Jamie Loera called game, set, match.
Eastern Washington’s incomparable senior point guard nailed a fall-away bank shot at the buzzer to lift EWU to a walk-off 52-50 win over Montana State.
Not only did Loera’s game-winner avenge one of Eastern’s two conference losses this season, it also lifted the Eagles to the Big Sky Conference title for the second time in program history, including the first time since 2010.
And it further strengthened Loera’s Big Sky Conference MVP candidacy.
“Jamie Loera’s last second shot to secure a share of the [Conference] Championship is what you dream about as a little kid in your backyard. She was, once again, absolutely huge at both ends of the court,” head coach Joddie Gleason said in an EWU press release.
“Holding MSU to only 50 points is a testament to how hard we work on defense. We need to recognize that the Bobcats played a great game, are well coached and kept us off balance on offense.”
The victory moves EWU to 15-2 in Big Sky Conference play, meaning the Eagles at least share the league title. A home win against Sac State on Monday night would give the Eags the outright Big Sky crown.
The win also pushes Eastern’s win total to 25 victories, four more than any other Eagle team. EWU is currently on a nine-game winning streak, the second-longest in program history. The longest came earlier this year when Eastern won 10 in a row.
In between the 10-game streak and the current surge, EWU lost 89-81 in overtime at second place Northern Arizona and lost 61-60 to Montana State four nights later.
Since then, Gleason’s team has locked down opponents and kept riding its stellar backcourt spearheaded by Loera, a former transfer from Arizona State that has helped elevate EWU’s program in her two years playing in Cheney.
Last season, Loera helped lead Eastern to the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament, a run that included ousting Montana.
This year, Loera has been the best floor general in the conference and is also a candidate to repeat as Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year.
Saturday in Bozeman, Loera had 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds, marking the 22nd time she’s scored in double figures this year. She also had three steals in 38 minutes, plus, of course, the game-winner.
“I’m so proud of this team, but I’m mostly happy for them and the fact that they get to experience this together,” Gleason said. “Our goal to start the season was to be No. 1 in the nation in culture and team chemistry.
“This championship is so sweet because of their complete buy-in and love for each other. We look forward to celebrating our seniors on Monday night in Cheney.”
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE BIG SKY
Montana 64, Idaho 48
For the first time since the man who the court in Missoula is named after was roaming the sidelines, the Lady Griz have 20 wins in a single season.
Montana celebrated its trio of seniors in fine fashion, overcoming a tough shooting afternoon from beyond the arc to cruise to a victory during the last home game of the season for the Lady Griz.
The Lady Griz entered the game averaging 11.2 3-point makes per game. Saturday against the Vandals, Montana hit just six of its 29 attempts from beyond the arc.
Instead, UM got it done old school, putting up rebounding numbers that would certainly make former head coach Robin Selvig proud. The Lady Griz dominated the battle of the boards, rolling up a 47-27 rebounding advantage including grabbing 17 offensive boards to Idaho’s 0.
“Of course, you’d like to shoot 50 percent and 40 percent from the 3-point line, but you don’t always get to do that,” said coach Brian Holsinger, who won his 53rd game at Montana on Saturday to become the second-winningest coach in program history behind Robin Selvig, who won an untouchable 865 games.
“Our defense has been so tough as of late. Really proud of how we’ve come along on the defensive end. We made life really hard on them, made them miss a lot.”
Montana’s 20th win of the season was the first for the program since Selvig’s last year in 2015-16. In the years between Selvig’s retirement and the hiring of Holsinger, the Lady Griz averaged fewer than 13 wins per season. Now they’re at 20 with more games to go.
“I like where we’re going and where we’re headed. We’re not done yet by any means but it’s obviously a good benchmark that you want to get to,” Holsinger said.
Saturday marked the final regular-season home games for Carmen Gfeller, Gina Marxen and Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw. The Lady Griz senior trio has all walked much different paths as collegians but have come together to help Montana reascend to a competitive Big Sky program.
Gfeller is the stalwart, a Colfax, Washington product who is in her sixth year at UM. She has 12 points and nine rebounds in her program-record 133rd game, giving her 1,559 points and 474 rebounds in her career. Her point total ranks fourth in Lady Griz history behind only Shannon Cate, Mandy Morales and Holly Tyler, although Gfeller is well aware that her numbers have benefited from playing two extra years.
Marxen was the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year….at Idaho. She played 85 games for the Vandals, then didn’t play at all 2021-2022 season. She came back to the game last season at Montana and is in the midst of an All-Big Sky campaign in her final year. Saturday, she missed six of her seven attempts from deep but still managed to score 10 points and dish out three assists. She has 1,564 points in her career.
Espenmiller-McGraw was a four-star recruit out of high school who dreamed of playing at Iowa State. She was a standout as a freshman before injuries plagued her for years. She’s reemerged as one of the sharp-shooting players in all of women’s college basketball, hitting 68 3s at a 42.5 percent clip this season.
Saturday, she had a game-high 16 points and hauled in four rebounds.
“They’re great kids and really good basketball players too,” said Holsinger. “They’ve given a lot, but we’ve got more games to play.”
Montana, locked into the No. 3 seed at the Big Sky Conference tournament, which opens next Saturday in Boise, will wrap up the regular season with a game at Idaho State on Monday night.
The Bengals (11-17, 7-10 BSC) will go into Monday’s game with just one win in their last eight games. Montana won the first meeting in Missoula 66-55.
Northern Colorado 63, Idaho State 51
Northern Colorado gained a game in the standings while celebrating its seniors.
The Bears started Big Sky Conference play 4-0, then lost five out of six conference contests. Since an 82-73 loss in Missoula to Montana, UNC has won five of six and now sits in fourth place with a game to play in the regular season.
Northern Colorado moved to 10-7 in conference against a Bengals team that has now lost seven of its last eight. The Bears are a game ahead of Montana State in the standings and can’t catch the Lady Griz for third.
Seniors Delaynie Byrne and Hannah Simental proved to be difference makers.
Byrne finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds to secure her seventh double-double of the season. An Arvada, Colorado native, Byrne finished 8-for-14 from the floor.
Simental, a Pueblo, Colorado native, scored 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the floor.
Northern Arizona 73, Weber State 41
Sophie Glancey pretty much stamped her spot on the first-team All-Big Sky team by pouring in 24 points and NAU’s win secures the second seed for the Lumberjacks.
The Lumberjacks win their 13th-straight game over the Wildcats, improving to 22-8 on the season and 14-3 in Big Sky Conference play. It marks the most Big Sky victories under head coach Loree Payne and the most since winning 15 during the 1997-98 season. The Wildcats drop to 7-23 and 4-13.
After shooting just 26.3 percent in the third quarter to lead by nine going into the fourth, Northern Arizona exploded in the final frame by shooting 66.7 percent from the field and outscoring the Wildcats, 27-4.
Glancey led all players with her seventh 20-point performance in Big Sky play with 24 points and eight rebounds, making 10-of-16 from the field. Taylor Feldman was the other ‘Jack in double figures, adding 15 points on 5-of-7 from the field plus six rebounds. Leia Beattie led the team with seven assists, also scoring seven points to go with eight rebounds.
Prior to the game, Northern Arizona honored seniors Emily Rodabaugh and Grace Beasley before their final game at Findlay Toyota Court.
Portland State 57, Sacramento State 51
The Vikings have won two of the last three and three of six after enduring a 15-game losing streak earlier this season. Portland State now holds wins over Idaho State, Montana State and Sac State.
“Great win. It’s one of the most complete games that we’ve put together in a while,” Portland State head coach Chelsey Gregg said in a PSU press release. “We did what we needed to do today to get the W. I was really proud of our team for switching up our defense today. We’ve been trying to do that, but it hasn’t always been effective, and today, they locked in and got it done.”
The Hornets had been the flavor of the month within the Big Sky Conference in February, having won four of five games at one point – a stretch that started with a 72-65 win over the Vikings in Sacramento on Feb. 3. The Hornets pulled away from the Vikings in that one, as it was a close game until the Hornets held the Vikings to just 4-of-15 (.267) shooting in the fourth quarter.
Saturday, however, it was almost the exact opposite. Leading by two entering the fourth quarter, the Vikings held the Hornets to just 4-of-21 (.190) from the field the rest of the way while never relinquishing the lead in the final period.
The Vikings led for 32 of the 40 minutes Saturday, and only ever trailed by as many as two points.
A stout defensive effort helped keep the Vikings in front. The Hornets shot just 33.3 percent (20-of-60) from the floor Saturday, a conference season low for a Viking opponent.
“We locked down a little bit better defensively in the second half,” Gregg said of the team’s defense, which held the Hornets to just 24.2 percent shooting (8-of-33) in the second half. “We made it possession basketball and didn’t allow them to go on any big runs and just finished it.”
