Lady Griz finish road sweep

Saturday, February 1

Sacramento, Calif.

3 PM (MT)

Montana

9-12, 5-5BSC

Sacramento State

10-12, 3-6BSC

Montana

Sacramento St.

Photos: Sacramento State Athletics

2/1/2025 6:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana women's basketball team won for the fourth time in six games and completed a sweep of its two-game road trip, winning 69-63 over Sacramento State at The Nest on Saturday afternoon.

Tyler McCliment-Call scored 19 points, Dani Bartsch had her 14th career double-double and Avery Waddington added 10 points, including a dagger 3-pointer in the final minute.

"Really, really happy for our team, proud of our team," said acting head coach Nate Harris. "We continue to play pretty well-rounded basketball. We're moving in the right direction."

Montana opened its West Coast trip with a 73-61 win at Portland State on Thursday night. The Lady Griz entered the week with a 1-8 record away from Missoula this season.

"We approached this game with zero doubt that we were going to stick together and find a way," added Harris. "That comes back to the kids and their focus and the way they're in this together."

It was an uh-oh start for Montana when Jaydia Martin, who had a 33-point game against the Lady Griz when she was at Eastern Washington, scored nine points in the first quarter, hitting three 3-pointers.

Martin had 14 at the half, which ended with Montana holding a slim 33-32 lead. Martin scored only two more points in the second half, none in the fourth quarter as the Hornets were trying to rally.

The Lady Griz won for the first time this season when shooting less than 40 percent. Montana finished at 36.7 percent and went 7 for 29 (.241) from the 3-point line.

Montana's percentage from the arc matched its lowest since November and matched its third-lowest of the season. Yet the Lady Griz won fairly comfortably, leading the entire second half.

"We're starting to figure out that defense travels, energy travels," said Harris.

"To not shoot great from the field, to not shoot great from three and still find a way is really impressive against a team that has some really good pieces."

Montana (9-12, 5-5 BSC) only had eight turnovers, its fourth time in six games under Harris with nine or fewer, and forced the Hornets (10-12, 3-6 BSC) to take more than half their shots from the 3-point line.

Sacramento State went 3 for 14 (.214) from the arc in the second half, 9 for 27 (.333) overall, and only got to the free throw line 15 times. The Hornets scored 22 points in the paint.

"This is our third straight game holding an opponent under 25 points in the paint," said Harris. "We're starting to choke off the paint and force people to make shots.

"The third quarter we forced them to take really hard shots."

It was the third quarter when Montana took control after playing a back-and-forth first half that had nine lead changes.

Sacramento State led 18-17 after the first quarter and built a six-point lead in the second but could never gain any more separation.

The Hornets closed the first half going 2 for 11, which allowed Montana to take a 33-32 lead to the locker room on a late 3-pointer by Adria Lincoln.

The Lady Griz would then score the first eight points of the second half and go up 10, 53-43, late in the third quarter on a McCliment-Call 3-pointer.

Madison Butcher scored seven straight points for Sacramento State to bring the Hornets within four, 55-51, with more than seven minutes left, but the Lady Griz had every answer they needed.

McCliment-Call had a pair of key baskets, both times turning a one-possession game into a two-possession game, and Waddington's 3-pointer with 50 seconds left put Montana up by seven, 64-57.

Martin led Sacramento State with 16 points but she didn't take a shot in the fourth quarter.

"Some of it is trying to take away teams' No. 1 option," said Harris. "We're trying to find ways for people to beat us with maybe not their primary option or primary shot."

Over Montana's last six games, four of which have been wins, McCliment-Call is averaging a team-leading 13.8 points. She has gone 17 for 34 (.500) from the 3-point line.

Bartsch scored 17 points on nine shots and added 12 rebounds and three steals. Waddington reached double-digits for the ninth time this season. Mack Konig added five assists.

It was Montana's 50th all-time win over Sacramento State, the Lady Griz now leading the series 50-9.

Montana will host Northern Colorado (9-11, 2-7 BSC) and Northern Arizona (17-5, 8-1 BSC) next week in Missoula. The Lady Griz lost to both teams last month on the road.