Hornets pull the upset, end Montana’s season

Monday, March 8

Boise, Idaho

8 PM

Montana

12-11

Sacramento State

3-21

Sacramento State

Montana

Photos: Big Sky Conference

3/8/2021 11:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana women's basketball team led by 10 in the first half and 30-27 at the break, but Sacramento State rallied over the final 20 minutes for an upset win in the first round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise on Monday night.

The No. 11 Hornets, who won for just the third time this season, knocked off the No. 6 Lady Griz 65-58, after Montana went cold and shot just 9 for 35 (.257) in the second half, 2 for 17 from the 3-point line.

"They made more shots than we did. They made more plays. The ball has to go in the basket," said coach Mike Petrino.

It marked the first time in the six years that the Big Sky has had an all-in tournament that the lowest-seeded team has won a first-round game.

It was also the third time in the three years the tournament has been in Boise that Montana has lost its opening game, all as the higher seed.

"We all said in the locker room, we're tired of this defeating feeling in the Boise locker room we've had the last couple of years," said Abby Anderson, who had 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

Sophia Stiles had 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal, Carmen Gfeller added 11 points and seven boards.

The rest of the team was just 5 for 37 for 16 points.

"The last few weeks we've been searching for that fourth scorer. We just didn't break through there," said Petrino. "We had a rough shooting night, but the effort was there."

Sacramento State allowed more than 76 points per game during the regular season, when the Hornets went 2-21.

And Montana looked like it was going to be the next team to post something similar, shooting 8 for 20 in the first 10 minutes and grabbing a 19-12 lead after the first quarter.

Carmen Gfeller hit a 3-pointer early in the second quarter to make it 24-14. That was the last time Montana would be in control.

"I thought we started out the game really well. The kids did a good job of executing and finishing plays," said Petrino.

Sacramento State would close the first half strong and outscore Montana 38-28 in the second half.

The Hornets were just 1 for 10 from the 3-point line in the third and fourth quarters but got into the paint time and time again. They were 11 for 18 from inside the arc in the second half.

"Give Sac State credit. Their kids played hard," said Petrino.

Sacramento State built a 41-37 lead and had three attempts from the 3-point line that could have extended its advantage but missed on all three.

Gfeller, Stiles and Anderson all scored as Montana fought back and went up 45-44 after three quarters.

Anderson twice put her team up three early in the fourth quarter, which is when the game-deciding scoring drought occurred.

Montana went from leading 49-46 to trailing 57-49.

The Lady Griz would be stuck on 49 points from the 8:27 mark until a Madi Schoening 3-pointer with 1:47 left made it 57-52, a span of more than six and a half minutes when Montana went 0 for 7 with four turnovers.

Stiles would make it a four-point game, 62-58, with a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left, but that's as close as Montana would come.

The Lady Griz were 2 for 27 from the 3-point line before the late makes by Schoening and Stiles.

At the end, Montana had fewer points on the scoreboard than any team Sacramento State faced this season.

"There are possessions you want back, but a lot of the shots we took were good shots," said Petrino, whose team finished at 29.9 percent.

Sacramento State went 7 for 13 in the fourth quarter and finished at 37.1 percent for the game.

The Hornets got just one point from their bench players, but all five starters finished in double figures, led by Summer Menke's 18.

The loss puts an end to the most unusual and trying year in Lady Griz history. And Montana was not alone in playing a season during a pandemic.

"This has been a challenging year," said Petrino. "I'm really proud of how hard they competed and worked all season. I'm proud of these guys and love coaching them."