Lady Griz win, will take No. 3 seed to Boise

Monday, March 4

Pocatello, Idaho

7 PM

Montana

21-8, 13-5BSC

Idaho State

11-18, 7-11BSC

Montana

Idaho St.

Photos: Idaho State Athletics

3/4/2024 10:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

Montana got a career-high 26 points from Mack Konig and 15 from Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw as the Lady Griz held off Idaho State 67-65 on Monday night inside Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.

Montana concludes the regular season with a record of 21-8, its most wins since 2014-15, which was also the last time the Lady Griz won at least 13 league games, which they did this season, going 13-5.

Montana used an 11-0 run in the first quarter to build a 19-11 lead after 10 minutes, then saw the Bengals (11-18, 7-11 BSC) go 10 for 14 from the field in the second quarter to take a 33-29 halftime lead.

Konig hit four 3-pointers in the third quarter and scored 16 points in the period as Montana fought back and built a nine-point fourth-quarter lead before holding off the Bengals down the stretch.

"Mack just took over. She decided we weren't going to lose tonight, and that was a big deal," said coach Brian Holsinger. "She attacked the rim, got hot from three and just had a great mindset."

The win was the second straight for Montana at Idaho State and gives the Lady Griz, at 10-3, 10 road wins for the first time since the 2008-09 season.

Montana closed the regular season winning six of its last seven, its only loss a one-point setback on Thursday in Missoula to Eastern Washington, which won the outright Big Sky title on Monday night.

The Eagles will take the No. 1 seed to next week's Big Sky tournament in Boise, Northern Arizona the No. 2 seed, Montana the No. 3 seed.

The Lady Griz will face No. 6 Idaho at 2:30 p.m. on Monday. Montana defeated the Vandals twice during the regular season, 79-68 in Moscow, 64-48 in Missoula on Saturday.

"We're excited to get down there. We'll get our team right this week, rested up and ready to play," said Holsinger.

Montana hosted a pair of games on Thursday and Saturday, then traveled to Pocatello on Sunday. Idaho State arrived home on the weekend after enduring the Northern Arizona-Northern Colorado road trip.

The game looked like it as both teams went back and forth before Montana was able to get some winning separation with an 11-2 run in the fourth quarter, only for Idaho State to nearly rally.

After going from a 54-54 tie early in the fourth quarter to a 65-56 lead, Montana went the final 5:04 without a made basket, the final 4:19 without a point.

That allowed Idaho State to pull within two, 67-65, then get two looks at the basket in the final seconds that would have sent the game to overtime. The game had nine ties and 12 lead changes.

"We had a great start," said Holsinger, whose team shot 8 for 13 in the first quarter. "I think we thought it was going to be easy after that. It's never easy here. These kids compete, they go after it.

"I'm proud of our kids. We found a way to get it done on the road, our third game in five days. I'm really proud of how we mentally responded.

"Did we make a bunch of mistakes? Yeah, we did. You take them how you can get them. It wasn't pretty by any means."

Carmen Gfeller had 10 points and eight rebounds, Dani Bartsch grabbed 14 boards, her seventh time in nine games with 10 or more, and added five assists, and Gina Marxen totaled nine points.

Sophia Covello went 4 for 5 from the 3-point line and led Idaho State with 19 points.