hornets when junior Bengal forward Iona Lacovita hit a 16-foot jumper with less than a second remaining.

PHOTO LEFT: Junior Hornet forward Erika Edwards drives to the bucket against Bengal Michelle Grohs.

The quarterfinal game between the Bengals and the Hornets was tied 37-37 at halftime and was never separated by more than seven points throughout.

Idaho State improved to 11-19 with the victory while the Hornets finished the season with a 9-21 record.

 

Bengal guard Jenna Brown sent the game into overtime when she converted a jumper with three seconds remaining in regulation for a 69-69 tie.

 

Brown paced the Bengals with 23 points and forward Michelle Grohs notched a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Idaho State advances to a semifinal game against regular season titlist Montana on Friday. The Lady Griz won both conference matchups against the Bengals, 70-48 in Missoula and 73-39 in Pocatello.

Charday Hunt led Sacramento State with 23 points.

 

CATS over GRIZ: no goats, two MVPs & a big-time steal

In the aftermath of the Montana State Bobcats’ first-round Big Sky Conference playoff victory before 5210 fans at Dahlberg Arena, much of the post-game analysis focused on Bobcat guard Will Bynum’s steal of an errant pass by Montana point guard Anthony Johnson, which Bynum converted into an insurmountable 56-52 MSU lead with 9 seconds remaining.

While that stellar play gave the Bobcats their final winning edge, MSU coach Brad Huse lauded the efforts of Bynum at a point much earlier in the game.

“Will did a great job for us getting into the key and making good decisions,” said Huse. “Will was really focused to stick to the game plan we had in place for him. He was the catalyst tonight.”

Though Johnson bore the brunt of that costly turnover – one of only two he commited all game – it was Johnson whose eight points over the game’s last six minutes rallied Montana from a 50-42 deficit to within a single point of the Cats at 53-52 with 57 seconds left to play.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana point guard Anthony Johnson is guarded by Montana State point guard Will Bynum. Johnson scored a game-high 19 points, had four assists, and two turnovers while Bynum scored 15 points, had five rebounds and five assists... and the game-winning steal.

Montana coach Wayne Tinkle described Johnson’s game-long effort as MVP-caliber.

Though the game was lost... and won, in the game’s final nine seconds, both coaches pointed to other factors that added up to victory for the Bobcats.

Huse stressed the importance of the Bobcats’ ability to score in the paint in the game’s early stages.

And that’s where the Bobcats established the tone of the contest.

 In a game where the teams were evenly balanced in several statistical areas, the Bobcats dominated the paint at both ends of the court, out-rebounding the Grizzlies 40-29 and wresting a dominant 10-rebound edge over Montana on the offensive glass.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana's Johnson has his shot blocked by MSU senior post Divaldo Mbunga, who had five blocked shots in addition to 11 rebounds and nine points for the visiting Bobcats.

“We kind of set the tone I thought in the first half with our ability to get on the offensive glass and create second shot opportunities, even if they weren’t (all) going in,” said Huse.

The result, by game’s end, was a 34-10 Cat scoring margin in the paint... a whopping 24 point margin.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana State head coach Brad Huse and Montana assistant coach Bill Evans shake hands after Huse's Bobcats defeated Montana in the first round of the Big Sky post-season tourney. The Bobcats will face regular season champ Weber State in semifinal action Tuesday.

There’s more to the disparity than offensive rebounds, however. That’s because the Bobcats also got the job done early at the defensive end. The Grizzlies didn’t score in the paint because the Bobcats did not allow Montana low-post players ball-possession down low. And when Montana did work the ball down low, Bobcat senior post Divaldo Mbunga was a monstsrous force, blocking five Griz shots and altering several more.

That meant the Griz had to convert from other areas.

And the perimeter was truly a dead zone for Montana.

The Cats barricaded the paint and then seemed to dare the Griz to score from outside. The resulting slew of Montana shots – many of them wide-open looks – caromed off the rim.

Excluding Johnson, who had several opportunities inside, Montana’s outside shooters Ryan Staudacher, Jack McGillis and Michael Taylor made 6-for-19 from the perimeter, less than a 30 percent average.

With each missed Montana shot, the Bobcats had more time to patiently work on their own offensive game plan.

“I thought we had great balance tonight in terms of inside and out, better than we’ve had in recent time,” said Huse. “On top of that, I thought we made good decisions when we drove the basketball.

“Then we had a nice run there (early in the second half), we hit a couple of threes and got a couple nice point-blank shots,” said Huse.

It became more than a scoring edge for the Cats; it swung momentum and confidence into the visitors’ favor.

“You know, when you’re on the road like this, the home team has the advantage and they’re the higher seed and all those things...” said Huse.

“You feel like the pressure’s on their shoulders and... you know, our guys played relaxed there to get that lead and held on.”

Tinkle didn’t buy the notion that his Montana players should be pressured and tight.

“Well, that’s what everybody always says, you know it’s tough playing, beating a team a third time... I don’t really necessarily buy into it,” said Tinkle.

“If you’re the better team, you should beat them all three times,” said Tinkle. “But tonight, with everything that they were up against, they were just a little bit better than us,” said Tinkle. “On this night, they out-played us.”

In spite of those dynamics, Montana rose up on defense and held the Bobcats to a single free throw for all but the last nine seconds of the game’s final six-plus minutes.

Bobcat forward Bobby Howard drained an arcing trey from the left corner to give the Cats a 50-42 lead with 6:28 remaining.

But from there Johnson – while his teammates stiffened up on defense – single-handedly took control of Montana’s offense, scoring 10 straight points on eight free throws and a 12-foot jumper with 1:35 remaining. Two free throws by Staudacher with 57 seconds remaining made it 53-52 Bobcats.

Spurred by the cacophonous Montana crowd, the Griz made one final defensive stop and, with 21 seconds remaining, called time out to set up the final play.

“Well, we pretty much knew who was going to have the basketball...” said Huse. “One of two guys.”

“We threw the ball to our fifth-year senior (Jordan Hasquet),” said Tinkle. “We ran our MVP (Johnson) off to get the handoff... cleared out that side to get a little two-man game.”

“And we just didn’t make the play,” said Tinkle.

“Great anticipation by Bynum on the steal...” said Huse.

Cats stymie Griz 56-54; advance to Big Sky tourney semifinals

Montana State guard Will Bynum stole a Montana pass with nine seconds remaining and converted a layup and a free throw to lead the Bobcats over the Montana Grizzlies in first-round Big Sky Conference tourney action before 5210 fans at Dahlberg Arena Saturday.

The Bobcats advance to a semifinal contest against the host Weber State Wildcats on March 10 in Ogden, Utah.

PHOTO LEFT: Montana's Anthony Johnson drives against Marquis Navarre for two of his game-high 19 points in the Cats' 56-54 win over the Griz Saturday. Johnson had assists points and only two turnovers in the game.

Bynum led the Bobcats with 15 points and five assists. But it was perhaps a 11 rebound and 10 shots-taken advantage over the Grizzlies that spelled the difference in a game where the underdog Cats led through much of the second half.

Montana junior point guard Anthony Johnson paced the Grizzlies with 19 points, but it was his errant pass that Bynum stole and which created a stunning reversal in Montana’s maneuvering for a last second shot with the Cats holding a one-point 53-52 lead in the game’s final seconds.

PHOTO LEFT: Montana senior forward Jordan Hasquet drives to the bucket in second half action. Hasquet scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and grabbed six rebounds over 33 minutes of game action.

Johnson was joined in double figures by senior forward Jordan Hasquet, who scored 12, and junior forward Jack McGillis, who scored 10. No other Bobcat player scored in double figures, although eight Bobcat players scored in game action.

In an otherwise even statistical contest, Montana State –  behind senior post Divaldo Mbunga’s 11 rebounds and Erik Rush’s 10 – outrebounded Montana 40-29, snaring an impressive 18 offensive boards, which led to a 10-shot, 60-50 advantage over Montana.

BOTTOM PHOTOS: Seniors Kyle Sharp (40) and Ceylon Elgin Taylor (5) played their final games as Montana Grizzlies Saturday. Sharp, who started at post through conference play, scored four points and pulled down four rebounds against the Cats. Elgin-Taylor was scoreless in 13 minutes of action. Sharp grabbed an offensive rebound on this play and scored on the putback. Divaldo Mbunga defends. Elgin-Taylor missed this early offense layup against defenders Will Bynum (1) and Austin Brown.

NOTE: Because of double-header game action Saturday, additional and more complete coverage will be provided later Sunday.

Lady Griz claim Big Sky crown with 70-60 win over Portland State

Senior guard Sonya Rogers made six three-point shots – four of them during a critical second-half stretch – and propelled the Montana Lady Griz to a 70-60 win over the Portland State Vikings before a racous crowd of 6734 fans in Dahlberg Arena Saturday.

With the win Montana clinched its second straight Big Sky Conference Crown, and the host role in the post-season tourney which will be held March 12-16.

Rogers, who led both teams with 22 points, was joined in double figures by senior point guard Mandy Morales and sophomore forward Sarah Ena, who each scored 16.

PHOTO RIGHT: Sonya Rogers drives against PSU guard Claire Faucher in first-half action Saturday. Rogers made 6-for-8 three pointers and scored 22 points to lead the Lady Griz to their second-straight Big Sky Conference regular season title Saturday.

Junior point guard Claire Faucher paced the Vikings with 20 points while senior forward Kelsey Kahle scored 11.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana senior point guard Mandy Morales drives  against Portland State's Kelly Marchant to score two of her 16 points against the Vikings. Morales had five assists and pulled down 10 rebounds while directing Montana's floor play.

In a game played on even terms – both on the floor and statistically – it was Rogers and Morales who spelled the difference with timely three-point conversions over a Vikings zone defense set up to stop Montana’s dominant inside game.

PHOTO RIGHT: Sophomore forward Sarah Ena battles Kelly Valentine for possession of a loose ball during first half action Saturday. Ena won this battle and scored two of her 16 points on the play. Ena dominated the paint on defense and rebounding, grabbing 11 boards for a double-double.

NOTE: Since Grizzly Journal is providing coverage of Saturday’s double header, additional and extended coverage of both games will be provided Sunday.

GRIZ SENIORS: Playing for more

Saturday's first-round playoff game against the Montana State Bobcats at Dahlberg Arena will be the final time on-court for three Grizzlies. But those seniors – and their teammates – will put it all on the line because a win over the Cats propels them into the Big Sky Conference Semifinals in Ogden, Utah on Tuesday March 10th.

In a brief pre-game interview with Montana's seniors – Ceylon Elgin-Taylor, Jordan Hasquet and Kyle Sharp – and assistant coach Nate DuChesne, the message was the same. I asked what was the most important single key to success against Montana State. Their answers?

Defense got Montana this far. Defense will be required to move the Grizzlies one more game into the post season.

NATE DuCHESNE: "We have to play Grizzly basketball, which is defense first. In both the previous games we had a couple of really nice runs where we were able to reel of eight to 10 points. I’m sure they (the Bobcats) are going to try to control that this time and minimize our runs... But what we did in those stretches is we played great defense and were able to get the ball up the floor and get good shots. There isn’t going to be anything different between what we’ve done in the past and what we’ll try to do against the Cats again in order to be 12-5 in this league"

CEYLON ELGIN-TAYLOR: "First-off, to win, but to just take that next step... to play hard, to get better, to do the things we need to get to the next round. They’re a rival, so of course they’re going to come out and play hard to be the aggressor, so it’ll be our job to do the things we need to be the aggressor. The biggest thing about this team compared to the past years is that we’re more competitor and we look to do the things to make ourselves better every game. I’ve never won a basketball championship. Ever, in all my years as a player. So, I mean, I want us to finish with a bang and just win it all."

JORDAN HASQUET: "Definitely defense. We know what weapons they’ve got and we’re keying on all their guys with a game plan on each guy, knowing their guys, knowing what they want to do and just putting a stop to it. They had moments in our past games where they outplayed us, so they’re going to look at those things and see what they can do to try and expose us. The thing they’ve got going for them... they say it’s hard to beat a team three times. So, we’ll see. Grizzly basketball this year has really started on defense. It starts for us on defense and everything else will come naturally for us."

KYLE SHARP: "The Cats have had a couple of tough losses, so I’m sure their coach has them ready to play. But more important is we’re going to have to be ready for them just as much as they’ll be ready for us. We have to make sure that their great shooters don’t get good looks. They have a lot of good scorers, especially on the post. Mbunga is a great player and it’s our job to try to shut him down. If we can go out with energy, that’ll get us going early and we can start playing our style of basketball. You don’t personally want do do anything too extreme, too different. I just want to keep an even keel, to keep an even game... I don’t care if I score zero points, I want to do what we need to win."

Lady Griz beat Eastern 72-53; set state for title clash with PSU

The Montana Lady Griz were certainly not merely going through the motions in their72-53 win over the seventh-place Eastern Washington Eagles before 3445 fans at Dahlberg Arena Thursday.

That’s partly because the 10-18/5-10 Eagles wouldn’t let Lady Griz players look past them to Saturday night’s season-ending clash with the Portland State Vikings.

None of that mattered to the Eagles, who delivered blow after blow to the Lady Griz in a game that at times resembled a prize fight through more than three-quarters of the contest. It wasn’t until Montana point guard Mandy Morales grabbed an offensive board, stepped back beyond the three-point arc on the left baseline and calmly sank a three-point shot for a 13-point Montana lead that expanded a slim 9-point lead to 50-38 with 8:27 remaining.

From there Montana gradually stretched the lead to the final 19-point margin.

Montana’s win firmly set the stage for Saturday’s season-ending confrontation with the Vikings in a game that will decide both the regular season champs and the host site for the post-season tourney.

The Vikings did their part in a 75-61 win at Bozeman against the Montana State Bobcats, the only conference team to have beaten the Vikings this year.

Now the Lady Griz and the Vikings – at 14-1 apiece and clearly the class of the Big Sky Conference - will battle for everything in one 40-minute clash. No other team is close to the two title-contenders.

In fact, no other Big Sky team will finish conference play with a winning record and the four remaining teams to qualify for the tournament will have at least eight fewer wins combined than the Lady Griz and Vikings combined.

It was Montana’s MVP senior candidate Morales who took control of the game at precisely the critical juncture where it seemed feasible the Eagles could pull within eight points for the first time since the early going. Morales scored 11 of her game-high 22 points over the final 8:27 and handled the ball efficiently against the Eagles’ frantic full-court pressure over the final few minutes.

Montana’s steady front court forwards Sarah Ena and  Britney Lohman ensured Montana dominance of the paint, each notching a double-double with 13 and 11 points respectively and leading a 50-31 margin in rebounds... 13 by Lohman and 10 by Ena.

But it was perhaps junior point guard Shaunte Nance -Johnson who helped Morales most over the game’s final minutes. Nance-Johnson -  slowed by a hip bruise from a first-half collision - controlled the perimeter with steady ball handling, two assists and  seven points on several quick drives to the bucket while Morales posted up down low.

Eastern Washington post Julie Piper scored 14 points and reserve Amy Bratvold chipped-in 10. Neither team shot well from the field, Montana notching a 35.2 percent average while the Eagles were under 30 at 29.6 percent.

Forty six fouls were whistled in the contest, with Montana cashing in at the free throw line, sinking 31-of-41 for 75.6 percent.

The Eagles face elimination from post-season competition, depending upon the results of Saturday’s games.

Meanwhile, Montana turns its focus to the Vikings, who roll into town for Saturday’s 2 p.m. contest. Neither team has lost since the final week in January when the homestanding Vikings beat the Lady Griz and then promptly lost an overtime battle to the same Bobcat team they beat Thursday.

PHOTOS: (top) Montana point guard Mandy Morales fights for possession of the ball with Eagle forward Pauline Ferrall. Morales led all scorers with 22 points. (middle) Montana backup point guard Shaunte Nance-Johnson drives for the bucket in second half action. Nance-Johnson scored 7 points and played a solid floor game in the second half.  (bottom) Sarah Ena goes up for two of her 11 points. Ena notched a double-double with 13 rebounds as well.

Latest Griz, Lady Griz game photos posted

  Game photos of Montana's 79-64 home-court win over the Idaho State Bengals and the Montana Lady Griz' 71-51 victory over the Northern Colorado Bears are now posted. Photos of Montana's win over ISU can be viewed HERE.

Photos of the Montana Lady Griz' win over Northern Colorado can be viewed HERE.

PHOTO: Montana senior center Kyle Sharp posts up against ISU defender Lucas Steijn in Montana's 79-64 win over Idaho State.
(bottom) Montana's Sarah Ena battles for control of the ball during first-half action against Northern Colorado.

Lady Griz roll over UNC Bears, 71-51

In the long run it didn’t matter that the Northern Colorado Bears held Montana’s all-everything senior point guard Mandy Morales to two first-half points.

Or even that the Bears gave the Lady Griz a tough fight through the first 10 minutes of the opening frame.

The Lady Griz – before a strangely passive, almost ‘ho-hum’ crowd of 3317 – responded by sharing the ball and the scoring with an efficient 51.9 percent shooting effort that set the stage for yet another Big Sky Conference runaway win... this one 71-51 over the Bears at Dahlberg Arena.

The catalyst in Montana’s first-half breakaway was senior center Britney Lohman, who mailed-home two three-point shots from the tip of the key that helped expand a slim 12-11 margin to a 35-23 halftime lead.

PHOTO: Montana guard Shaunte Nance-Johnson is stopped by Northern Colorado defender Cassie Lambrecht on a drive to the basket during first-half action. No foul was called on the play.

Sophomore reserve Stephanie Stender added her own trey during the span, while starters Sarah Ena, Sonya Rogers and Lauren Beck each scored a bucket. But it was Montana’s iron-clad man-on defense and several key offensive rebounds by Ena and Lohman that gave balance to Montana’s steady pull-away.

PHOTO: Reserve Misty Atkinson has the ball stripped by Bears' guard Cassie Lambrecht in second half action. Atkinson lost control of the ball, which was recovered by Lambrecht.

The Lady Griz also limited the Bears to only 28.6 percent shooting in the first half, and with each stop or steal, the Bears’ shooting became ever-more tentative.

Montana coach Robin Selvig credited the Bears' early efforts against his squad.

“Well it was nice to get a little run toward the end of the half,” said Selvig. “They’re a good team, I mean they run good things and we were working hard and they were defending us well and... you know, we just can’t expect to be up 15 right away on people that’re good teams.”

Any doubts after first-half action were quickly erased as the second half got underway.

In typical Lady Griz fashion, Montana put an exclamation point on its first-half dominance with a quick trey by Rogers and two treys and a jumper by Morales in the first 135 seconds of the second half.

Suddenly, the Lady Griz were up by 19 at 46-24 with 17-plus minutes of game time remaining.

PHOTO: Senior reserve center Tamara Guardipee posts up against Bears' defender Cayla Maneotis in second half action. Guardipee, who scored four points and grabbed two rebounds, made the shot on this play.

Morales finished the game with 13 points and five assists, and was joined in double figures by 13 from Lohman, 12 from Rogers and 10 from Ena, who dominated the boards at both ends with 11.

Six other Lady Griz scored in a game where eight Montana players logged floor time in double digits.

Selvig – who rotated his entire bench liberally into the game action – was visibly pleased with his squad’s efforts.

“Everybody’s contributing,” said Selvig. “Everybody’s... you know, earlier in the year maybe somebody’s going to kill you on defense... but that’s not the case (tonight). We’ve got kids communicating well, playing good defensively.”

The Bears got an outstanding effort from junior guard Whitley Cox, who scored a game-high 18 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field, most on quick-pivot dribble enter drives past Montana defenders. No other UNC player scored more than nine points.

The Bears were also hurt by 14 turnovers, but what hurt most was their miserable first-half shooting that improved only marginally – to 33.3 percent – by game’s end.

Montana out-rebounded the Bears by six, forced 14 UNC turnovers and had seven steals.

The win upped Montana’s record to 13-1 in conference play, 24-4 overall, and into a statistical half-game hold onto first place ahead of the 12-1 Portland State Vikings.

The Bears slipped to 5-8, tied with Eastern Washington in a battle for the final post season tourney playoff spot.

Johnson paces Montana in 79-64 victory over Bengals

 

The saying about it being tough to keep a good man down for long... or a good team down for that matter, was true on Sunday.

Montana junior guard Anthony Johnson -- who, along with his teammates, had an uncharacteristically poor shooting night in Montana’s Thursday loss to Weber State --  erupted for 20 second-half points to lead the Grizzlies to a 79-64 Big Sky Conference victory over the Idaho State Bengals before 3821 fans in Missoula’s Dahlberg Arena Sunday.

The victory upped Montana’s record to 17-10, 11-4 in league play, and solidified the Grizzlies’ hold on second place in the Big Sky, while also improving its chances of earning a first-round bye in the post-season tournament.

PHOTO: Montana Guard Anthony Johnson is cut off by Idaho State's Matt Stucki. Johnson scored 26 points to lead Montana past the Bengals.

Johnson, who had been limited by the Bengals to just six first-half points on 3-of-5 shots, was unstoppable over the final 20 minutes.

The flashy, slashing Griz point guard dialed the game tempo up several notches during second half action and made 4-for-5 shots on a variety of full-throttle drives to pace the Griz. When the Bengals did stop Johnson, they usually fouled him. The result was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free-throw line for the Big Sky’s leading scorer and free throw shooter.

PHOTO: Senior post Kyle Sharp posts for two of his 10 points. Sharp also pulled down 10 rebounds and had two steals.

ISU Coach Joe O’Obrien and Montana Coach Wayne Tinkle were equally in awe of Johnson’s performance.

“He’s a bear to guard,” said O’Brien. “I mean, man... he can turn the corner in a heartbeat. I think he’s leading the league in free throw attempts per game, he might be leading the league in free throw percentage. You just can’t afford to foul him.”

“I put Donnie (Carson) on him, who’s our best on-the-ball defender,” Obrien added. “I brought Phil (Taylor) off the bench for a couple of minutes to give Donnie a blow. Amorrow (Morgan) tried to guard him...

“And when you do get him stopped, he’s good at drawing help and then he kicks to somebody like Ryan Staudacher,” said O’brien, shaking his head.

“I tell you, he (Johnson) had quite a performance.,” said Tinkle. “Seven for 10 from the field, 12 of 12 from the free throw line, six assists, only one turnover,”

“We were disappointed in his effort the other night,” said Tinkle. “And so we challenged him to be better and he certainly answered the call.”

Meanwhile, senior post Kyle Sharp, playing his final league game as a Grizzly,  hammered out a blue-collar double-double in the low blocks, scoring 11 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and nabbing two key steals during a critical late stretch where Montana expanded a four-point lead to 12.

“I wasn’t doing a very good job playing post defense,” said Sharp. “My man was scoring a little too much, so I knew I needed to try to make some plays, especially something that we could get going, where I could get the ball to AJ and let him go,” Sharp added.

Building from Sharp’s solid defensive play, Johnson became catalyst of the late Montana run. Johnson fed junior guard Ryan Staudacher for a three-point conversion from the right corner, then grabbed a rebound and was fouled on his outlet drive.

His free throws extended Montana’s lead from 62-58 to 67-58 with 3:31 remaining, which was expanded to 70-58 just 20 seconds later on Jack McGillis’ trey from the right elbow.

PHOTOS: (three above) Jordan Hasquet is ambushed by four Bengals as he posts up for a shot in the first half. Hasquet scored seven points and pulled down six rebounds. (Above, middle) Reserve guard sophomore Michael Taylor scored 10 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting night. (above) Junior Ryan Staudacher scored 12 points on four three-point shots, three in the second half.

Johnson said his coaches told him to take charge in the second half... to “Just attack.”

“They told me to attack at the free throw line,” said Johnson. “I’m a play-maker, so if I didn’t have the lane then I found someone else who had the shot. Luckily Mike (Taylor) was on early, Ryan Staudacher was on early and especially late in the game, so that was it... being aggressive,” said Johnson.

“I knew if I had it in transition I could just use my speed and try to capitalize. Luckily I was getting to the free throw line a little bit and it just worked out for us,” said Johnson.

Taylor had perhaps his best game of the year, scoring 10 points on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field -- eight of those points coming during a critical first-half run that extended Montana’s lead to from 17-14 to 27-17 in a brief two-minute span midway through the first half.

Staudacher equaled Taylor’s effort with similar second-half play. Staudacher made 4-of-7 treys for the game, three of them at critical second-half junctures that stemmed mini-runs by ISU.

The Bengals -- despite shooting a blistering 52 percent from the field for the game -- were never able to draw any closer than four points, after Montana’s first-half surge and 10-point lead.

But every time Montana appeared poised to break the game open, the Bengals responded with their own runs. Reserve guard Austin Kilpatrick was particularly effective, nailing 4-of-6 three-point shots in two stretches that catapulted the Bengals back into contention.

And Montana defenders seemed incapable of stopping Bengal post Lucas Steijn, who scored 14 points, most of them mid-key jumpers over Montana defenders.

Five Bengals scored in double figures, led by Steijn. Chron Tatum had 13, Kilpatrick and Amorrow Morgan 12 each, and Matt Stucki 10.

“Credit goes to Idaho State,” said Johnson. “I mean, they’re always a tough, physical team. They’re an in-your-face, long, big, physical team. They’re bigger than we are, especially their guards. That Amorrow Morgan... Oh, man. He’s a tough guard. Tough physical guard,” said Johnson.

Tinkle agreed. “That’s a very good defensive team, they’re physical and athletic. They don’t give up percentages like that, and I’m really proud of the way our guys responded tonight.”

The win, Tinkle admitted, shook a huge monkey off the coach’s back. It was just a year ago, on senior night, that Portland State mauled the Griz 108-56.

Asked about that game, Tinkle laughed and said, “I had my arm around Sharpie and Jordan on the way up the tunnel and I said ‘Guys, what a difference a year makes as far as senior night goes.’ “

“It’s big,” said senior Jordan Hasquet.  “You always want to go out with a win, no matter where you’re at. It was real cool to get a standing O... That was awesome.”

The Bengals slipped to 10-18, 7-7 in conference standings at fourth place. ISU maintained its chances to host a first-round tourney game.

Montana now travels to Northern Colorado for its final conference game of the year, while the Bengals will host the league’s cellar-dwellers Northern Arizona (8-17) and Sacramento State (2-25).

Johnson's 26 points lead Griz past ISU

Junior guard Anthony Johnson erupted for 20 second-half points and led the Montana Grizzlies to a 79-64 Big Sky Conference victory over the Idaho State Bengals before 3821 fans in Missoula’s Dahlberg Arena Sunday.

Johnson, who had been limited to just six first-half points on 3-of-5 shots, was unstoppable over the final 20 minutes, making 4-for-5 from the field. When the Bengals stopped Johnson, they usually fouled him. The result was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free-throw line for the conference’s leading scorer and free throw shooter.

Complete game story with additional photos will be posted later tonight.

Montana bids goodbye to three seniors

Montana men's basketball fans will bid 'goodbye' to three seniors playing their final home game as Grizzlies today against the Idaho State Bengals.

Senior starters Jordan Hasquet and Kyle Sharp and backup point guard Ceylon Elgin Taylor will be honored in pre-game ceremonies just prior to the crucial conference match against the Idaho State Bengals.

#2 JORDAN HASQUET

Hasquet and Sharp are both career Griz, having played as teammates since their freshman seasons in 2006, when the Grizzlies won the Big Sky Conference Tourney and won a first-round NCAA playoff game against Nevada before losing to Boston College.

Hasquet has been a three-year starter for Montana, while Sharp played a vital role as a first-line backup before winning the starting role as Montana post early in conference play.

#40 KYLE SHARP

Elgin-Taylor was Montana's starting guard through most of the 2008 season and pre-season 2009. He has usually been the first player off the bench in conference play.

READ Grizzly Journal's profile of KYLE SHARP here (or click on the profile header in the left column.

#5 CEYLON ELGIN-TAYLOR

READ Missoulian Sports Editor Bob Meseroll's excellent profile of JORDAN HASQUET here.

Montana Griz, Weber State game photos

Grizzly Journal's game photos for the Montana-Weber State conference tilt February 19 at Missoula's Dahlberg Arena are available for viewing. The photos can be viewed HERE.

The Wildcats, behind the first-half scoring of freshman guard Damian Lilliard (photo, right) defeated the Grizzlies 69-58 in a battle for first place in the Big Sky Conference on Thursday.

With the win over the Griz, the Wildcats claimed the title and home-court host role for the post-season tournament, which is scheduled for March 10-11 in Ogden, Utah.

Montana junior guard Anthony Johnson (photo, with ball) scored 17 points against the Wildcats... keeping him on pace for consideration as Big Sky MVP, along with outstanding senior point guard Kellen McCoy of WSU.

Montana has a must-win game against the Idaho State Bengals today. A Montana win places the Griz in good position for second place and a first-round bye in the tournament. Otherwise, it's not so simple.

A loss to the Bengals makes earning second place and a tourney bye much more difficult for the Griz. In the event of a second-place tie between the Griz and Portland State, my 'early' calculations give the Griz a shot at earning the tie-breaker with the Vikings.

However, in the event of a third-place tie with the Bengals in conference play, Idaho State would most likely earn the tie-breaker. The worst Montana is likely to finish would be in fourth place, with a home-court first-round playoff game.

Grizzly Journal will post game photos and a story of the Griz-Bengals game later tonight.

Weber State claims Big Sky title with 69-58 win over Montana

In a game billed as the battle for the Big Sky Conference title, the Weber State Wildcats left no doubt in the mind’s-eye view of a partisan Montana crowd of 5558, claiming the regular season conference crown with a convincing 69-58 win over the Grizzlies at Dahlberg Arena Thursday.

The win – the Wildcats’ 12th in Big Sky play and seventh road triumph – ensured Weber State the host role in the conference post-season tourney and propelled them to an impressive 18-8 record so far.

Weber State jumped quickly and rode the shooting prowess of freshman guard Damian Lillard, whose 12 first-half points catapulted the Wildcats to a 33-27 first half lead.

“I thought he (Lillard) gave our team a lot of confidence,” said Weber State head coach Randy Rahe. “He got off to a great start shooting the ball, and he was ready to go tonight. I thought he was the biggest key to why we got that first half lead.”

Though Lilliard finished with 16, several of his court-mates took control of the second half from there.

“I thought they (the Wildcats) were the aggressor tonight,” said Montana assistant coach Nate DuChesne.

“ I’m not sure why. We’ve been the aggressor of late. Tonight we allowed them to be a little too comfortable on the offensive end and get some good looks early. When you do that, you play with a lot more confidence. And they did that,” said DuChesne.

PHOTOS: Montana guard Anthony Johnson scores twoof his game-high 17 points against Wildcat guard Damian Lilliard. Johnson made only 6-for-16 shots on the night. (Below) Four Weber State defenders surround Montana guard Ceylon Elgun-Taylor in a scramble for the ball. Elgin Taylor regained control of the ball and scored the basket for two of his four points. Pictured are: (?) Kellen McCoy, Kyle Bullinger, Elgin-Taylor, Johnson, and Daviin Davis.

Wildcat senior center Steve Panos, plagued by first-half foul trouble, dominated the paint in the second half, netting 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the low blocks over Montana post defenders. The result was a stretch of mid-half Wildcat play that boosted the league-leaders to leads as large as 15 before they coasted to the final 11-point margin on a ball-control passing game offense.

“When we’ve been successful defensively, and when we kind of turned this thing around, it’s because our bigs were able to go one-on-one at the post...” said DuChesne. “(But) their bigs had their way with us tonight for the majority of the game,” said Duchesne.

Rahe agreed with Duchesne.

“I thought the biggest difference was I thought we really defended,” said Rahe. “And we really rebounded well. Those were the two areas that we had to  try to outdo them if we were going to be successful. And those were the two areas that I thought were the biggest reasons that we had a chance.”

“We challenged them going in that if we can out-defend them and out-rebound them, we’ll have a chance going down the stretch,” said Rahe.

PHOTOS: Montana senior Kyle Sharp controls the ball in a post-up move where he scored two of his four points on the night. Wildcat post Steve Panos defends. (bottom) Montana post Brian Qvale posts up against Panos in second-half action. Qvale scored nine points and had eight rebounds. Panos scored 13 points and had four rebounds.

Nonetheless, it was Wildcat reserve guard Daviin Davis who wreaked perhaps the most damage at the most critical junctures. Davis scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, several on slashing baseline drives past or behind Montana defenders.

When Davis wasn’t scoring, he was helping to put the clamps defensively on Montana’s all-everything point guard, Anthony Johnson.

Johnson scored 17 to pace the Grizzlies. But the league-leading scorer shot an uncharacteristic 6-of-16 from the field on several tries that were altered by Wildcat defenders.

Johnson’s backcourt starting teammate, Ryan Staudacher, had an even more disastrous shooting night, missing all six of his shots and one of-two free throws for one point. Power forward Jordan Hasquet made only 1-of-5 shots, though he made all four of his free throws to finish with seven.

“I thought Johnson had a good night,” said Rahe. “But he was six-for-16. He’s been shooting over 50 percent.”

Only reserve guards Michael Taylor (nine points) and Ceylon Elgin-Taylor (seven points) and center Brian Qvale (nine points) shot with any accuracy. But their efforts were not enough to boost the Grizzlies, who trailed the entire game after Lilliard knocked down two quick first-half treys to propel the Wildcats to a seven point lead midways through the first half.

Though Montana would mount two second-have rallies that pulled them within five points, five was as close as they could get. Each time the Wildcats got clutch plays by Davis, or Panos. Or – in one short span of time – guard Nick Hansen, who nailed back-to-back treys to put space between the Wildcats and the Griz with just under eight minutes remaining.

The loss leaves Montana where they were before the game, in second place with an opportunity still before them to  claim a first-round bye in the post season tournament.

That prospect kept Montana coach Wayne Tinkle upbeat after the game.

“We told our guys, we tried to say 'fellas.... let’s give it our best shot,' ” said Tinkle. “We said it all week... 'You guys have put yourselves in the position to make this a big game.' "

“I’m disappointed we didn’t respond a little bit better,” said Tinkle. “But at the end of the day, had we won, we would still have been in second place.

“But the more important thing is we’ve got a really tough team coming in on Saturday,” cautioned Tinkle. “And we’ve got to regroup.”

That team is the Idaho State Bengals, which rocked Montana State 63-56 in Bozeman Thursday. A win over the Bengals puts the Grizzlies into position to earn the bye. A loss to the Bengals and-or to Northern Colorado next week could push the Grizzlies into third, or perhaps fourth place.

That would then force Montana into first-round play, with the most-likely scenarios as a host to either the Bobcats or Northern Colorado.

Game photos of Lady Griz' 76-48 win over Northern Arizona

Game photos of the Montana Lady Griz' 76-48 win over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks are now posted at the Grizzly Journal photo site.

Photos can be viewed HERE.

Montana senior point guard, Mandy Morales, scored 19 points in the win, while senior guard Sonya Rogers netted 4-of-6 shots from beyond the three-point arc and finished with 14 points and three assists. Junior forward Lauren Beck also had solid night offensively, making 6-of-9 shots for 14 points total. Junior reserve guard Shaunte Nance-Johnson scored five points, dished out four assists, and had a steal in 14 minutes of action.

Montana’s zone defense limited the Lumberjacks to 26.7 percent for the game and only 22.6 percent in the second half, when the Lady Griz extended a 9-point 37-28 lead to high double digits in the first five minutes of play, before extending the lead gradually to the final 28-point margin.

PHOTO: Sophomore guard/forward Stephanie Stender sets to shoot against Lumberjack defender Jenna Galloway, while Tiffany Amos looks on. Stender has provided steadily increasing minutes off the bench for Montana coach Robin Selvig in recent games. On Thursday, she scored 10 points against Sac State. Against the Lumberjacks, Stender scored two points, grabbed two rebounds, and had two assists and two steals in nine minutes of play.

Game Photos of the Lady Griz' 75-48 win over Sac State

Game photos of the Montana Lady Griz' 75-48 win over the Sac State Hornets are now posted at the Grizzly Journal photo site. Photos can be viewed HERE.

Montana senior point guard, Mandy Morales, scored 22 points in the win, while senior center Britney Lohman had 13 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Reserve guard/forward Stephanie Stender added 10 points and four rebounds.

Montana held the Hornets to 33.3 percent shooting for the game and outrebounded Sac State by 16, 48-32.

PHOTO: Reserve center Shadra Robison battles Sac State's  Charday Hunt for a loose ball in second half action. Robison had two points and a block in the game. Hunt led the Hornets with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals.

Lady Griz maul Northern Arizona 76-48

Fans of anagrams and basketball will take pleasure in some tidy game-time digit reversals in the Montana Lady Griz’ 76-48 thrashing of the NAU Lady Lumberjacks  before 4421 fans Saturday.

The difference in the game was a matter of efficiency all around the court: Montana’s machine-like offense produced 17 assists – distributed evenly by  seven players – while committing a mere 10 turnovers. For NAU, a reversal in those numbers added up to 10 assists... and 17 turnovers.

And for the second straight night the Lady Griz held their opponents to precisely 48 points, this time winning by 28, compared to a 27-point victory (75-48) against Sac State Thursday.

Thursday, Montana limited the Hornets to 20 first-half points and 28 second half points. Saturday, NAU scored 28 in the first half, while netting a measly 20 in the second.

PHOTO: Sophomore forward Sarah Ena is fouled by NAU's Lauren Hoisington in first-half action. Ena, who had seven points and 11 rebounds, made one of her two free throws.

There was little trickery in the primary cause for Montana’s resounding victory however. From tipoff the Lady Griz covered the floor with a suffocating zone defense, and held the hapless Lady Jacks to a mere 22.6 percent in second-half field goals and 26.7 percent total on 16-of-60 field goals total.

PHOTO: Montana forward Lauren Beck is congratulated by teammates Shadra Robison and Stephanie Stender after scoring 14 points and dishing four assists in Montana's win against the Lumberjacks.

A relaxed Montana coach Robin Selvig said afterward, “I always think it’s important to not let the other team get easy baskets to get going when they come in here. “(It’s important) to take control, don’t let them get anything easy.”

“I thought our defense was good,”he added. “I thought we communicated... I just thought the ladies did a nice job in the zone.”

PHOTO: Senior guard Mandy Morales fights for a loose ball with NAU's Katie Schafer in second half action. Morales finished with 19 points and four rebounds.

Junior forward Lauren Beck said the Lady Griz played zone for the entire game.

“Going into the zone you eliminate the straight shot down the lane, but then you have to get to the open shooters too, and so you make them hit threes and if they don’t then there’s long rebounds and so you go on the offensive end and you get layups yourself.” 

As usual, Montana’s senior all-league, MVP point guard Mandy Morales was the focal point. She scored 19 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field and 9-for-9 from the free throw line, most of them coming in the paint, where she posted up against her smaller defenders – most frequently Jacks’ guard Sade Cunningham.

PHOTO: Montana reserve post Tamara Guardipee scored eight points in six minutes of playing time. Guardipee scored on this post-up move against Melissa Spaich of NAU.

And – when the NAU defense collapsed in an attempt to corral Morales, she reversed the ball to the perimeter where senior guard Sonya Rogers or junior forward Beck were set-up. Each scored 14 points, Beck on 6-for-9 efficiency and Rogers netting 5-of-her 12 shots.

“I think I integrated myself in the offense a little bit more,” said Beck. “Mandy did a great job down low, and so when people collapse down on her, the other guards are going to be open from the outside.

“Sonya hit some really big shots down the stretch there when Mandy was triple-teamed,” Beck added. “So you move to open places, and Mandy’s a good enough player that she’ll get you the ball.”

The only lead NAU had was on the first possession, when forward Katie Schafer made the game’s first shot from beyond the tip of the key to give NAU a 3-0 lead.

From there momentum reversed for good, and the Lady Griz ran off an 18-2 run to claim a 13 point, 18-5 margin. The game – though the Jacks were game throughout –  was academic from there.

Montana quickly expanded its nine-point halftime lead at the start of the second half, pushing the margin to 20 before Selvig altered his rotation to get his reserves into the fray.

Ten of the 12 Lady Griz to see action scored. Reserves Shaunte Nance-Johnson and Tamara Guardipee played particularly well. Guardipee scored eight points in six minutes of play while Nance-Johnson had four assists and scored five points on two first-half mid-range jumpers.

The Lumerjacks won the battle of the boards, 41-39, with forward Katie Schafer pulling down 13, while Montana forward Sarah Ena had 11 to go with seven points

The win boosted Montana’s conference record to 10-1 and within a half-game of the leading Portland State Vikings at 11-1.

The Lady Griz head out for their final road trip of the season with games at Weber State and at third-place Idaho State, a team that has improved greatly since dropping a 70-48 decision to Montana earlier in the season.

NAU heads home where they’ll finish out league play with four straight home-court games.