Montana
Samford
New season, familiar problem
11/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2011
Box score
The Montana women's basketball team shot 32.1 percent and dropped its season opener Friday afternoon to Samford at the Maggie Dixon Classic in Chicago, 59-45. The Lady Griz will face St. Mary's, which lost to No. 18 DePaul in Friday's second game 96-68, Saturday at 4 p.m. (MT) in the tournament's consolation game.
Montana shot 28.1 percent in the first half to fall behind by 15 at the break, 35-20. The Lady Griz outscored the Bulldogs in the second half but were not able to get closer than 11 points.
Samford used the 3-point shot and pressure defense to race out to an early lead. Paige Anderson knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, and the Bulldogs scored 12 of their first 16 points on the long ball.
Junior Kenzie De Boer pulled Montana within two, 8-6, with a jumper in the paint at the 16:14 mark. Over the next 11 minutes, the Lady Griz would make just 2 of 16 shots to fall behind by double figures.
The lead remained in double figures the rest of the game.
"Though we didn't turn it over in the first half, the pressure got to us. We just weren't running things very well," UM coach Robin Selvig said.
"Instead of being strong enough to run offense, we threw it up there, and it wasn't what it needed to be.
"They've got some nice shooters, and they shot with confidence in the first half."
The opening 20 minutes came down to shooting, because the Lady Griz were solid in other areas. They allowed four offensive rebounds and turned the ball over just five times against pressure but shot 9 for 32, 0 for 5 from 3-point range.
Behind 13 first-half points from Anderson, Samford shot 46.2 percent in the first half, hitting five of their 11 3-point attempts.
The Bulldogs scored two baskets in the paint early in the second half and held the Lady Griz scoreless the opening three and a half minutes to extend the lead to 19, 39-20, but that would be as large as it got.
Montana shot an improved 37.5 percent in the second half and held Samford to the same percentage.
A free throw by redshirt freshman Kellie Cole at the 11:15 mark and an inside basket by sophomore Jordan Sullivan at 9:57 cut the lead to 12. Both times Samford answered.
De Boer scored at 4:59 to cut the lead to 11, the closest the game had been since three and a half minutes remained in the first half, but a Taylor Reece 3-pointer on the Bulldogs' next possession ended any thoughts of a late comeback.
"We dug a hole, but I thought we hung in there," Selvig said. "I thought we did a better job as the game went on. We battled and made runs.
"It was encouraging in the second half that we played better offensively. We definitely played better defensively."
Hurting Montana's efforts at a comeback was the team's 0-for-12 performance from 3-point range. Samford finished 8 for 22 (.364).
The Lady Griz scored 30 points in the point and nine from the free throw line, meaning the team hit just three perimeter jump shots.
"We're not executing offensively, and we're not crisp," Selvig said. "There is a lot we can learn from this.
"We have a whole bunch of new kids out there, so I can't get too down on them."
Junior Katie Baker led Montana with 11 points but struggled through a 4-for-13 shooting effort. She added six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
No other starter finished in double figures.
Redshirt freshman Carly Selvig came off the bench to score 10 points, eight coming in the second half.
Junior Alyssa Smith led the team in both rebounding, with eight, and assists, with four, though she did not score in 25 minutes of action.
Anderson led four Samford starters in double figures with 16 points. She hit four 3-pointers and added five rebounds and five assists.
Jazmine Powers, a 5-4 guard, finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
