Lady Griz to host first-place Bengals

The Montana women's basketball team, winner of five straight games, the longest streak for the program since the 2015-16 season, will host first-place Idaho State for two games this week at Dahlberg Arena.

The Lady Griz (12-7, 9-5 BSC) and Bengals (16-3, 12-2 BSC) will tip off at 7 p.m. on Thursday and at noon on Saturday.

The two contests will be the final home games of the season for Montana, which closes the regular season next week at Idaho before traveling to Boise for the Big Sky Conference tournament.

Saturday will also serve as Senior Day, whatever that looks like in a nearly empty facility, for the team's lone senior, Madi Schoening.

At a glance (Montana): While not yet approaching red-hot status, the Lady Griz are on a nice roll, having won five straight, three of those on the road. It's the longest winning streak for the program since the 2015-16 team, coached by Robin Selvig in his final season, won seven straight late in the year.

Montana got to this point by defeating Portland State in the second of a two-game series, then sweeping still-winless Weber State on the road and getting past Eastern Washington in a home-and-home series last week, winning by 12 in Missoula on Thursday and by three in Cheney on Saturday.

That leaves the Lady Griz sitting in fourth place in the Big Sky standings, when finishing in the top five means a first-round bye in Boise in two weeks.

The good news for Montana, no matter how tough the closing stretch is and no matter how many teams are chasing it, is that those teams directly behind the Lady Griz in the standings have head-to-head meetings coming up, which means volatility.

Southern Utah and Northern Arizona play this week, as do Northern Colorado and Portland State. Next week Portland State and Southern Utah meet up.

At a glance (Idaho State): The Bengals, with five returning starters from last year's team that finished third in the Big Sky, were picked second in the preseason polls behind Idaho and have backed it up since the first month of the season, when they won at Kansas State in early December.

They've mostly been rolling along ever since.

The team's 16-3 start is the best in program history and the best start in the Big Sky since Montana opened 16-3 in 2008-09 on its way to both regular-season and tournament championships.

Idaho State is attempting to win its first regular-season title since the 2011-12 Bengal team went 14-2 and won the league by three games. ISU tied for second two years ago and finished third last season.

Idaho State's three losses have come at Nebraska, a game it led at the half, at Idaho, a game it led by 10 at the half, and on Saturday at Montana State, 88-80 in overtime.

Up three with six seconds left in regulation, the Bengals had two free throws. One make would have likely iced the game but they missed both. That opened the door for Tori Martell to hit a 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime, and the Bobcats weren't going to lose after that turn of events.

That came two days after ISU defeated Montana State 69-59 in Pocatello, a game Montana State never held a lead.

The previous weekend, Idaho State split on the road at Idaho, winning a tight one, 63-58, and falling 73-56 despite being up 40-30 at the half. The second-half damage: Vandals 43, Bengals 16.

That leaves Idaho State still atop the Big Sky standings at 12-2 but in a tighter race than it would have been had the Bengals come through with a win on Saturday in Bozeman.

Idaho is a game back at 13-3, Montana State sits at 11-3. Those two teams play this week in Bozeman.

Idaho State closes the season hosting Eastern Washington next week, while Idaho hosts Montana and Montana State finishes with two at Sacramento State.

Game notes:

* Montana leads the all-time series with Idaho State 72-14, a record aided by the Lady Griz winning 37 consecutive games over the Bengals between 1983 and 2000.

* More recently it's been trending in Idaho State's favor. The Bengals swept the series last year and have won five of the last six and six of the last eight.

* Of Idaho State's 14 wins over Montana, current ISU coach Seton Sobolewski has accounted for eight of them.

* Montana has gone 41-3 against Idaho State in Missoula. The Bengals' lone wins at Dahlberg Arena came in 2000-01, 67-62, in 2011-12, 58-51, and last year, 67-53. The first two wins came in seasons ISU won the regular-season Big Sky title.

* In last year's game in Missoula, the Lady Griz led 34-33 at the half but went just 4 for 23 in the second half and got outscored by 10 in the fourth quarter to fall 67-53.

* In the rematch in Pocatello, the game was tied 45-45 entering the fourth quarter, but Montana had no answer for Dora Goles, who scored 15 of her 36 points in the final period as the Bengals pulled away for a 72-59 victory.

* Goles's 36 points tied for the sixth-most points ever scored against Montana, four off the 40 scored by Northern Colorado's Savannah Smith in 2018-19 and Wake Forest's Dearica Hamby in 2013-14.

* Sobolewski is 8-18 in his career against Montana. He went 2-16 against the Lady Griz while Robin Selvig was the coach. He is 6-2 since.

* Fun fact: In 86 games, Montana and Idaho State have never gone to overtime.

* Though Idaho State is 16-3 and atop the Big Sky standings, it's Montana State that is the league's top team according to the computers. Montana State sits at No. 99 in this week's NCAA Evaluation Tool rankings, which will determine tournament makeup and seeding.

Idaho State is second at 120, Idaho third at 149, Northern Arizona fourth at 174 and Southern Utah fifth at 193.

Montana ranks seventh at 207, behind Northern Colorado. While five-game winning streaks are sweet, the computer is skeptical. It knows the average NET ranking of those five opponents is 289. The computer needs to see more.

Summary:

If everything to this point of the season has been prep work, for a first-year head coach and a team with more newcomers than returners, then the next two weeks are this Montana's team's true tests to see how the Lady Griz stack up against two teams that are 25-5 in league. Boise will provide the final exam.

"I think about being an educator and teaching. You always have your practice tests before the final. You couldn't get a bigger practice test than what we're going to see this weekend," said coach Mike Petrino.

"This is a great challenge for us. We get to see who we are against the teams that are atop the league."

Sobolewski's teams have always been difficult to defeat because of how hard they play and how physical they are. This year's team is off to a 16-3 start because it has those qualities and has the added bonus of being experienced.

Six of the team's top seven scorers are upperclassmen. Goles leads the team in scoring at 13.4. Estefania Ors, who feels like she's been in Pocatello as long as Sobolewski's been there, averages 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds, Callie Bourne 9.3 points and 8.7 rebounds, which ranks third in the Big Sky.

Ors ranks ninth in ISU history with 1,276 career points.

It's a makeup -- veteran players, with younger players waiting for their chance when the time comes -- that resembles the blueprint used by Montana teams that for decades dominated its leagues under Selvig.

"They are experienced and efficient. That's the way I'd describe them. They are a very experienced team, with a lot of players who have played a lot of college games together," said Petrino.

"They are efficient on both offense and defense. They don't hurt themselves. They make you beat them. They don't beat themselves."

If some teams are successful because of certain strengths, Idaho State is an outlier. The Bengals are rock solid across the statistical board.

They average 71.2 points on Big Sky-leading 43.4 percent shooting. They also lead the league in field goal percentage defense (.434) and scoring defense (61.2/g).

They out-rebound their opponents by 4.2 rebounds per game and are one of three Big Sky teams with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio for the season.

And then there is that added quality.

"They are the toughest team in the league," said Petrino. "They are a physical, hard-nosed team, and they are playing really well."

There will be some intriguing numbers to watch. Since allowing Utah State to shoot 48.5 percent in its opener, Montana has held 17 of its last 18 opponents to a shooting percentage less than 40 percent.

Idaho State comes in shooting 43.4 percent, with four games at 50 percent or better.

While Montana is just under 40 percent shooting for the season (.398), it's a number that is going down by the game.

Since shooting 50 percent or better in three straight games in mid-January -- two against Northern Arizona, one against Sacramento State -- Montana has shot better than 40 percent just once in its last nine games.

Another key to watch: how Montana handles the ball against a good defensive team. Among the Big Three, Montana has only faced Montana State to date. The Lady Griz turned it over 39 times in two games against the Bobcats while shooting 33.3 percent.

Both games were losses by double digits, a combined 34 points.

"We have to be consistent in how we take care of the ball for sure," said Petrino. "What separates them from other teams is the physical toughness part. They just have a great presence about themselves.

"We need to take good care of the ball and make good decisions. We have to get good shots and finish those shots. Then we have to do everything we can to make them take less-efficient shots than they've taken all year, which is easier said than done."

Beyond having five starters back from last year's team, Idaho State had a key offseason acquisition. Sobolewski added former North Dakota coach Travis Brewster, a two-time Big Sky Coach of the Year, to his staff.

That's in addition to retaining for another year associate head coach Ryan Johnson, who is a mid-major head coach in waiting.

(Make of this what you want: North Dakota let go of Brewster after the Fighting Hawks went 15-15 in 2019-20. UND just put the finishing touches on a 2-19 record. And Brewster is doing just fine.)

"When I say Idaho State is experienced, I say not only their players but their coaching staff. They have years of experience. Counting Seton, they have three qualified college head coaches on that bench," said Petrino.

Montana notes:

* The Lady Griz are 6-2 at home this season, with losses to Montana State by 10 and to Portland State by one, a game they led led for more than 36 minutes. Montana is now 555-86 (.866) all-time inside Dahlberg Arena.

* It's good news that the games are not being played in Pocatello. Idaho State is 10-0 at home this season, and Montana has not won in Reed Gym since the 2014-15 season.

* Saturday will be Senior Day for Madi Schoening. The Sandpoint, Idaho, native has played in 105 games, getting 95 starts. She has collected 764 points (7.3/g) and 499 rebounds (4.8/g).

* When Schoening grabs her first rebound on Thursday, she will reach 500 career boards and become the 36th Lady Griz player since 1980-81 to reach that milestone.

* Montana has won its last two road games despite trailing in the fourth quarter in both. The Lady Griz trailed Weber State 57-56 with two minutes to go in a 58-57 win and trailed Eastern Washington 45-43 going into the fourth quarter on Saturday before rallying to win 65-62.

* Montana improved to 6-5 in road games with Saturday's win. The Lady Griz finished above .500 on the road just one time in the previous five seasons and won just 10 road games over the four seasons between 2015-16 and 2018-19.

* Abby Anderson blocked four shots in two games last week against Eastern Washington to up her career total to 138, moving her past Tamara Guardipee (2005-09) and into seventh on the Montana career list. Next up: Katie Baker (2009-13), who blocked 157 shots.

* Anderson continues to lead the Big Sky in blocked shots (2.5/g). She ranks 23rd nationally. She has blocked two or more shots in nine of the last 10 games. ... Montana leads the Big Sky at 5.2/game.

* In two tight games last week against Eastern Washington, Montana got the sweep partly because of its work at the free throw line. The Lady Griz went 36 for 44 (.818).

* Montana ranks second in the Big Sky at .776 for the season, 16th nationally. ... Sophia Stiles ranks second in the Big Sky in free throw percentage (.859), Carmen Gfeller third (.847).

* The Lady Griz rank 22nd nationally in blocked shots (5.2/g), 29th in field goal percentage defense (.361).

* Abby Anderson had 16 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's win at Eastern Washington. It was her third double-double in the last seven games, the fourth of her career.

* Anderson has scored in double figures 11 of the last 12 games. Her 20-point game in Thursday's win was the third time in her career scoring 20 or more points.

* Anderson went 12 for 14 from the line on Thursday. Both makes and attempts were new career highs.

* It was the most attempts since McKenzie Johnston took 16 free throws against Southern Utah in 2016-17, the most makes since Kayleigh Valley connected on 15 (of 16) attempts against Northern Colorado in 2015-16.

* Sophia Stiles has reached double figures in scoring four consecutive games for the first time in her career.

* Stiles' five steals on Saturday matched a career high. She is tied for third in the Big Sky with Idaho State's Diaba Konate at 2.2/game.

* Carmen Gfeller, the Big Sky's top shooter, went 6 for 24 in two games against Weber State and the opener against Eastern Washington, with 16 points scored. She bounced back with a 5-for-12 effort on Saturday and 14 points, going 2 for 2 from the arc.

* Gfeller continues to lead the league in field goal percentage (.520) and ranks 46th nationally. She now ranks seventh in the Big Sky in scoring (14.2/g).

* Montana won on Saturday despite shooting 32.3 percent. Remarkably, the Lady Griz are 5-1 this season when shooting less than 35 percent, which is a better record than they have when shooting better than 40 percent (5-2).

* Saturday's win was just the fourth time this season that Montana has not out-shot its opponent. The Eagles shot 36.2 percent, the Lady Griz 32.3 percent.

* Abby Anderson's 13 rebounds on Saturday were the most by a Lady Griz player this season and the most for a Montana player since Emma Stockholm's 14 against Sacramento State last February.

* Anderson is averaging 9.4 rebounds the last eight games.

* Madi Schoening's 10-point, 10-rebound double-double on Thursday was her first of the season, the fourth of her career.

* Sophia Stiles went 3 for 7 from 3-point range in two games against Eastern Washington, including two big ones in the second half on Saturday. She had been 5 for 32 from the arc entering the EWU series.

* Nyah Morris-Nelson from 3-point range the last eight games: 6 for 12.

* Kyndall Keller went 2 for 2 from the line in Thursday's win over Eastern Washington. She is now 26 for 28 (.929) from the line this season. (She does not have enough attempts to show up in either the Big Sky or national rankings.)

* In eight home games this season, Montana has shot 40.8 percent while limiting its opponents to 34.7 percent shooting. The scoring differential at Dahlberg Arena: +9.0; the rebounding margin: +8.8.

* Over the last four games, Montana has gone just 18 for 65 (.277) from 3-point range.

* Montana's +17 rebounding margin on Saturday was its best of the season, topping the +16 it had in its road win at Northern Arizona and the +15 it had in its home win over College of Idaho.

* Montana's 10 steals on Saturday matched the Lady Griz' season high for steals against a Division I opponent. Montana had 18 against College of Idaho.

* Montana has had more points in the paint than its last seven opponents and in 16 of 19 games this season.

Around the Big Sky Conference:

* The picture for Boise should begin to clear up this week, though there is always the chance it gets even more muddled, particularly at the top and at the top-five cut line.

* Southern Utah has now played seven league games. It needs to reach 10 to qualify for a tournament seeding. As it now stands, the Thunderbirds would be the No. 5 seed and get a bye. If they don't reach 10 games played, they'll drop to the No. 11 seed.

* If the regular season concluded today (and assuming Southern Utah got a seed), No. 4 Montana would play No. 5 SUU in the quarterfinals. The two teams did not play during the regular season. The teams played in Boise two years ago, with the Thunderbirds winning 64-56 in the first round.

* The Big Sky standings and remaining games for each team:

ISU (12-2 BSC) -- at UM, EWU
UI (13-3) -- at MSU, UM
MSU (11-3) -- UI, at SAC
UM (9-5) -- ISU, at UI
SUU (4-3) -- at NAU/NAU, PSU
UNC (8-7) -- at PSU, WSU
NAU (9-9) -- SUU/at SUU, off
PSU (6-8) -- UNC, at SUU
EWU (5-11) -- Off, at ISU
SAC (2-14) -- at WSU, MSU
WSU (0-14) -- SAC, at UNC

Thursday's games: ISU at UM, UI at MSU, SAC at WSU, SUU at NAU, UNC at PSU

Saturday's games: ISU at UM, UI at MSU, SAC at WSU, NAU at SUU, UNC at PSU

Upcoming: Montana will conclude the regular season next week at Idaho. With the Big Sky tournament opening in Boise on Monday, March 8, league games next week will be played on Wednesday and Friday. Both of the Montana-Idaho games will tip off at 7 p.m. (MT).

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Players Mentioned

Abby Anderson

Carmen Gfeller

McKenzie Johnston

Kyndall Keller

Nyah Morris-Nelson

Madi Schoening

Sophia Stiles

Emma Stockholm

Kayleigh Valley

University of Montana Athletics