Gfeller voted Preseason All-Big Sky Conference

Montana redshirt senior Carmen Gfeller was named to the seven-player Preseason All-Big Sky Conference Team on Thursday.

Gfeller, voted Preseason All-Big Sky last season as well, was a three-time player of the week in 2021-22 and named first-team all-league after averaging 13.9 points on 51.4 percent shooting and 6.7 rebounds.

Montana State's Darian White and Idaho's Beyonce Bea, who joined Gfeller on the five-player first team last season, were unanimous Preseason All-Big Sky selections. White was voted the preseason MVP.

Bea (15.7/g) and White (15.6/g) ranked second and third in the Big Sky in scoring last season. Bea ranked fourth in rebounding (8.6/g), White was first in steals (2.5/g), third in assists (4.2/g).

The rest of the Preseason All-Big Sky team was made up of players who were either second- or third-team All-Big Sky last season.

Sacramento State's Isnelle Natabou averaged a double-double last season – 14.4 points, 11.0 rebounds – while leading the league in shooting (.636).

Last season's Big Sky Newcomer of the Year after joining the Hornets from Iowa Western, Natabou ranked fourth nationally in field goal percentage, 18th in rebounds.

Natabou was a second-team All-Big Sky selection last season, as were Northern Colorado's Hannah Simental and Weber State's Daryn Hickok, who both made the Preseason All-Big Sky team.

Simental, the younger sister of Montana Director of Operations Haley Simental, led the Big Sky last season with 71 3-pointers. Hickok ranked fourth in scoring (15.2/g), eighth in rebounding (7.2/g).

Rounding out the seven-player Preseason All-Big Sky team was Montana State's Kola Bad Bear, a third-team All-Big Sky selection last winter.

Gfeller, who ranked eighth in the Big Sky last season in scoring, 12th in rebounding and fifth in free throw percentage (.826), is one of three returning starters for Montana.

The Lady Griz were picked second in the Big Sky preseason polls that were announced on Wednesday.

Gfeller started all 30 games last season and scored 10 or more points in all but six of them.

Her signature performance came in Montana's 71-57 home win over Montana State, when a crowd of 4,059 watched her score 34 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-7 from the arc.

It was a career high for Gfeller and the second-most points ever scored against the Bobcats by a Lady Griz.

2022-23 Preseason All-Big Sky Conference Team
Darian White, Montana State (MVP) *
Beyonce Bea, Idaho *
Isnelle Natabou, Sacramento State
Carmen Gfeller, Montana
Hannah Simental, Northern Colorado
Kola Bad Bear, Montana State
Daryn Hickok, Weber State

* Unanimous selection

University of Montana Athletics

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