Lady Griz drop 70-60 decision at home

Saturday, January 30

Missoula, Mont.

Noon

Montana

7-6, 4-4BSC

Montana State

9-5, 6-2BSC

Montana State

Montana

1/30/2021 4:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

The result was the same, but the postgame feel was completely different.

Two days after getting roughed up at Bozeman and losing to Montana State 70-46, the Montana women's basketball team responded with a spirited, competitive effort on Saturday, falling 70-60 to the Bobcats at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula.

"We hurt Thursday night. Nobody was happy with the effort," said first-year coach Mike Petrino. "We took that over to Friday and we showed up today and demonstrated that. I'm proud of the response.

"How we responded was both player- and coach-led. There was total investment about being better today. I'm proud of them for doing that."

Thursday's loss, at least the 24-point margin, was somewhat self-inflicted. The Lady Griz turned the ball over 23 times and went 11 for 22 from the line.

Both were improved on Saturday, particularly the latter. Montana was a that's-more-like-it 23 for 25.

What cost the Lady Griz this time was a hot start by Montana State -- the Bobcats led 13-2 four minutes in -- and an inability to keep MSU off the offensive boards.

Montana State finished with 17 and turned those into 17 critical second-chance points. The Lady Griz held the Bobcats to 35.6 percent shooting, but those extra touches led to a dozen more shot attempts in the game.

Beyond the numbers, there is the frustration of defending well, then having to do it all over again because of an extended possession.

"The effort was awesome today, but it's not just about effort," said Petrino. "The glaring stat is offensive rebounds.

"When you give up that many second-chance points, it breaks you down on defense and breaks you down mentally. We just needed more rebounds."

Montana never led in the game, because some Bobcats who are not known for their 3-point shooting imprinted the game with their touch from long range.

Darian White had made just six all season but scored the game's opening points with a triple. Taylor Janssen, who played two minutes on Thursday and was 6 for 30 from the arc entering the game, went a perfect 2 for 2 from distance in the second quarter.

Ashley Van Sickle hit just her fourth of the season, one of the key shots in the game, when she connected with 4:21 left in the fourth quarter after Montana had trimmed its deficit to five, 55-50.

It came, naturally, after Montana State had grabbed its own missed shot.

"We just couldn't put together consecutive scoring runs," said Petrino. "We'd have a run, then we'd give up an offensive rebound that kept their run going. That killed us.

"If we take away those rebounds and second-chance points, we give ourselves a much better chance."

After White and Gabby Mocchi opened the game with back-to-back threes, which gave Montana State the feeling that Saturday was going to be Thursday night all over again, the Bobcats kept after it.

White scored again, then Tori Martell connected from deep, followed by a jumper by Lexi Deden. Five baskets coming off four assists. MSU led 13-2 less than four minutes in.

"That start was big for them. They started hot from three. We took that first punch and never could quite recover from it," said Petrino.

But the Lady Griz did something they failed to do on Thursday. They fought back. "I thought our kids competed their tails off after that."

The paint has been Montana's preferred location for much of the season, scoring a bulk of its points inside on Abby Anderson spin moves, Carmen Gfeller short jumpers and Sophia Stiles rushes to the rim.

Only 18 points came there on Thursday. On Saturday the Lady Griz reestablished their turf.

Carmen Gfeller scored 22 points, her sixth game this season of 20 or more, and Abby Anderson had 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks for her second career double-double.

That came after those two were limited to just 18 points between them on Thursday. "Our team did a better job of getting the ball to them," said Petrino.

"We played more aggressive than we did on Thursday and took better care of the ball. Because of it, we got better shots."

Trailing 19-11 after one, Montana fell behind by 13 early in the second quarter, 28-15, after 3-pointers from Janssen and Martell.

That's when the Lady Griz answered with a 7-0 run that cut the lead to six. It was an important moment. When the game could have gotten away from them, they stood their ground.

"I thought we played a game more similar to what we've been playing all year," said Petrino. "We competed and we finished more plays than we did on Thursday."

Montana trailed 39-30 at the half, 46-39 late in the third when Gfeller finished through contact. Her and-one free throw made it 46-42.

It was one of the moments when the empty gym was most noticeable. In a normal setting, Montana's fans would have sensed the moment and made an impact.

Instead Montana State calmly and collectedly scored the final five points of the period to reassert itself.

Gfeller would make it a five-point game, 55-50, with a short jumper at the 4:43 mark of the fourth quarter. That's when Van Sickle stepped up and hit her monster three.

Martell, showing she's more than a spot-up shooter, finished a drive to the basket over Anderson for a three-point play with 3:49 left that extended the lead back to 11, 61-50.

"We had more energy today. The problem was we didn't get any stops," said Petrino. "When you spend so much energy on defense, then give up a rebound only to have to play more defense, that's just too hard."

Five is as close as Montana would get down the stretch as Montana State went 7 for 8 from the line in the final minute. The Bobcats were 19 for 23 for the game.

Montana State held a lead in the two games for more than 71 of the games' 80 minutes.

"Give Montana State credit, they are playing their best basketball. They are a really good team. I have all the respect in the world for those guys, for (coach Tricia Binford) for what she does," said Petrino.

"We're disappointed in the result, but I think that kind of effort will put us in position to win more games than we lose."

White led Montana State with 19 points, going 12 for 14 from the line. Martell added 10, Janssen, who averages 4.5 points, scored 11 off the bench on 4-of-4 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Stiles had 10 points and went 8 for 8 from the line. She is now 44 for 49 (.898) on the season. Kylie Frohlich grabbed six rebounds in 11 minutes off the bench.

Montana (7-6, 4-4 BSC) will host Portland State (5-6, 3-5 BSC) on Thursday and Saturday.