Monday, March 11
Boise, Idaho
5:30 PM
Montana
14-16
56
vs
64
Southern Utah
8-22
1
2
3
4
F
Southern Utah
20
13
17
14
64
Montana
11
12
19
14
56
Thunderbirds end Montana’s season
3/11/2019 10:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Southern Utah followed the March playbook (upset edition) to perfection on Monday night: get off to a fast start against a higher-seeded team to gain some momentum and then out-hustle your opponent to the final buzzer to maintain it.
The Thunderbirds raced out to a 20-9 lead in the first quarter and grabbed 24 offensive rebounds, the most given up this season by Montana, to knock off the Lady Griz 64-56 in the first round of the Big Sky Conference tournament at CenturyLink Arena in Boise.
"Obviously we got off to a tough start," said Montana coach Shannon Schweyen. "They were running every rebound down. That was the telling tale of the game, the offensive boards we gave up. Credit to them for being the aggressor."
That wasn't the only thing working in Southern Utah's favor. Montana had several players battling the flu, which depleted its already thin bench by one. Gabi Harrington was limited to 15 minutes, Emma Stockholm to 11, her night hindered by sickness and later ended when she hit her head on the floor.
Or: probably a fitting way for things to end for a team that was snakebit from the opening week of the season, when Madi Schoening developed a season-ending foot injury. And the hits just kept on coming.
Still, with all that, Montana trailed by just four midway through the fourth quarter.
"This team has had a lot of different things thrown at them. They just continued to respond in a way that made me very proud," said Schweyen.
"This was supposed to be a season when we were experienced and had some depth. Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way and we ended up being young again in a lot of ways."
Southern Utah wrapped up its regular-season schedule on Thursday, making the Thunderbirds the only team in the tournament field that did not have to play on Saturday before making its way to Boise.
That may have been the difference in the way that game opened. After Harrington scored the game's first points, Southern Utah scored the next 11 to grab a lead it would never give up.
Two of SUU's early baskets followed offensive rebounds. The Thunderbirds' 24 for the game were one more than Arizona grabbed against Montana in December. The Wildcats won that one by 49.
Beyond extra possessions and shots, the offensive rebounds, particularly in the second half, did another thing: they kept the clock rolling with the ball in the Thunderbirds' hands.
"They're a very athletic team, and they were the aggressor," said Jace Henderson, Montana's lone senior. "We needed to get a body on somebody and make it so it was a physical battle."
Montana responded to its slow start with a better second quarter, pulling within 23-19 on a jumper by Stockholm.
But Southern Utah's superb point guard, Rebecca Cardenas, who would finish with 18 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two steals, hit back-to-back threes 30 seconds apart to push the lead back to 10.
In the moments between her two threes, Stockholm attempted to do what she does best: draw a charge. The collision sent her backwards, with her head hitting the floor. Her night was done.
"That hurt our depth," said Schweyen, who was down to six healthy players after Stockholm was helped off the floor. "Emma's been playing great basketball for us. She's been taking charges and doing things on defense that some of our younger kids haven't quite gotten yet.
"A lot of our games this season went the way Emma went. If she was on the floor and playing well for us, we had success."
Montana actually outshot Southern Utah in the first half by percentage, but the Thunderbirds led 33-23 at the break because of 13 more shot attempts, thanks to 15 offensive rebounds in the first 20 minutes and the 11 second-chance points they led to.
Montana three times cut its deficit to five in the third quarter and pulled within 54-50 with 4:19 to play on Fatkin's free throw, but Breanu Reid, who had 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, had a strong finish in the paint on SUU's next possession, and the Lady Griz would not be that close again.
Needing some baskets to make a final push, Montana went 5 for 19 in the fourth quarter, 0 of 7 from 3-point range.
"The girls who played gave it their all," said Schweyen. "In the fourth quarter we were still right in that thing. I'm proud of the way we fought back and kept cutting it down. It shows the kind of grit this team has had all season."
Fatkin finished with a team-high 13, her best scoring game in more than a month. McKenzie Johnston had 12, becoming the 34th player in Lady Griz history to reach 1,000 career points, and added nine assists and three steals. It probably doesn't need to be said (it's just assumed): she played 40 minutes.
In her final game in a Lady Griz uniform, Henderson, who earlier in the day was named second-team All-Big Sky, had her 14th career double-double, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
"You couldn't ask for better senior leadership than what she gave this team. She's an incredible leader," said Schweyen, who never tires of telling Henderson' tale, of how she joined the team after one year playing volleyball at Montana and worked herself into an all-conference basketball player.
"She was the same person when she wasn't playing (early in her career) as she was when she played 40 minutes a game, and that says a lot about a person."
With Stockholm out the entire second half, that created an opportunity for freshman Kylie Frohlich, who was coming off an eight-point, five-rebound effort in just nine minutes in Saturday's home win over Sacramento State.
Playing 18 minutes in the second half, 25 for the game, Frohlich would finish with six points, six rebounds and two steals. Five of her rebounds came on the offensive end.
"That's one thing I know about Kylie. She's going to play her butt off and go get rebounds," said Schweyen. "That's her biggest asset, that she plays hard. She had great games to finish up the year. She ended the season on a bright note. That ought to fire her up for next season."
Ah yes, next season. Is it too early to start looking ahead? With what returns, with what will be coming back to full health from the end of the bench, with what's joining the program as freshmen?
Let the sting of this one linger. It will only make what's to come that much sweeter.
The Thunderbirds raced out to a 20-9 lead in the first quarter and grabbed 24 offensive rebounds, the most given up this season by Montana, to knock off the Lady Griz 64-56 in the first round of the Big Sky Conference tournament at CenturyLink Arena in Boise.
"Obviously we got off to a tough start," said Montana coach Shannon Schweyen. "They were running every rebound down. That was the telling tale of the game, the offensive boards we gave up. Credit to them for being the aggressor."
That wasn't the only thing working in Southern Utah's favor. Montana had several players battling the flu, which depleted its already thin bench by one. Gabi Harrington was limited to 15 minutes, Emma Stockholm to 11, her night hindered by sickness and later ended when she hit her head on the floor.
Or: probably a fitting way for things to end for a team that was snakebit from the opening week of the season, when Madi Schoening developed a season-ending foot injury. And the hits just kept on coming.
Still, with all that, Montana trailed by just four midway through the fourth quarter.
"This team has had a lot of different things thrown at them. They just continued to respond in a way that made me very proud," said Schweyen.
"This was supposed to be a season when we were experienced and had some depth. Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way and we ended up being young again in a lot of ways."
Southern Utah wrapped up its regular-season schedule on Thursday, making the Thunderbirds the only team in the tournament field that did not have to play on Saturday before making its way to Boise.
That may have been the difference in the way that game opened. After Harrington scored the game's first points, Southern Utah scored the next 11 to grab a lead it would never give up.
Two of SUU's early baskets followed offensive rebounds. The Thunderbirds' 24 for the game were one more than Arizona grabbed against Montana in December. The Wildcats won that one by 49.
Beyond extra possessions and shots, the offensive rebounds, particularly in the second half, did another thing: they kept the clock rolling with the ball in the Thunderbirds' hands.
"They're a very athletic team, and they were the aggressor," said Jace Henderson, Montana's lone senior. "We needed to get a body on somebody and make it so it was a physical battle."
Montana responded to its slow start with a better second quarter, pulling within 23-19 on a jumper by Stockholm.
But Southern Utah's superb point guard, Rebecca Cardenas, who would finish with 18 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two steals, hit back-to-back threes 30 seconds apart to push the lead back to 10.
In the moments between her two threes, Stockholm attempted to do what she does best: draw a charge. The collision sent her backwards, with her head hitting the floor. Her night was done.
"That hurt our depth," said Schweyen, who was down to six healthy players after Stockholm was helped off the floor. "Emma's been playing great basketball for us. She's been taking charges and doing things on defense that some of our younger kids haven't quite gotten yet.
"A lot of our games this season went the way Emma went. If she was on the floor and playing well for us, we had success."
Montana actually outshot Southern Utah in the first half by percentage, but the Thunderbirds led 33-23 at the break because of 13 more shot attempts, thanks to 15 offensive rebounds in the first 20 minutes and the 11 second-chance points they led to.
Montana three times cut its deficit to five in the third quarter and pulled within 54-50 with 4:19 to play on Fatkin's free throw, but Breanu Reid, who had 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, had a strong finish in the paint on SUU's next possession, and the Lady Griz would not be that close again.
Needing some baskets to make a final push, Montana went 5 for 19 in the fourth quarter, 0 of 7 from 3-point range.
"The girls who played gave it their all," said Schweyen. "In the fourth quarter we were still right in that thing. I'm proud of the way we fought back and kept cutting it down. It shows the kind of grit this team has had all season."
Fatkin finished with a team-high 13, her best scoring game in more than a month. McKenzie Johnston had 12, becoming the 34th player in Lady Griz history to reach 1,000 career points, and added nine assists and three steals. It probably doesn't need to be said (it's just assumed): she played 40 minutes.
In her final game in a Lady Griz uniform, Henderson, who earlier in the day was named second-team All-Big Sky, had her 14th career double-double, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
"You couldn't ask for better senior leadership than what she gave this team. She's an incredible leader," said Schweyen, who never tires of telling Henderson' tale, of how she joined the team after one year playing volleyball at Montana and worked herself into an all-conference basketball player.
"She was the same person when she wasn't playing (early in her career) as she was when she played 40 minutes a game, and that says a lot about a person."
With Stockholm out the entire second half, that created an opportunity for freshman Kylie Frohlich, who was coming off an eight-point, five-rebound effort in just nine minutes in Saturday's home win over Sacramento State.
Playing 18 minutes in the second half, 25 for the game, Frohlich would finish with six points, six rebounds and two steals. Five of her rebounds came on the offensive end.
"That's one thing I know about Kylie. She's going to play her butt off and go get rebounds," said Schweyen. "That's her biggest asset, that she plays hard. She had great games to finish up the year. She ended the season on a bright note. That ought to fire her up for next season."
Ah yes, next season. Is it too early to start looking ahead? With what returns, with what will be coming back to full health from the end of the bench, with what's joining the program as freshmen?
Let the sting of this one linger. It will only make what's to come that much sweeter.
Team Stats
SUU
UM
FG%
.364
.359
3FG%
.263
.200
FT%
.647
.538
RB
51
37
TO
13
11
STL
7
7
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
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