Lumberjacks upset top seed Lady Griz, 64-59
3/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Northern Arizona limited No. 25 Montana to 34.6 percent shooting to upset the No. 1 seed Lady Griz, 64-59, in the semifinals of the 2007 Chinook Wireless Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Friday night at Dahlberg Arena. The loss snapped UM's 11-game win streak and its 19-game home win streak, which was the fifth-longest in the nation.
The No. 4 Lumberjacks, who won for the third time in four trips to Missoula over the last three seasons, improved to 20-11 and advance to Saturday night's tournament championship game against No. 2 Idaho State. The winner of that game receives the Big Sky's automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship.
The Lady Griz dropped to 27-3 and will now await the NCAA's decision on a possible at-large tournament selection. If not chosen, Montana is assured of a spot in the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) as the regular-season champion of the league.
Montana had not dropped a Big Sky tournament game at home in 11 previous times hosting, entering Friday's game a perfect 22-0 in those tournaments.
Northern Arizona came away with the victory with consistently solid defensive play and a number of key offensive possessions down the stretch of a tight game.
Montana entered the game shooting 45.0 percent for the season, the best mark in the Big Sky Conference. The Lumberjacks held the Lady Griz to 34.6 percent shooting (9-for-26) in both the first and second halves, but the Lady Griz still maintained the lead for much of the game.
Despite the low shooting percentage, UM led the entire first half, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and took eight-point leads on two occasions before settling for a 29-23 halftime lead.
It was Montana's 12th straight game with a halftime lead, and the Lady Griz were 24-0 on the season when leading at the half.
The Lumberjacks went 10-for-26 from the field in the first half, but Montana built its lead by going 9-for-10 from the line while NAU went just 2-for-4.
Northern Arizona's Alyssa Wahl led both teams with 11 first-half points, while juniors Johanna Closson and Dana Conway and sophomore Mandy Morales all had seven for Montana.
The Lady Griz kept the lead until the 13:12 mark of the second half when NAU's Kim Winkfield hit two free throws to put the Lumberjacks in the lead for the first time, 39-38.
Down by two, 40-38, with 9:28 to play, Montana got a lay-up from sophomore Britney Lohman, three free throws from Conway and two from Morales to take a five-point lead, 45-40, with 8:23 remaining, but NAU's Katie Schafer scored twice inside and after a Conway jumper, Natalie Metz hit a 3-pointer that tied the game at 47-47 with 5:05 to play.
Metz hit two free throws with 4:35 remaining, and Montana would not see the lead again.
With UM within one, the Lumberjacks' Sade Cunningham hit a runner in the paint to push it to 51-48 with just under four minutes remaining.
After Morales hit a jumper with 3:16 to play, Wahl scored inside 10 seconds later to return the lead back to three, 53-50.
Closson hit a jumper at the 2:50 mark to make it 53-52, but Megan Porter scored inside to make it 55-52.
After two Lohman free throws with 1:58 to play cut the lead back to one, 55-54, Winkfield hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to push the lead to four, 58-54, with 1:38 to play.
Morales drove inside on the ensuing possession and hit a lay-up and the resulting free throw to make it 58-57 with 1:23 remaining.
After a Wahl miss, Montana had the ball down one with just under one minute to play, but the Lady Griz turned it over and Winkfield scored with 40 seconds to play to make it 60-57.
Morales missed a 3-point attempt with 32 seconds to play, Winkfield got the rebound, was fouled and hit both free throws and the Lumberjacks were on their way to the title game.
Wahl finished with 20 points for NAU, while Winkfield and Porter both added 12. The Lumberjacks had a 39-35 rebounding advantage, the first time in 15 games that Montana had been out-rebounded.
Morales had 18 points for the Lady Griz, but went just 6-for-19 from the field. Conway and Lohman both had 12 points, with Lohman adding a game-high 10 boards, her third career double-double.
Northern Arizona knocked higher-seeded Montana out of the Big Sky Conference tournament for the second straight season. In 2006, the No. 3 Lumberjacks upset the No. 2 Lady Griz in the semifinals at the tournament held at Pocatello, Idaho.
The No. 4 Lumberjacks, who won for the third time in four trips to Missoula over the last three seasons, improved to 20-11 and advance to Saturday night's tournament championship game against No. 2 Idaho State. The winner of that game receives the Big Sky's automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship.
The Lady Griz dropped to 27-3 and will now await the NCAA's decision on a possible at-large tournament selection. If not chosen, Montana is assured of a spot in the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) as the regular-season champion of the league.
Montana had not dropped a Big Sky tournament game at home in 11 previous times hosting, entering Friday's game a perfect 22-0 in those tournaments.
Northern Arizona came away with the victory with consistently solid defensive play and a number of key offensive possessions down the stretch of a tight game.
Montana entered the game shooting 45.0 percent for the season, the best mark in the Big Sky Conference. The Lumberjacks held the Lady Griz to 34.6 percent shooting (9-for-26) in both the first and second halves, but the Lady Griz still maintained the lead for much of the game.
Despite the low shooting percentage, UM led the entire first half, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and took eight-point leads on two occasions before settling for a 29-23 halftime lead.
It was Montana's 12th straight game with a halftime lead, and the Lady Griz were 24-0 on the season when leading at the half.
The Lumberjacks went 10-for-26 from the field in the first half, but Montana built its lead by going 9-for-10 from the line while NAU went just 2-for-4.
Northern Arizona's Alyssa Wahl led both teams with 11 first-half points, while juniors Johanna Closson and Dana Conway and sophomore Mandy Morales all had seven for Montana.
The Lady Griz kept the lead until the 13:12 mark of the second half when NAU's Kim Winkfield hit two free throws to put the Lumberjacks in the lead for the first time, 39-38.
Down by two, 40-38, with 9:28 to play, Montana got a lay-up from sophomore Britney Lohman, three free throws from Conway and two from Morales to take a five-point lead, 45-40, with 8:23 remaining, but NAU's Katie Schafer scored twice inside and after a Conway jumper, Natalie Metz hit a 3-pointer that tied the game at 47-47 with 5:05 to play.
Metz hit two free throws with 4:35 remaining, and Montana would not see the lead again.
With UM within one, the Lumberjacks' Sade Cunningham hit a runner in the paint to push it to 51-48 with just under four minutes remaining.
After Morales hit a jumper with 3:16 to play, Wahl scored inside 10 seconds later to return the lead back to three, 53-50.
Closson hit a jumper at the 2:50 mark to make it 53-52, but Megan Porter scored inside to make it 55-52.
After two Lohman free throws with 1:58 to play cut the lead back to one, 55-54, Winkfield hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to push the lead to four, 58-54, with 1:38 to play.
Morales drove inside on the ensuing possession and hit a lay-up and the resulting free throw to make it 58-57 with 1:23 remaining.
After a Wahl miss, Montana had the ball down one with just under one minute to play, but the Lady Griz turned it over and Winkfield scored with 40 seconds to play to make it 60-57.
Morales missed a 3-point attempt with 32 seconds to play, Winkfield got the rebound, was fouled and hit both free throws and the Lumberjacks were on their way to the title game.
Wahl finished with 20 points for NAU, while Winkfield and Porter both added 12. The Lumberjacks had a 39-35 rebounding advantage, the first time in 15 games that Montana had been out-rebounded.
Morales had 18 points for the Lady Griz, but went just 6-for-19 from the field. Conway and Lohman both had 12 points, with Lohman adding a game-high 10 boards, her third career double-double.
Northern Arizona knocked higher-seeded Montana out of the Big Sky Conference tournament for the second straight season. In 2006, the No. 3 Lumberjacks upset the No. 2 Lady Griz in the semifinals at the tournament held at Pocatello, Idaho.
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