Rams shoot their way past Lady Griz

Saturday, December 9

Missoula, Mont.

7 PM

Montana

3-3

Colorado State

8-0

Colorado St.

Montana

Photo by: Tanner Ecker/University of Montana

12/9/2023 10:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

Colorado State's McKenna Hofschild, who can score, distribute and shred an opponent's scouting report, is one of the nation's top point guards. She proved it emphatically on Saturday night at Dahlberg Arena.

The 5-foot-2 wizard scored 36 points and approached a triple-double with 10 rebounds and eight assists in leading unbeaten Colorado State to a 78-69 victory over Montana.

The win moved the Rams to 8-0, while the Lady Griz (3-3) saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

"She's good, one of the best in the country," said Montana coach Brian Holsinger. "She proved it tonight. She took it to us. She essentially beat us. We couldn't stop her."

Colorado State, which never trailed in the game, raced out to a 12-2 lead, had a 38-34 advantage at the break, then blew the game open at the start of the third quarter.

The Rams outscored the Lady Griz 17-2 to start the second half, building their lead to 19 points, 55-36. Hofschild either scored or assisted on 13 of CSU's points in the game-changing run.

Montana opened the game 1 for 13 to fall behind early, then missed its first eight shots to start the third quarter with three turnovers.

"We came out in the third quarter just not ready," said Holsinger. "The energy wasn't there. It looks like we have some doubt against these better teams. We have to get through that."

After shooting 48 percent the last three games, all wins, Montana shot 37.3 percent against Colorado State. The Lady Griz went just 5 for 27 from the 3-point line.

"We didn't shoot the ball very well," said Holsinger. "Five for 27 doesn't get it done. If you get threes against a team like that, you have to knock them down."

Montana had five players in double figures for the third time in four games.

Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw scored 14 points while Carmen Gfeller and Mack Konig both had 13. Macey Huard had 11 points off the bench, Gina Marxen 10 points and four assists.

After falling behind by 11 in the first quarter, Montana clawed its way back to a 24-24 deadlock midway through the second quarter. Hofschild answered by getting to the line for a pair of free throws.

After Dani Bartsch got a steal and finish to make it 31-30, Hofschild hit a 3-pointer. She had 20 points in the first half, going 4 for 4 from the arc, 7 for 11 overall.

With Montana pressing in the second half, it just played into Hofschild's strengths: court vision, quickness, a one-player press breaker. She makes the Rams almost impossible to come back on.

"It's hard. She sees the floor and is really quick," said Holsinger. "She's hard to trap. She took advantage. She's just really good."

After falling behind by 19 midway through the third quarter, Montana outscored Colorado State by 10 the rest of the way, but the deficit was too large.

Marxen pulled the Lady Griz within nine, 68-59, with 5:45 to go with a pair of free throws, but Hofschild matched them, then hit a jumper in the paint to make it 72-59 and that was the game.

"We played better (after a pair of Montana timeouts early in the third quarter)," said Holsinger. "Most of it has to do with energy and effort. I hate to think that I have to coach effort."

Colorado State shot 47.0 percent, hit 10 3-pointers and turned the ball over just five times, a winning formula. The Rams are 8-0 for the first time since 2000-01.

After finals week, Montana will head to California for three games in six days prior to Christmas against Cal Poly, San Diego and UC San Diego.