Bobcats outscore Lady Griz 92-78

Saturday, February 22

Bozeman, Mont.

2 PM

Montana

14-11, 9-7BSC

Montana State

19-6, 15-1BSC

Montana

Montana State

Photo by: Derek Johnson

2/22/2020 6:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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By: Montana Sports Information

Montana State hit a dozen 3-pointers and had six players in double figures as the Bobcats clinched at least a share of the Big Sky Conference regular-season championship with a 92-78 victory over Montana on Saturday afternoon at Worthington Arena in Bozeman.

It was the sixth straight win for Montana State (19-6, 15-1 BSC) in Bozeman over Montana (14-11, 9-7 BSC), which dropped into a tie for fifth in the league standings with surging Southern Utah with the loss.

Montana State scored 51 points in regulation in the Bobcats' 66-61 overtime victory over Montana in Missoula earlier this month, going 2 for 21 from 3-point range. Similar struggles were nowhere to be seen on Saturday.

The Bobcats hit eight 3-pointers in the first half and led by 21 points, 39-18, less than 15 minutes into the game.

"We knew they would probably shoot it better here at home. They got off to a good start and made it tough to stay in the zone," said Lady Griz coach Shannon Schweyen.

"And then they are a challenge in man just because of their transition. They are a handful to try to contain."

Tori Martell came off the bench and went 4 for 5 from the arc in the first half, with Oliana Squires connecting twice.

"They got to feeling it a little bit. They were knocking down threes, and that was big for them. And it was multiple kids. I didn't think we contested shots well in the first half," said Schweyen.

The lead reached 23 points, 46-23, when Madeline Smith scored twice in a row late in the second quarter. At that point Montana was just 8 for 30.

"We never really had any back-to-back baskets in the first half," said Schweyen. "It was tough to get anything going. We weren't getting stops, then offensively we weren't really connecting."

Montana made an important counter-punch late in the first half, scoring the final eight points of the second quarter to make it 46-31 at the break.

Gabi Harrington hit a 3-pointer, Taylor Goligoski scored on a scoop shot in transition and Madi Schoening hit a 3-pointer in the final minute.

It wasn't a full comeback, but it was something positive to take into the break.

"I liked our little run before half," said Schweyen. "I thought we showed some fight. We kept battling and went to the locker room feeling like we're much better than we executed."

Montana continued chipping away at the lead throughout the third quarter and had the ball down 13, 58-45, with three minutes left when the Lady Griz missed a short shot off a back-door cut.

The miss was compounded when Squires hit a triple at the other end, and Montana would never be as close again.

"You never know what can happen (if we make that)," said Schweyen. "But we were also very aware that if we were going to crawl back in it, we were going to have to stop them. That's easier said than done."

Montana shot 48.5 percent in the second half and outscored Montana State over the final 20 minutes but only by one despite its improved shooting.

Any rally was going to have to start on the defensive end, and the Bobcats averaged more than 1.25 points per possession, the most the Lady Griz have allowed this season since facing South Dakota.

"If we ever want a chance to beat a good team, you have to be able to get some stops," said Schweyen. "I felt like our girls fought. We kept battling, but getting a stop on them was tough to do.

"And offensively we just never got in a flow. It was hard to get back-to-back baskets. We could never put any scoring runs together."

Emma Stockholm led Montana with 16 points, 10 of which came in the second half, but she and Abby Anderson struggled against the physical play of Montana State's interior players.

Stockholm and Anderson, fronted defensively in Missoula but played behind in Bozeman, went 8 for 24.

"They were playing behind us down there, and you have to make them pay. You make some post shots and it becomes a different game," said Schweyen. "We got lots of good looks in the paint."

McKenzie Johnston added 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists but went just 5 for 17. Schoening and Harrington both scored 11 on 8-of-11 shooting.

Fallyn Freije led both teams with 18 points and eight rebounds. Squires, Martell, Darian White and Blaire Braxton all scored 15.

Montana will host Northern Arizona (15-11, 12-5 BSC) on Thursday at 7 p.m., Sacramento State (8-18, 6-11 BSC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday on Senior Day.