Lady Griz surprise Memphis with Classic title
12/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Katie Edwards was most improved, Julie Deming was most valuable, and Robin Selvig was most surprised.
"I would have been elated to win on a buzzer-beater shot over those guys, and then we win like this," said Montana women's basketball coach Selvig after his team won the Lady Griz Holiday Classic with a surprisingly easy 74-56 victory over the Memphis Tigers Monday night.
Edwards, a 5-8 sophomore guard from Lewistown, scored a career-high 20 points and Deming, a 5-10 senior forward from Oregon, scored all 11 of her points in the second half.
Both Lady Griz stars made the all-tournament squad along with 6-3 junior post player Hollie Tyler, who contributed 14 points and a career-best seven blocked shots.
"I've always been a team player and I just try to do whatever it takes to win," said Deming, who scored 14 points on Sunday, and led the tourney with six steals. "If I hadn't made the all-tournament team or won MVP, I wouldn't cry about it."
Edwards, the second-leading scorer in Montana prep girls' history, scored 10 of her team's first 25 points as UM blew out to a 25-15 lead. One night after struggling through a 3-for-12 shooting performance, she went 7-for-16 while playing a team-high 36 minutes.
"You would hope you couldn't have two nights in a row like I had (Sunday)," said Edwards. "I'm still not shooting well from outside (2 of 6 from 3-point range), but I was able to create a few shots and get the ball in the basket."
Tyler had 11 rebounds to go along with her seven blocks, and that made a 5-for-17 shooting log a bit more palatable.
"I don't have enough money to buy a basket," she said with a forced smile.
Tyler missed at least five shots from inside three feet against the shorter Tigers, which made the 18-point margin of victory all the more remarkable for Selvig.
"We did not have much trouble getting our shots, despite their quickness," said Selvig. "What we do well is take care of the ball, and we feed the post well. That's why we got so many shots (64, to 55 for Memphis)."
The Tigers weren't able to get good shots the first half against UM's 2-3 zone, hitting only 5 of 24 for 21 percent. Tyler clogged up the middle, and Deming, Edwards and point guard Brooke Lorenzen deflected a lot of inside passes.
"They're a kick-under team," said Selvig, "and we didn't let them find the holes."
Memphis kept it close for 30 minutes by sinking six 3-pointers - four of them by 5-3 Devin Necaise - but the Tigers had little success penatrating until 5-8 Victoria Crawford got loose for 11 of her 13 points in the final minutes.
She and Necaise combined for 25 points, but Raven Rogers was held to just 8. Rogers scored 16 the previous night in a victory over Idaho.
Rogers also made the all-tourney team along with Rebecca Brown of Princeton and Emily Faurholt of Idaho. Faurholt was the tourney's top scorer with 48 points, and she also leads the nation at about 27.7 ppg.
Monday's victory gave the Lady Griz 21 holiday tournament titles in 24 years, and improved this season's record to 9-2. Both losses have come against natioannly ranked foes, Texas and Oregon.
"This should give us some momentum going into three or four really tough games," said Deming.
UM plays Western Michigan Friday at home, then travels to Gonzaga Sunday and Colorado State on Tuesday before returning home Jan. 10 to face nationally ranked Utah.
"It's a great schedule," said Edwards. "You want to play against the best teams and we're going to do it."
"I would have been elated to win on a buzzer-beater shot over those guys, and then we win like this," said Montana women's basketball coach Selvig after his team won the Lady Griz Holiday Classic with a surprisingly easy 74-56 victory over the Memphis Tigers Monday night.
Edwards, a 5-8 sophomore guard from Lewistown, scored a career-high 20 points and Deming, a 5-10 senior forward from Oregon, scored all 11 of her points in the second half.
Both Lady Griz stars made the all-tournament squad along with 6-3 junior post player Hollie Tyler, who contributed 14 points and a career-best seven blocked shots.
"I've always been a team player and I just try to do whatever it takes to win," said Deming, who scored 14 points on Sunday, and led the tourney with six steals. "If I hadn't made the all-tournament team or won MVP, I wouldn't cry about it."
Edwards, the second-leading scorer in Montana prep girls' history, scored 10 of her team's first 25 points as UM blew out to a 25-15 lead. One night after struggling through a 3-for-12 shooting performance, she went 7-for-16 while playing a team-high 36 minutes.
"You would hope you couldn't have two nights in a row like I had (Sunday)," said Edwards. "I'm still not shooting well from outside (2 of 6 from 3-point range), but I was able to create a few shots and get the ball in the basket."
Tyler had 11 rebounds to go along with her seven blocks, and that made a 5-for-17 shooting log a bit more palatable.
"I don't have enough money to buy a basket," she said with a forced smile.
Tyler missed at least five shots from inside three feet against the shorter Tigers, which made the 18-point margin of victory all the more remarkable for Selvig.
"We did not have much trouble getting our shots, despite their quickness," said Selvig. "What we do well is take care of the ball, and we feed the post well. That's why we got so many shots (64, to 55 for Memphis)."
The Tigers weren't able to get good shots the first half against UM's 2-3 zone, hitting only 5 of 24 for 21 percent. Tyler clogged up the middle, and Deming, Edwards and point guard Brooke Lorenzen deflected a lot of inside passes.
"They're a kick-under team," said Selvig, "and we didn't let them find the holes."
Memphis kept it close for 30 minutes by sinking six 3-pointers - four of them by 5-3 Devin Necaise - but the Tigers had little success penatrating until 5-8 Victoria Crawford got loose for 11 of her 13 points in the final minutes.
She and Necaise combined for 25 points, but Raven Rogers was held to just 8. Rogers scored 16 the previous night in a victory over Idaho.
Rogers also made the all-tourney team along with Rebecca Brown of Princeton and Emily Faurholt of Idaho. Faurholt was the tourney's top scorer with 48 points, and she also leads the nation at about 27.7 ppg.
Monday's victory gave the Lady Griz 21 holiday tournament titles in 24 years, and improved this season's record to 9-2. Both losses have come against natioannly ranked foes, Texas and Oregon.
"This should give us some momentum going into three or four really tough games," said Deming.
UM plays Western Michigan Friday at home, then travels to Gonzaga Sunday and Colorado State on Tuesday before returning home Jan. 10 to face nationally ranked Utah.
"It's a great schedule," said Edwards. "You want to play against the best teams and we're going to do it."
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