Lady Griz pull away from Yellowjackets

Friday, December 20

Missoula, Mont.

7 PM

Montana

5-4

MSU Billings

Montana

12/20/2019 10:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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By: Montana Sports Information

Sophia Stiles' absence was Madi Schoening's gain on Friday night as Montana pulled away in the second half for a 70-53 victory over MSU Billings at Dahlberg Arena in the Lady Griz' final nonconference game.

With Stiles out with strep throat, Schoening played her first significant minutes -- 26:33 to be exact -- in more than a year and was one of five Montana players in double figures, finishing with 11 points.

The last time Schoening, who didn't play beyond the team's opener last season and had played just 30 minutes this year, was in double figures came in a road game at Weber State in February 2018.

In Schoening fashion, she got to the line eight times, where she was perfect, and hit her first 3-pointer of the season.

"I was happy to see Madi get out there and get some points on the board," said Lady Griz coach Shannon Schweyen. "She was obviously going to get a lot of minutes, and that's what she needs.

"People forget how long it's been since she actually played. It's very important for her to get back in the groove a little bit."

With Stiles sidelined, Montana went just eight deep, and five of those players stepped up with 10 or more points.

McKenzie Johnston led the way with 13 and added five rebounds and five steals. Schoening and Emma Stockholm both had 11, with Taylor Goligoski and Abby Anderson adding 10.

"The big question on everyone's mind was, Where's Sophie?" said Schweyen. "Without her, everybody was going to be getting a lot of minutes. It was a great team effort."

Montana (5-4) appeared ready to bury the Yellowjackets, who were counting the game as an exhibition, early on.

The Lady Griz led 20-9 after the first quarter and by 14 midway through the second, but a 25-11 lead turned into a 27-25 deficit in a matter of three minutes late in the second period.

Taylor Cunningham hit three 3-pointers, and Jeanann Lemelin added five points during MSU Billings' 16-0 run that gave the Yellowjackets what would be their only lead of the game.

Schoening ended the run with a triple of her own to make it 28-27, and Anderson and Stockholm both scored inside in the final minute of the first half to send Montana to the break with a 32-27 lead.

"Had we shot a little better in the first quarter, we would have been in a little better position, but credit to them for making a run like that," said Schweyen.

"We made a little adjustment on D. We were hedging and they were rolling and replacing behind it a little bit. We quit doing that, and that seemed to contain their threes a little bit better."

Montana had just five turnovers in the first half while forcing 11, but the Lady Griz shot 37.5 percent, which allowed MSU Billings to hang in with the 3-point shot.

"We talked at halftime. Slow down. Shoot the ball. They are not big shot-blockers. Take your time. I thought we did a better job of that in the second half," said Schweyen.

"I like the way our girls came out and really tried to put them away at the start of the second half."

After the Yellowjackets scored the opening points of the third quarter, Montana scored seven straight points to gain some separation. The lead was 16 by the end of the quarter, 51-35.

The lead hung between 14 and 19 points the entire fourth quarter.

MSU Billings was led by Taryn Shelley, the 6-foot-3 forward who began her career at Washington State. She scored a game-high 15 points and added eight rebounds.

"She's a nice post player, a big body down there. She takes her time in the post," said Schweyen. "We were switching on some screens and she was getting rolls down to the hoop. She hurt us in the paint."

Montana won't play again until opening its Big Sky Conference schedule at Northern Arizona on Saturday, Dec. 28.

"It's always a challenge starting out on the road," said Schweyen, whose team will continue its league-opening road trip at Sacramento State on Dec. 30. "We'll find out what we're made of."