Lady Griz rally, head to break with big win

Saturday, December 20

Abilene, Texas

Noon (MT)

Montana

3-8

Tarleton State

6-5

OT 1

Montana

Tarleton St.

12/20/2025 4:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

His team trailing by 15 at the break and preparing to leave the locker room for the start of the second half, Lady Griz coach Nate Harris asked his players a question.

"How do you eat an elephant? It's just one bite at a time. Just chip away. Trust the process," he said after his team rallied for a 90-85 overtime win over Tarleton State on Saturday at the Abilene Christian Christmas Classic in Abilene, Texas.

His team didn't waste any time, hitting five 3-pointers in the opening four minutes of the third quarter to shoot itself back into the game, then Mack Konig took over, scoring 24 of her career-high 35 points in the second half and overtime.

"Really proud that we found a way when we really needed one," said Harris, whose team closes out its non-conference schedule with a record of 3-8. "Great one to build off of. We would love to be building off seven or eight wins but we have to trust the process of what this team can become."

It matched Montana's most recent rally from 15 down, when the Lady Griz came back to win at home over Weber State in the 2021-22 season on a Sophia Stiles basket at the buzzer, after Montana fell behind by 15 in the third quarter.

The Lady Griz hadn't pulled off a rally of at least 15 points away from home since coming back from 19 down to win 60-56 at Northern Colorado in an empty gym in Greeley in the COVID-impacted season of 2020-21.

"Our kids did a really good job coming out of halftime and refocusing on what the next right thing was," said Harris. "I said, divorce yourself from the outcome. Just process this thing until you're back in the game. They made that a lot easier by burying some shots early in the third quarter."

For the second straight game at Moody Coliseum, Montana came out hot, but Tarleton State came out hotter, going 4 for 4 from the 3-point line in the opening period to lead 25-17 after 10 minutes. The Texans hit three more 3-pointers in the second quarter to build a 44-29 halftime lead.

Tarleton State entered the game averaging only six makes per game from the arc. At halftime, the Texans were 7 for 10 on their way to a 12-for-24 performance, their season high for made threes.

"We had game plans for them to be much more of a downhill team," said Harris. "We thought our zone was going to be catching them as they exploded to the rim. Credit to them. We had to adapt because they shot it like crazy.

"I told them, trust what we're doing, it will even out. Really proud of our team for beating a team that played above themselves in that aspect."

Facing that elephant in the gym, the Lady Griz got to work in a hurry. Montana outscored Tarleton State 15-2 over the opening four minutes of the third quarter, the Lady Griz taking five quick 3-pointers and making them all.

First it was Konig, then it was Avery Waddington, then it was Aby Shubert, then Shubert again. When Waddington hit an okay-she's-feeling-it step-back three with 6:24 left in the third period, Montana was down only two, 46-44.

The Texans took the body blow but were unfazed. They built their lead back to 11 late in the third quarter and led 67-57 early in the fourth before Konig put her stamp on the game.

With Konig excelling in roles both play-making and scoring, Montana went 17 for 29 (.586) in the third and fourth quarters, forcing overtime without holding a second-half lead.

With the Lady Griz trailing by six, 75-69, with two minutes to play, Waddington hit a 3-pointer, then finished an and-one to bring Montana even at 75-75 with 61 seconds left.

Yet the game would demand more drama.

Tarleton State hit a three with 43 seconds left to go up 78-75. On Montana's next possession, it was Shubert setting a high ball screen for Konig, then finding a sliver of space on the 3-point line to tie it with 31 seconds to go.

After the Texans were stymied at the end of regulation, Konig scored the first five points of overtime to put Montana in control for the first time all afternoon.

Konig's 35 points were a career high by six. Only Shannon Cate, Ann Lake and Lauren Cooper have scored more in a game in Lady Griz history, Konig's 35 tying for the 10th-most points ever.

"The second half she was unbelievable," said Harris. "We got her into some good actions and she really took advantage of their defense. That is the Mack we get when we're at our best."

Montana hit three of its five shots in overtime and went a clean 6 of 7 from the free throw line to hold off the Texans (6-5) in the extra session.

It was Montana's highest-scoring game under Harris, the most points the Lady Griz have scored against a Division I opponent since racing past Boise State 92-66 in the 2024 WNIT and the most points Montana has scored away from home since a 90-87 win at Idaho State in 2006-07.

In addition to Konig's 35 points, five rebounds and four assists, Jocelyn Land added 19 points and nine rebounds, with Waddington recording her fifth career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Shubert went 4 for 7 from the 3-point line to finish with 12 points.

Montana hit 12 3-pointers, turned the ball over a season-low five times and had its second-best shooting game of the season at 47.1 percent, against a team that had held its first 10 opponents this season to 63.4 points on 36.8 percent shooting.

"The second half showed glimpses against an athletic team that has quick guards," said Harris. "We were able to game-plan it to get downhill and do the things we needed to do to get open shots."

Montana will open Big Sky Conference play on Thursday, Jan. 1, at Northern Arizona.