Bobcats take the opener

Thursday, January 28

Bozeman, Mont.

5 PM

Montana

7-5, 4-3BSC

Montana State

8-5, 5-2BSC

Montana

Montana State

Photos: Garrett Becker (MSU Athletics)

1/28/2021 8:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

Montana State won the opener of a two-game series against Montana, defeating the Lady Griz 70-46 on Thursday night at Worthington Arena in Bozeman.

The two teams will play again at noon on Saturday in Missoula.

The numbers were never there for Montana. The Lady Griz shot 30.6 percent and turned the ball over 23 times.

"Credit to Montana State. They played aggressive and played together," said UM coach Mike Petrino. "We have to be better. When you have more turnovers than baskets, there is no sugarcoating it.

"It was a combination of not shooting it well and not taking care of the ball. We also broke down defensively multiple times, so it was just a rough night."

It was Montana's seventh consecutive loss to the Bobcats in Bozeman and the fewest points scored by the Lady Griz against their in-state rival since 1975.

"We have to be more efficient on offense. That starts with taking care of the ball. Then we have to finish plays," said Petrino, whose team led 10-9 after the first quarter but got outscored 40-18 over the next two.

"Once the turnovers started, we just didn't do a good job with them. That resulted in a lot of points for them."

It was perhaps a harbinger of things to come when Montana got to the basket on its second possession of the game and missed an uncontested, close-range shot.

Those short misses happened again and again in the opening minutes.

"I thought our start was fine. We got good shots. I counted four shots in the paint in the first five minutes. They were all good shots, shots that we can make," said Petrino.

Fortunately Montana State looked just as jittery early on. The teams were 2 for 20 six minutes in.

"Both teams were nervous," added Petrino. "There was a lot of hype for this game, a lot of people playing in it for the first time. Both teams had those nerves to begin with."

The Bobcats overcame theirs first. Montana led 10-9 after the opening quarter. It would be the Lady Griz' final lead of the game.

Montana had eight turnovers in the second quarter alone, and that allowed the Bobcats to build a 10-point halftime lead, 30-20.

"We knew they were going to put pressure on us in the half-court," said Petrino, whose team trailed by 10 at the break despite holding Montana State to 28.6 percent first-half shooting.

"We held them to the shots we wanted to. You just can't turn the ball over that many times."

That wasn't entirely true.

Tori Martell, MSU's top threat from the arc, hit a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the first half and opened the second half with another just nine seconds in.

She would go 4 for 5 from the arc and finish with a game-high 18 points. Darian White added 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

"You can't lose people who you know are their scorers," said Petrino. "We've got to do a better job of making sure we're ready to go."

Montana State used a 10-0 run in the third quarter to build a 46-24 lead.

Trailing 51-28 early in the fourth, the Lady Griz had their best sequence of the game, scoring on three straight possessions.

Sophia Stiles hit a 3-pointer, and Abby Anderson, who scored a team-high 10 points and added three blocks, had back-to-back baskets.

"That was probably our best stretch where we actually finished plays," said Petrino, whose team missed nine free throws in the fourth quarter and finished an uncharacteristic 11 for 22 for the game.

"I know our kids. I know they're competitors. I have confidence that we're going to respond. We'll make some adjustments and be ready to go on Saturday."