Morales rallies Lady Griz past Wyoming
11/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
University of Montana sophomore Mandy Morales matched a career high with 27 points to lead the Lady Griz to a 70-59 victory over Wyoming Thursday night at Dahlberg Arena. Montana was down three at the half, 33-30, but limited the Cowgirls to 26 second-half points to rally for the 11-point victory.
The Lady Griz, who host Portland Saturday night and Utah State Monday night, improved to 4-1 with the victory. Wyoming dropped to 6-2.
The game was Montana coach Robin Selvig's 649th career win with the Lady Griz.
Morales was UM's only double-figure scorer, but the Montana bench outscored the Wyoming bench 17-0 for the game, including a critical 15-0 advantage in the second half.
Junior Laura Cote had nine points off the bench, including seven in the second half, while senior Sara Gale and sophomore Britney Lohman both added four points off the bench, all eight of their combined points coming in the second half.
Gale also had a career- and game-high 14 rebounds, helping Montana to a 42-29 advantage on the boards. The Lady Griz had gotten out-rebounded by 34 rebounds in its two previous games against Davidson and Ohio State.
Sophomore Tamara Guardipee had nine points, sophomore Sonya Rogers seven and junior Johanna Closson six.
Morales and Closson both added six rebounds, while Morales had a team-high three assists.
Wyoming had four players in double figures and hit 13 3-pointers to UM's four, but the Lady Griz went 24-for-26 from the line while the Cowgirls got to the line just five times, hitting four.
UW was led by Hanna Zavecz's 19 points. Justyna Podziemska had 17 points, going 5-for-10 from 3-point range. Jodi Bolerjack had 12 points, all coming on 3-pointers, and Dominique Sisk had 11 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Wyoming jumped out to an 8-2 first-half lead when it hit three of its first four shots and never gave up the lead in the opening 20 minutes, taking a 33-30 edge to the locker room.
The Cowgirls shot 44.4 percent in the opening half, but Morales kept the Lady Griz close by scoring 15 points, half of UM's total.
Montana grabbed its first lead of the game, 34-33, with 18:48 to play when Closson hit a jumper.
The game was tied 46-46 with 10:24 to play when Cote hit a 3-pointer, putting UM up three, and Montana never trailed again. Cote's trey jump-started a 20-8 run that gave the Lady Griz a 66-54 lead with 3:31 to play.
The Lady Griz, who host Portland Saturday night and Utah State Monday night, improved to 4-1 with the victory. Wyoming dropped to 6-2.
The game was Montana coach Robin Selvig's 649th career win with the Lady Griz.
Morales was UM's only double-figure scorer, but the Montana bench outscored the Wyoming bench 17-0 for the game, including a critical 15-0 advantage in the second half.
Junior Laura Cote had nine points off the bench, including seven in the second half, while senior Sara Gale and sophomore Britney Lohman both added four points off the bench, all eight of their combined points coming in the second half.
Gale also had a career- and game-high 14 rebounds, helping Montana to a 42-29 advantage on the boards. The Lady Griz had gotten out-rebounded by 34 rebounds in its two previous games against Davidson and Ohio State.
Sophomore Tamara Guardipee had nine points, sophomore Sonya Rogers seven and junior Johanna Closson six.
Morales and Closson both added six rebounds, while Morales had a team-high three assists.
Wyoming had four players in double figures and hit 13 3-pointers to UM's four, but the Lady Griz went 24-for-26 from the line while the Cowgirls got to the line just five times, hitting four.
UW was led by Hanna Zavecz's 19 points. Justyna Podziemska had 17 points, going 5-for-10 from 3-point range. Jodi Bolerjack had 12 points, all coming on 3-pointers, and Dominique Sisk had 11 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Wyoming jumped out to an 8-2 first-half lead when it hit three of its first four shots and never gave up the lead in the opening 20 minutes, taking a 33-30 edge to the locker room.
The Cowgirls shot 44.4 percent in the opening half, but Morales kept the Lady Griz close by scoring 15 points, half of UM's total.
Montana grabbed its first lead of the game, 34-33, with 18:48 to play when Closson hit a jumper.
The game was tied 46-46 with 10:24 to play when Cote hit a 3-pointer, putting UM up three, and Montana never trailed again. Cote's trey jump-started a 20-8 run that gave the Lady Griz a 66-54 lead with 3:31 to play.
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