Montana Seeking Big Sky Perfection
3/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The University of Montana women's basketball team (23-4, 12-0 BSC) will attempt to finish off a perfect 2004 Big Sky Conference schedule this week with its final two regular-season games. On Thursday the Lady Griz, who are on a 13-game win streak, will host fourth-place Eastern Washington (12-13, 5-7 BSC). On Saturday Montana will host seventh-place Portland State (6-20, 3-9 BSC).
The two games will be full of notable events. On Thursday, senior Brooklynn Lorenzen will be playing her first home game since becoming the league's career leader in assists, senior Julie Deming will enter the game five points shy of 1,000 career points and the current Monte will end his run as the UM mascot in an unveiling ceremony.
Saturday will be Senior Night, plus coach Robin Selvig, who currently has 598 career wins, could be going for win No. 600 if Montana wins on Thursday.
Montana to Host NCAA First and Second Rounds: The NCAA announced in August that the University of Montana will host first and second round games of the 2004 NCAA women's basketball tournament. Montana will host two games on Saturday, March 20 with the winners squaring off on Monday, March 22.
Game times and participating teams will not be announced until the week of the tournament. If Montana advances to the NCAA tournament, the Lady Griz will be playing in Missoula.
Missoula has hosted NCAA first-round games six different times, a second-round game once and the NCAA West Regional in 1993.
A Night With Monte Set for March 4: The Montana Athletic Department has announced that "A Night with Monte" will be held during the Lady Griz-Eastern Washington game on Thursday, March 4. The first 700 fans through the gate will receive an autographed Monte poster, and there will be special performances by Monte throughout the game.
At halftime Monte will shoot 10 halfcourt shots which could win a lucky contestant a prize package worth $1,500, and during the second half fans will be introduced to the man behind the mask.
Lady Griz on the Radio: All Montana women's basketball games this season will be broadcast on KLCY Radio (930 AM). Tom Stage calls the action, beginning with a pregame show that starts 20 minutes prior to tipoff.
Lady Griz on the Internet: Fans can also listen to all of the Montana games during the season by logging on to the University of Montana athletic department web site at: www.montanagrizzlies.com and following the instructions. Fans listening on the internet will also have the advantage of live stats for UM home games.
Montana Clinches Share of Big Sky Title: With Saturday's win at Northern Arizona, Montana assured itself of its 18th conference championship (shared or won outright) in the last 24 seasons, but its first since 2000. The three-year title-free drought was the longest in coach Robin Selvig's 26-year coaching career at Montana.
With one win in this week's two games, the Lady Griz would win the title outright. Of Montana's previous 17 regular-season league championships, 14 have been won outright, with three shared titles.
Lady Griz Lock Up Hosting Rights to Big Sky Tournament: Montana will host the Big Sky Conference postseason tournament March 11-13 it was determined last weekend. The tournament will be the 15th postseason conference tournament the Lady Griz have hosted (five as a member of the Mountain West Conference, nine as a member of the Big Sky Conference). Montana has a 27-1 record in those tournaments.
The schedule:
Thursday, March 11
Game One: No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
Game Two: No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed
Friday, March 12
Game Three: No. 2 seed vs. highest remaining seed
Game Four: No. 1 seed vs. lowest remaining seed
Saturday, March 13
Game Five: Championship game
Participating teams and seedings will be determined this weekend and game times are awaiting approval of the league office.
Lorenzen Sets New Conference Career Assists Mark: With her second of seven assists against Northern Arizona on Saturday, senior Brooklynn Lorenzen became the Big Sky Conference career assist leader, passing Lisa Comstock of Eastern Washington, who had 648 assists while playing from 1982-85. Lorenzen currently has 654 assists with at least four games remaining in her career.
Lorenzen broke the Montana career assist record on Jan. 31 against Sacramento State, passing Skyla Sisco's mark of 587.
The current Big Sky Conference career top five: Lorenzen (654), Comstock (648); Sisco (587); Jennifer Sutter, EWU (492) and Julie Epperly, UM (488).
Montana Closing in On Big Sky Perfection: With a 12-0 record entering this week's two home games, the Lady Griz will be trying for an unblemished league record. Since Montana began competing in the Mountain West Conference in 1982-83 (moving into the Big Sky Conference six seasons later in 1988-89), seven teams have been perfect throughout league play:
2000-01...Idaho State...16-0
1996-97...Montana...16-0
1990-91...Montana...16-0
1989-90...Montana...16-0
1988-89...Montana...16-0
1986-87...Montana...12-0
1983-84...Montana...14-0
Selvig Nearing 600 Career Wins: Montana's current 13-game winning streak has upped coach Robin Selvig's career win total to 598, leaving him two wins shy of 600. Currently 11 active Division I coaches have passed the 600-win mark, with Tennessee's Pat Summitt atop the list with 844 career wins.
Lady Griz Streaking at Home: Montana has been perfect at home this season, recording a 13-0 mark. Dating back to last season UM has an 18-game home win streak, currently the eighth-best streak in the nation. Texas has won 34 straight home games, Arizona, Utah and Western Illinois 27, Louisiana Tech 26, Liberty 22, Delaware State 20 and Montana and Southwest Missouri 18.
Montana is 353-37 under coach Robin Selvig in home games, a winning percentage of .905.
UM's last loss at Dahlberg Arena came at the hands of Weber State, 58-53 Jan. 18, 2003.
Home Win Streak Fifth-Best Ever: Montana's current home win streak of 18 games is the fifth-best home-court win streak in Montana women's basketball history. Previous win streaks have been 45 games, 34 games, 33 games and 29 games.
45 games...
Start: 1/14/82 with 88-60 win over Montana State
End: 2/8/85 with 78-76 loss to Idaho
34 games...
Start: 2/29/92 with 76-60 win over Idaho
End: 11/17/94 with 69-65 loss to Vanderbilt (WNIT preseason tournament)
33 games...
Start: 2/9/85 with 78-71 overtime win over Eastern Washington
End: 3/7/87 with 77-74 loss to Eastern Washington (MWC championship game)
29 games...
Start: 12/29/94 with 79-42 win over Cal Poly (Lady Griz Holiday Classic)
End: 11/29/96 with 81-70 loss to Western Kentucky
Another Double-Figure Win Streak for Lady Griz: Montana's current 13-game win streak is tied for 10th-best as the longest streak in program history. In the 23 seasons since 1980-81, the Lady Griz have had in-season double-figure win streaks a remarkable 14 times. The longest win streak of 26 games came during the 1987-88 season when UM opened the season with 26 straight wins before falling at Montana State, 58-56, in its regular-season finale.
Double-figure win streaks have been: 26 games (1987-88), 22 games (1988-89), 21 games (1989-90), 20 games (1996-97), 19 games (1983-84 and 1990-91), 17 games (1986-87), 16 games (1992-93), 15 games (1982-83), 13 games (1997-98 and 2003-04), 12 games (1981-82 and 1995-96) and 11 games (1991-92).
Deming on Verge of 1,000 Career Points: After scoring 30 points against Sacramento State and Northern Arizona last week, senior Julie Deming is nearing the 1,000-point mark for her career. Deming will enter Thursday's game against Eastern Washington with 995 points, having scored 157 as a freshman (1999-00), 187 as a sophomore (2000-01), 293 as a junior (2001-02) and 358 to date this season.
The 5-10 Portland, Ore., native will become just the 22nd player in Montana history to reach the 1,000-point mark. Junior Hollie Tyler became the program's 21st 1,000-point scorer earlier this season.
Lorenzen Approaching Two Single-Season Assists Marks: With 204 assists on the season, senior Brooklynn Lorenzen is within striking distance of both Montana's and the Big Sky Conference's single-season assist mark. The Montana record of 215 was set by Kelly Pilcher during the 1993-94 season. The league mark is held by Netra McGrew, who had 218 while playing for Idaho in 1985-86.
Lorenzen already holds the school and conference career assist marks.
About Eastern Washington: The Eagles are currently 12-13 overall and in fourth place in the Big Sky Conference with a 5-7 mark. EWU has lost four straight games, falling to Northern Arizona and Portland State on the road, then dropping two home games last weekend, 75-69 to Weber State and 83-67 to Idaho State.
Senior Kathleen Nygaard leads the Eagles in most statistical categories, including scoring (19.4 ppg), rebounding (9.8 rpg), shooting (.540) and blocked shots (30). The 6-2 forward leads the league in scoring and field goal percentage and is second in rebounding.
The Eagles rank second in the league in scoring offense at 68.1 points per game and first in steals (9.96 spg).
Eastern Washington is coached by Wendy Schuller, who is 40-42 in her second year.
The Series: Montana leads the all-time series with Eastern Washington, 51-10, including 10 straight victories. The Lady Griz have a 29-2 edge in games at Missoula, with a streak of 19 straight wins.
The Last Meeting: Montana trailed Eastern Washington by 10 points at Cheney, Wash., on Feb. 7 with 9:21 to play, but closed the game on a 24-8 run to win 67-61. Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen scored 11 of her season-high 22 points during the game-deciding run.
Montana trailed for almost all of the first half and a majority of the second half, but took the lead for good on a sophomore Katie Edwards 3-pointer with just over two minutes to go, putting the Lady Griz up 61-60.
Joining Lorenzen in double figures were junior Hollie Tyler with 13 points and 11 rebounds, her seventh double-double of the season and 30th of her career, and junior Crystal Baird, who came off the bench to score 11 points and grab eight rebounds.
About Portland State: The Vikings will enter Thursday's game at Montana State with an overall record of 6-20. PSU is 3-9 in league play and in seventh place.
After winning three straight league games in early February (at NAU and SAC and at home against EWU), Portland State dropped back-to-back home games last week, falling to Idaho State, 74-44, and Weber State, 53-43.
Senior Sarah Hedgepeth leads PSU in scoring at 14.2 points per game and also leads the team in rebounding at 9.9 boards per game. Her rebounding total leads the league and her 52.9 percent shooting percentage ranks second in the BSC.
PSU's only other double-figure scorer on the season, junior Heidi Stuart, is out for the year with a knee injury.
Portland State is coached by George Wolfe, who is 43-95 in his fifth year.
The Series: Montana leads the all-time series with Portland State, 25-8, with a modest one-game win streak. The Lady Griz have a 13-2 edge in games at Missoula, with a streak of four straight wins.
The Last Meeting: Senior Julie Deming scored a career-high 25 points, senior Brooklynn Lorenzen matched a Montana single-game record with 15 assists and five players scored in double figures to lead the Lady Griz to a 90-62 victory at Portland State on Feb. 5.
Montana never trailed in the game, jumping out to a quick 13-2 lead and holding a 42-21 advantage at the half.
Deming added eight rebounds to her 25 points, with junior Hollie Tyler adding 16 points, junior Juliann Keller 13 points, sophomore Jody McLeod 12 and Lorenzen 11.
Montana 68, Sacramento State 46: Senior Julie Deming scored a game-high 19 points and the Lady Griz defense limited Sacramento State to 16.0 percent shooting in the second half as Montana won its 12th straight game, 68-46, in Big Sky Conference play on Thursday night. Junior Hollie Tyler and sophomore Katie Edwards both added 11 points as the Lady Griz remained perfect in league play at 11-0, 22-4 overall.
The Hornets dropped to 1-24 on the season, 1-11 in conference play.
Two milestones were neared on Thursday night. Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen, the Montana career leader in assists, finished with six assists, leaving her with 647 for her career, one shy of the Big Sky Conference record of 648 (held by Lisa Comstock of Eastern Washington). Coach Robin Selvig earned his 597th career win Thursday night as well, leaving him three victories shy of becoming the 12th active Division I women's basketball coach to reach 600 wins.
Sacramento State opened the game quickly, jumping out to an early 15-8 lead, but from that point on it was all Montana. Deming hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 15-11, starting a 17-4 run that put the Lady Griz ahead 25-19. Montana led at the half, 39-29.
The Hornets hit just four field goals in the entire second half, going 4 for 25, and the Lady Griz shot 45.8 percent in the second half to slowly increase their lead. The final score was the game's largest margin.
Deming's 19 points left her 16 shy of becoming Montana's 22nd 1,000-point scorer.
Sophomore Jody McLeod was the Lady Griz' only other double-figure scorer, coming off the bench to score 10 points and grab six rebounds in 15 minutes of work.
Montana shot 48.1 percent for the game, while the Hornets hit 28.6 percent. Both teams grabbed 36 rebounds.
The Lady Griz will attempt to assure themselves of at least a tie for the Big Sky Conference championship on Saturday night at Northern Arizona. Second-place Idaho State, a winner at Portland State on Thursday night, improved to 10-2 in conference play.
Montana 56, Northern Arizona 48: The University of Montana assured itself of at least a tie of the Big Sky Conference title with a 56-48 victory at Northern Arizona on Saturday night. The Lady Griz won their 13th straight game and remained unbeaten in league play, improving to 12-0. UM is 23-4 overall, its most wins in a season since 1998.
Idaho State remained on Montana's heels, winning 83-67 at Eastern Washington on Saturday night. The Bengals improved to 11-2 in league play.
Montana, which has now won 18 regular-season conference championships in the last 24 seasons, can win the title outright next weekend at home with a win against either Eastern Washington or Portland State in its regular-season finales. The Lady Griz, who have won 18 straight at Dahlberg Arena, host the Eagles on Thursday and the Vikings on Saturday. An Idaho State loss at Weber State next Saturday would also give Montana the outright title.
Montana's last league title came in 2000.
Regardless of what unfolds next weekend, Montana will host the Big Sky Conference postseason tournament March 11-13.
Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen became the Big Sky Conference career assist leader in Saturday's win. The 5-5 point guard, who broke the Montana career record earlier this season, now has 654 assists in her four-year career, passing the previous standard of 648, set by Lisa Comstock of Eastern Washington from 1982-85.
Lorenzen also added 11 points to her seven assists, leading four Lady Griz players in double figures.
Sophomore Katie Edwards scored a team-high 13 points, senior Julie Deming added 11 and junior Hollie Tyler had 10.
Junior Juliann Keller had eight points and a team-high six rebounds. Four different players grabbed five rebounds each for the Lady Griz.
Both teams struggled shooting the ball and both had 18 turnovers, indicative of the league's top two defenses. Montana entered the game allowing just 54.8 points per game and holding opponents to 35.9 percent shooting, both league-leading marks. The Lady Griz limited the Lumberjacks to 48 points on 32.8 percent shooting.
NAU entered the game ranked second in the league in field goal percentage defense (.400) and third in scoring defense (63.7 ppg). Montana shot just 37.7 percent for the game.
Natalie Metz had 14 points for Northern Arizona.
Lorenzen's 15 Assists Ties UM Single-Game Record: Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen returned to her home state of Oregon on Feb. 5 and made it memorable. The 5-5 point guard handed out 15 assists, matching the UM single-game record.
Kelly Pilcher twice recorded 15 assists in a game, both during the 1993-94 season: on Jan. 22 against Northern Arizona and on Feb. 25 against Boise State.
The 15 assists were the second-most in Big Sky history. Netra McGrew of Idaho had 18 assists against Montana State on Feb. 21, 1986.
Lorenzen and Tyler in NCAA Stats: Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen and junior Hollie Tyler are both in the NCAA statistics this week.
Lorenzen remained at No. 5 in the nation at 7.6 assists per game. La'Terrica Dobin of Northwest Louisiana leads the nation at 10.2 assists per game.
Tyler moved up from 19th to 13th with 2.6 blocks per game. Brooke McAfee of IUPU-Indianapolis leads the nation at 4.8 blocks per game.
Lady Griz in Top 25: Through 27 games Montana ranks in the top 25 in the nation in seven different statistical categories. The Lady Griz rank second in turnovers (12.3 tpg) and personal fouls (13.4 pfpg), eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.381), 15th in assists (17.7 apg), 16th in field goal percentage defense (.358), 20th in scoring margin (+13.0 ppg) and 22nd in blocked shots (4.7 bpg).
Lady Griz Defense Solid Again: Coach Robin Selvig has had seven teams lead the NCAA in team defense over his career. The 2003-04 team is following those teams' lead.
Opponents are shooting just 35.8 percent against the Lady Griz for the season, the best mark in the Big Sky Conference and 16th in the nation. Montana also leads the league in scoring defense, allowing just 54.6 points per game. That total ranks 9th in the nation.
Montana Reaches 20 Wins Again: When the Lady Griz defeated Idaho State on Feb. 14, they improved to 20-4 on the season. That marked the 22nd time in the last 24 seasons that Montana has recorded at least 20 wins during the season.
Notes: Montana has an RPI (ratings percentage index) of 39 this week, just behind Memphis and just ahead of Arizona. Among other Big Sky Conference teams, Idaho State ranks 92nd, Weber State 132nd, Northern Arizona 213th, Montana State 226th, Eastern Washington 235th, Portland State 295th and Sacramento State 314 (out of 324 teams). The Big Sky Conference ranks 21st out of 31 conferences ... Montana has yet to play an overtime game this season. If that trend continues it would mark the first time since the 1995-96 campaign that the team has not had to go to an extra session. The Lady Griz have lost their last six overtime games and eight of the last nine ... Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen recorded a career-high five steals at Sacramento State on Thursday.
Upcoming: After wrapping up regular-season play this week, Montana will host the Big Sky Conference tournament, March 11-13.
Last Year: In 2002-03, University of Montana finished with an overall record of 20-10 and advanced to the WNIT, where the Lady Griz fell to Wyoming in the first round, 76-74 in overtime.
Montana finished in third place in the Big Sky Conference with a league mark of 10-4, finishing one game behind co-champs Weber State and Montana State. The Lady Griz defeated Northern Arizona in the opening round of the Big Sky tournament, 65-58, but lost to MSU, 70-64, in the semifinals.
A History of Success: The University of Montana Lady Griz have had one of the most successful Division I women's basketball programs in the nation over the last quarter century. From 1980-81 through 2002-03, a period of 23 complete seasons, the Lady Griz accumulated 543 wins, had 22 winning seasons and 21 20-win seasons.
Also during that time Montana advanced to 18 national tournaments and won 17 conference championships and 14 postseason conference championships
The two games will be full of notable events. On Thursday, senior Brooklynn Lorenzen will be playing her first home game since becoming the league's career leader in assists, senior Julie Deming will enter the game five points shy of 1,000 career points and the current Monte will end his run as the UM mascot in an unveiling ceremony.
Saturday will be Senior Night, plus coach Robin Selvig, who currently has 598 career wins, could be going for win No. 600 if Montana wins on Thursday.
Montana to Host NCAA First and Second Rounds: The NCAA announced in August that the University of Montana will host first and second round games of the 2004 NCAA women's basketball tournament. Montana will host two games on Saturday, March 20 with the winners squaring off on Monday, March 22.
Game times and participating teams will not be announced until the week of the tournament. If Montana advances to the NCAA tournament, the Lady Griz will be playing in Missoula.
Missoula has hosted NCAA first-round games six different times, a second-round game once and the NCAA West Regional in 1993.
A Night With Monte Set for March 4: The Montana Athletic Department has announced that "A Night with Monte" will be held during the Lady Griz-Eastern Washington game on Thursday, March 4. The first 700 fans through the gate will receive an autographed Monte poster, and there will be special performances by Monte throughout the game.
At halftime Monte will shoot 10 halfcourt shots which could win a lucky contestant a prize package worth $1,500, and during the second half fans will be introduced to the man behind the mask.
Lady Griz on the Radio: All Montana women's basketball games this season will be broadcast on KLCY Radio (930 AM). Tom Stage calls the action, beginning with a pregame show that starts 20 minutes prior to tipoff.
Lady Griz on the Internet: Fans can also listen to all of the Montana games during the season by logging on to the University of Montana athletic department web site at: www.montanagrizzlies.com and following the instructions. Fans listening on the internet will also have the advantage of live stats for UM home games.
Montana Clinches Share of Big Sky Title: With Saturday's win at Northern Arizona, Montana assured itself of its 18th conference championship (shared or won outright) in the last 24 seasons, but its first since 2000. The three-year title-free drought was the longest in coach Robin Selvig's 26-year coaching career at Montana.
With one win in this week's two games, the Lady Griz would win the title outright. Of Montana's previous 17 regular-season league championships, 14 have been won outright, with three shared titles.
Lady Griz Lock Up Hosting Rights to Big Sky Tournament: Montana will host the Big Sky Conference postseason tournament March 11-13 it was determined last weekend. The tournament will be the 15th postseason conference tournament the Lady Griz have hosted (five as a member of the Mountain West Conference, nine as a member of the Big Sky Conference). Montana has a 27-1 record in those tournaments.
The schedule:
Thursday, March 11
Game One: No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
Game Two: No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed
Friday, March 12
Game Three: No. 2 seed vs. highest remaining seed
Game Four: No. 1 seed vs. lowest remaining seed
Saturday, March 13
Game Five: Championship game
Participating teams and seedings will be determined this weekend and game times are awaiting approval of the league office.
Lorenzen Sets New Conference Career Assists Mark: With her second of seven assists against Northern Arizona on Saturday, senior Brooklynn Lorenzen became the Big Sky Conference career assist leader, passing Lisa Comstock of Eastern Washington, who had 648 assists while playing from 1982-85. Lorenzen currently has 654 assists with at least four games remaining in her career.
Lorenzen broke the Montana career assist record on Jan. 31 against Sacramento State, passing Skyla Sisco's mark of 587.
The current Big Sky Conference career top five: Lorenzen (654), Comstock (648); Sisco (587); Jennifer Sutter, EWU (492) and Julie Epperly, UM (488).
Montana Closing in On Big Sky Perfection: With a 12-0 record entering this week's two home games, the Lady Griz will be trying for an unblemished league record. Since Montana began competing in the Mountain West Conference in 1982-83 (moving into the Big Sky Conference six seasons later in 1988-89), seven teams have been perfect throughout league play:
2000-01...Idaho State...16-0
1996-97...Montana...16-0
1990-91...Montana...16-0
1989-90...Montana...16-0
1988-89...Montana...16-0
1986-87...Montana...12-0
1983-84...Montana...14-0
Selvig Nearing 600 Career Wins: Montana's current 13-game winning streak has upped coach Robin Selvig's career win total to 598, leaving him two wins shy of 600. Currently 11 active Division I coaches have passed the 600-win mark, with Tennessee's Pat Summitt atop the list with 844 career wins.
Lady Griz Streaking at Home: Montana has been perfect at home this season, recording a 13-0 mark. Dating back to last season UM has an 18-game home win streak, currently the eighth-best streak in the nation. Texas has won 34 straight home games, Arizona, Utah and Western Illinois 27, Louisiana Tech 26, Liberty 22, Delaware State 20 and Montana and Southwest Missouri 18.
Montana is 353-37 under coach Robin Selvig in home games, a winning percentage of .905.
UM's last loss at Dahlberg Arena came at the hands of Weber State, 58-53 Jan. 18, 2003.
Home Win Streak Fifth-Best Ever: Montana's current home win streak of 18 games is the fifth-best home-court win streak in Montana women's basketball history. Previous win streaks have been 45 games, 34 games, 33 games and 29 games.
45 games...
Start: 1/14/82 with 88-60 win over Montana State
End: 2/8/85 with 78-76 loss to Idaho
34 games...
Start: 2/29/92 with 76-60 win over Idaho
End: 11/17/94 with 69-65 loss to Vanderbilt (WNIT preseason tournament)
33 games...
Start: 2/9/85 with 78-71 overtime win over Eastern Washington
End: 3/7/87 with 77-74 loss to Eastern Washington (MWC championship game)
29 games...
Start: 12/29/94 with 79-42 win over Cal Poly (Lady Griz Holiday Classic)
End: 11/29/96 with 81-70 loss to Western Kentucky
Another Double-Figure Win Streak for Lady Griz: Montana's current 13-game win streak is tied for 10th-best as the longest streak in program history. In the 23 seasons since 1980-81, the Lady Griz have had in-season double-figure win streaks a remarkable 14 times. The longest win streak of 26 games came during the 1987-88 season when UM opened the season with 26 straight wins before falling at Montana State, 58-56, in its regular-season finale.
Double-figure win streaks have been: 26 games (1987-88), 22 games (1988-89), 21 games (1989-90), 20 games (1996-97), 19 games (1983-84 and 1990-91), 17 games (1986-87), 16 games (1992-93), 15 games (1982-83), 13 games (1997-98 and 2003-04), 12 games (1981-82 and 1995-96) and 11 games (1991-92).
Deming on Verge of 1,000 Career Points: After scoring 30 points against Sacramento State and Northern Arizona last week, senior Julie Deming is nearing the 1,000-point mark for her career. Deming will enter Thursday's game against Eastern Washington with 995 points, having scored 157 as a freshman (1999-00), 187 as a sophomore (2000-01), 293 as a junior (2001-02) and 358 to date this season.
The 5-10 Portland, Ore., native will become just the 22nd player in Montana history to reach the 1,000-point mark. Junior Hollie Tyler became the program's 21st 1,000-point scorer earlier this season.
Lorenzen Approaching Two Single-Season Assists Marks: With 204 assists on the season, senior Brooklynn Lorenzen is within striking distance of both Montana's and the Big Sky Conference's single-season assist mark. The Montana record of 215 was set by Kelly Pilcher during the 1993-94 season. The league mark is held by Netra McGrew, who had 218 while playing for Idaho in 1985-86.
Lorenzen already holds the school and conference career assist marks.
About Eastern Washington: The Eagles are currently 12-13 overall and in fourth place in the Big Sky Conference with a 5-7 mark. EWU has lost four straight games, falling to Northern Arizona and Portland State on the road, then dropping two home games last weekend, 75-69 to Weber State and 83-67 to Idaho State.
Senior Kathleen Nygaard leads the Eagles in most statistical categories, including scoring (19.4 ppg), rebounding (9.8 rpg), shooting (.540) and blocked shots (30). The 6-2 forward leads the league in scoring and field goal percentage and is second in rebounding.
The Eagles rank second in the league in scoring offense at 68.1 points per game and first in steals (9.96 spg).
Eastern Washington is coached by Wendy Schuller, who is 40-42 in her second year.
The Series: Montana leads the all-time series with Eastern Washington, 51-10, including 10 straight victories. The Lady Griz have a 29-2 edge in games at Missoula, with a streak of 19 straight wins.
The Last Meeting: Montana trailed Eastern Washington by 10 points at Cheney, Wash., on Feb. 7 with 9:21 to play, but closed the game on a 24-8 run to win 67-61. Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen scored 11 of her season-high 22 points during the game-deciding run.
Montana trailed for almost all of the first half and a majority of the second half, but took the lead for good on a sophomore Katie Edwards 3-pointer with just over two minutes to go, putting the Lady Griz up 61-60.
Joining Lorenzen in double figures were junior Hollie Tyler with 13 points and 11 rebounds, her seventh double-double of the season and 30th of her career, and junior Crystal Baird, who came off the bench to score 11 points and grab eight rebounds.
About Portland State: The Vikings will enter Thursday's game at Montana State with an overall record of 6-20. PSU is 3-9 in league play and in seventh place.
After winning three straight league games in early February (at NAU and SAC and at home against EWU), Portland State dropped back-to-back home games last week, falling to Idaho State, 74-44, and Weber State, 53-43.
Senior Sarah Hedgepeth leads PSU in scoring at 14.2 points per game and also leads the team in rebounding at 9.9 boards per game. Her rebounding total leads the league and her 52.9 percent shooting percentage ranks second in the BSC.
PSU's only other double-figure scorer on the season, junior Heidi Stuart, is out for the year with a knee injury.
Portland State is coached by George Wolfe, who is 43-95 in his fifth year.
The Series: Montana leads the all-time series with Portland State, 25-8, with a modest one-game win streak. The Lady Griz have a 13-2 edge in games at Missoula, with a streak of four straight wins.
The Last Meeting: Senior Julie Deming scored a career-high 25 points, senior Brooklynn Lorenzen matched a Montana single-game record with 15 assists and five players scored in double figures to lead the Lady Griz to a 90-62 victory at Portland State on Feb. 5.
Montana never trailed in the game, jumping out to a quick 13-2 lead and holding a 42-21 advantage at the half.
Deming added eight rebounds to her 25 points, with junior Hollie Tyler adding 16 points, junior Juliann Keller 13 points, sophomore Jody McLeod 12 and Lorenzen 11.
Montana 68, Sacramento State 46: Senior Julie Deming scored a game-high 19 points and the Lady Griz defense limited Sacramento State to 16.0 percent shooting in the second half as Montana won its 12th straight game, 68-46, in Big Sky Conference play on Thursday night. Junior Hollie Tyler and sophomore Katie Edwards both added 11 points as the Lady Griz remained perfect in league play at 11-0, 22-4 overall.
The Hornets dropped to 1-24 on the season, 1-11 in conference play.
Two milestones were neared on Thursday night. Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen, the Montana career leader in assists, finished with six assists, leaving her with 647 for her career, one shy of the Big Sky Conference record of 648 (held by Lisa Comstock of Eastern Washington). Coach Robin Selvig earned his 597th career win Thursday night as well, leaving him three victories shy of becoming the 12th active Division I women's basketball coach to reach 600 wins.
Sacramento State opened the game quickly, jumping out to an early 15-8 lead, but from that point on it was all Montana. Deming hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 15-11, starting a 17-4 run that put the Lady Griz ahead 25-19. Montana led at the half, 39-29.
The Hornets hit just four field goals in the entire second half, going 4 for 25, and the Lady Griz shot 45.8 percent in the second half to slowly increase their lead. The final score was the game's largest margin.
Deming's 19 points left her 16 shy of becoming Montana's 22nd 1,000-point scorer.
Sophomore Jody McLeod was the Lady Griz' only other double-figure scorer, coming off the bench to score 10 points and grab six rebounds in 15 minutes of work.
Montana shot 48.1 percent for the game, while the Hornets hit 28.6 percent. Both teams grabbed 36 rebounds.
The Lady Griz will attempt to assure themselves of at least a tie for the Big Sky Conference championship on Saturday night at Northern Arizona. Second-place Idaho State, a winner at Portland State on Thursday night, improved to 10-2 in conference play.
Montana 56, Northern Arizona 48: The University of Montana assured itself of at least a tie of the Big Sky Conference title with a 56-48 victory at Northern Arizona on Saturday night. The Lady Griz won their 13th straight game and remained unbeaten in league play, improving to 12-0. UM is 23-4 overall, its most wins in a season since 1998.
Idaho State remained on Montana's heels, winning 83-67 at Eastern Washington on Saturday night. The Bengals improved to 11-2 in league play.
Montana, which has now won 18 regular-season conference championships in the last 24 seasons, can win the title outright next weekend at home with a win against either Eastern Washington or Portland State in its regular-season finales. The Lady Griz, who have won 18 straight at Dahlberg Arena, host the Eagles on Thursday and the Vikings on Saturday. An Idaho State loss at Weber State next Saturday would also give Montana the outright title.
Montana's last league title came in 2000.
Regardless of what unfolds next weekend, Montana will host the Big Sky Conference postseason tournament March 11-13.
Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen became the Big Sky Conference career assist leader in Saturday's win. The 5-5 point guard, who broke the Montana career record earlier this season, now has 654 assists in her four-year career, passing the previous standard of 648, set by Lisa Comstock of Eastern Washington from 1982-85.
Lorenzen also added 11 points to her seven assists, leading four Lady Griz players in double figures.
Sophomore Katie Edwards scored a team-high 13 points, senior Julie Deming added 11 and junior Hollie Tyler had 10.
Junior Juliann Keller had eight points and a team-high six rebounds. Four different players grabbed five rebounds each for the Lady Griz.
Both teams struggled shooting the ball and both had 18 turnovers, indicative of the league's top two defenses. Montana entered the game allowing just 54.8 points per game and holding opponents to 35.9 percent shooting, both league-leading marks. The Lady Griz limited the Lumberjacks to 48 points on 32.8 percent shooting.
NAU entered the game ranked second in the league in field goal percentage defense (.400) and third in scoring defense (63.7 ppg). Montana shot just 37.7 percent for the game.
Natalie Metz had 14 points for Northern Arizona.
Lorenzen's 15 Assists Ties UM Single-Game Record: Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen returned to her home state of Oregon on Feb. 5 and made it memorable. The 5-5 point guard handed out 15 assists, matching the UM single-game record.
Kelly Pilcher twice recorded 15 assists in a game, both during the 1993-94 season: on Jan. 22 against Northern Arizona and on Feb. 25 against Boise State.
The 15 assists were the second-most in Big Sky history. Netra McGrew of Idaho had 18 assists against Montana State on Feb. 21, 1986.
Lorenzen and Tyler in NCAA Stats: Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen and junior Hollie Tyler are both in the NCAA statistics this week.
Lorenzen remained at No. 5 in the nation at 7.6 assists per game. La'Terrica Dobin of Northwest Louisiana leads the nation at 10.2 assists per game.
Tyler moved up from 19th to 13th with 2.6 blocks per game. Brooke McAfee of IUPU-Indianapolis leads the nation at 4.8 blocks per game.
Lady Griz in Top 25: Through 27 games Montana ranks in the top 25 in the nation in seven different statistical categories. The Lady Griz rank second in turnovers (12.3 tpg) and personal fouls (13.4 pfpg), eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.381), 15th in assists (17.7 apg), 16th in field goal percentage defense (.358), 20th in scoring margin (+13.0 ppg) and 22nd in blocked shots (4.7 bpg).
Lady Griz Defense Solid Again: Coach Robin Selvig has had seven teams lead the NCAA in team defense over his career. The 2003-04 team is following those teams' lead.
Opponents are shooting just 35.8 percent against the Lady Griz for the season, the best mark in the Big Sky Conference and 16th in the nation. Montana also leads the league in scoring defense, allowing just 54.6 points per game. That total ranks 9th in the nation.
Montana Reaches 20 Wins Again: When the Lady Griz defeated Idaho State on Feb. 14, they improved to 20-4 on the season. That marked the 22nd time in the last 24 seasons that Montana has recorded at least 20 wins during the season.
Notes: Montana has an RPI (ratings percentage index) of 39 this week, just behind Memphis and just ahead of Arizona. Among other Big Sky Conference teams, Idaho State ranks 92nd, Weber State 132nd, Northern Arizona 213th, Montana State 226th, Eastern Washington 235th, Portland State 295th and Sacramento State 314 (out of 324 teams). The Big Sky Conference ranks 21st out of 31 conferences ... Montana has yet to play an overtime game this season. If that trend continues it would mark the first time since the 1995-96 campaign that the team has not had to go to an extra session. The Lady Griz have lost their last six overtime games and eight of the last nine ... Senior Brooklynn Lorenzen recorded a career-high five steals at Sacramento State on Thursday.
Upcoming: After wrapping up regular-season play this week, Montana will host the Big Sky Conference tournament, March 11-13.
Last Year: In 2002-03, University of Montana finished with an overall record of 20-10 and advanced to the WNIT, where the Lady Griz fell to Wyoming in the first round, 76-74 in overtime.
Montana finished in third place in the Big Sky Conference with a league mark of 10-4, finishing one game behind co-champs Weber State and Montana State. The Lady Griz defeated Northern Arizona in the opening round of the Big Sky tournament, 65-58, but lost to MSU, 70-64, in the semifinals.
A History of Success: The University of Montana Lady Griz have had one of the most successful Division I women's basketball programs in the nation over the last quarter century. From 1980-81 through 2002-03, a period of 23 complete seasons, the Lady Griz accumulated 543 wins, had 22 winning seasons and 21 20-win seasons.
Also during that time Montana advanced to 18 national tournaments and won 17 conference championships and 14 postseason conference championships
Lady Griz Basketball Locker Room Unveiling - 5/1/26
Friday, May 01
Griz Track & Field - Montana Open Highlights - 4/25/26
Friday, May 01
Griz Softball vs. Idaho State Game-Winning Hit - 3/25/26
Friday, May 01
Griz Softball Championship Series Promo
Friday, May 01
