Cat-Griz Hoops

Bobcats post largest margin of victory in rivalry history in win over Lady Griz

on

BOZEMAN, Montana — Several of the matchups within the matchup provided intriguing leading up to a rivalry showdown like no other between the women’s basketball teams from Montana State and Montana.

Who would get the upper hand in a battle of two of the best two-way point guard in the Big Sky Conference?

Would Montana State’s precocious yet talented young front line be able to hang with one of the best post duos in the league?

How would an interim head coach fare against one of the longest tenured head coaches in the Western United States?

Under a new regime for the firs time in more than 40 years, could the Lady Griz regain traction in a rivalry they once so thoroughly dominated?

On Thursday night in Bozeman with a smattering of parents in attendance at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, Montana State answered many of the questions in resounding fashion.

Gabby Mocchi paced an MSU front line that helped limit the junior UM post duo of Abby Anderson and Carmen Gfeller, making one of the most productive front courts in the league work for every offensive opportunity.

Darian White proved to be the aggressor on both ends, outscoring her Lady Griz point guard counterpart Sophia Stiles offensively while also hindering Stiles’ ability to impact the flow of the game on the other end.

In her 16th season and her 34th game overall against the rivals from Missoula, Tricia Binford made the proper adjustments to help her Bobcats take control in the second quarter, then doubled down to help Montana State continue its recent domination of their rivalry.

Tori Martell, the only Bobcat on Binford’s roster to ever lose to the Lady Griz, caught fire to spark Montana State and that rivalry defeat three years seemed like a distant memory as the hosts thoroughly dominated the second 20 minutes on the way to a 70-46 victory over Montana.

“This feels so good,” Martell said. “After the game, I told them I’ve never lost to the Griz on my home court. It’s a special thing to do. This rivalry is very fun and very intense. I think the freshmen and underclassmen can feel that now without fans. We brought the energy tonight and there was something special.”

Montana State guard Darian White (2) rises up fora shot vs. Montana on Thursday/by Brooks Nuanez

The win is Montana State’s 10th in the last 12 games against Montana, including the fifth straight. The current rivalry winning streak is the longest on the MSU side in the 109-game history of the series. The win also marked MSU’s seventh straight at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

“The credit needs to go to the players,” said Binford, the reigning Big Sky Coach of the Year after moving to 15-19 against the Lady Griz. “We just continue to build this program and we try to get better every year. We go into the season knowing and respecting this rivalry game.

“It’s very unique when you have programs in the same state that are in the top 50 in the nation in home attendance. It’s just an incredible thing to have for kids to get that kind of atmosphere on a daily basis. You want to do your part for your community. Our kids take a lot of pride in that. We know that every time we have this game, it’s one circled on both ends and you have to be up for it.”

For almost 40 years, Robin Selvig owned the fiercest rivalry in the West like no other coach in any other sport. Following taking the head coaching job at his alma mater in 1978, Selvig beat Montana State the first 23 times he played the Bobcats. Selvig did not lose to the rival in Missoula until 1998, his 20th season on the sideline.

By the end of Selvig’s 38 years at the helm, he’d compiled up a 77-20 record against Montana State.

Since Selvig retired in 2016, the Treasure State showdown has belonged to Montana State. Shannon Schweyen, Selvig’s top assistant for nearly a quarter century and one of the greatest individual athletes in the history of the Big Sky, took over the job and beat the Bobcats just once: an 87-63 win over MSU in Missoula in February of 2018.

Thursday, Montana State posted the largest margin of victory in the history of the rivalry.

“My raw emotion is it’s not really a rivalry right now,” UM interim head coach Mike Petrino said following his first rivalry loss as a head coach. “My raw emotion is they’ve got all the control in this so-called rivalry. And if we want to make it a rivalry, we have to compete and finish. I have to do a better job on that.

Montana head coach Mike Petrino on Thursday vs. Montana State/by Brooks Nuanez

“I’m just a rookie interim coach, whether that’s the right thing to say or not, I don’t know. We are not going to lump all of our new kids…this is their first chance at this, their first time experiencing this game. We have plenty to improve. The three-hour bus ride will go by really fast watching this video. It will be painful to watch it but it will go by really fast.”

The Lady Griz struggled to shoot the ball from all areas of the floor, managing to convert just 30 percent of their field goal attempts, making just 5-of-19 from beyond the arc. UM also struggled at the free throw line, finishing 11-of-22 from the stripe.

The Bobcats made Anderson and Gfeller work all evening, never letting either post get into a rhythm. Anderson, a 6-foot-3 center who entered the game averaging 15 points per game in league play, finished with 10 points but missed all four of her free throws. Gfeller, who entered the game averaging 17 points per league game, finished with eight points on 4-of-11 shooting.

“The defense was what we talked about, things we planned for, things we showed them. We just didn’t execute,” Petrino said. “Montana State, as I’ve told many people, have a great defense. Trish does a great job coaching their kids.

“They played more aggressive. I thought they were the more aggressive team, the tougher team and I felt going into this game, it wasn’t so much about Xs and Os as it was about finishing plays and I think they finished more plays than we did.”

Anderson had nine rebounds, Gfeller had five boards but the Bobcats won the battle of the glass 42-39. Mocchi led the charge on the glass with nine boards. Freshman K.J. Limardo, one of five MSU true freshmen making their debuts against UM.

Montana forward Abby Anderson (11) finishes at the rim vs. Montana State Thursday/by Brooks Nuanez

“For us, it was communication and being aware that they try to run their offense through the post,” Mocchi said. “We had to do our job and the best that we could to keep the ball out of their hands. That was something we harped on this week. All our posts were ready for that and our guards were ready for that.”

“It starts with having multiple posts to rotate into the mix because it takes tremendous effort to slow them down,” Binford said. “We played five posts throughout the lineup today to keep the legs on what we need to do. I don’t know if you can defend that post play with two kids for 40 minutes.”

Mocchi, a junior who has emerged rapidly during Big Sky play, paced the Bobcats with 10 of her 12 points in an otherwise brutal first half in which MSU built a 30-20 lead.

“It was fun to get us going, be able to bring the energy. Then in the second half, everyone really fell into place,” Mocchi said. “Everyone was brining energy and on the court. Cat-Griz is just unmatched. The excitement for Cat-Griz, it is one of the most important games up to this point and it’s one of the most fun games. It’s a good rivalry game and it’s really fun.”

Martell drilled three of her four 3-pointers and scored 11 of her 18 points after halftime as MSU turned second quarter momentum into a third quarter runaway, building a 49-28 lead entering the final frame.

In a matchup between two of the most explosive and quick point guard in the league, White, a sophomore from Boise, earned the upper hand against Stiles, a junior from Malta. White controlled the game on both ends, hounding Stiles with her constant pressure, allowing Stiles eight points on 2-of-8 shooting and forcing her into seven turnovers, all while also getting Stiles into foul trouble. White finished with 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Montana State guard Tori Martell (12) defends Montana guard Madi Schoening (34) Thursday/by Brooks Nuanez

“We have tremendous respect for Sophy Stiles,” Binford said. “Not a lot of kids as quick as these two in this game and a really fun matchup for the viewers. Both can pick up full court 94 feet and really handle it. I have respect for kids who can grind it out on the defensive end like they do. We are fortunate we have Darian White on our team.”

And the youthful Bobcats forced 23 Lady Griz turnovers that led to 18 points to win going away.

“Trish is a really good coach and they have a good program, they are a championship level program,” Petrino said. “I think defensively, that’s where they get going. They do a great job of being active, aggressive and disrupting you. Then that same effort carries over to their offense.”

The attention now turns to a rematch. The Lady Griz will host Montana State in Missoula. Tip off is slated for noon at Dahlberg Arena.

“We need to come ready to play,” Martell said. “They are probably not happy with the outcome of this game so they will come ready to play in Saturday. Dahlberg Arena is always hard to play in even without the fans. I think we just have to lock in.”

Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.

Montana State head coach Tricia Binford (L) and Montana head coach Mike Petrino (R) pregame Thursday/by Brooks Nuanez
Montana State men’s basketball coach Danny Sprinkle watch Cat-Griz women’s game Thursday/by Brooks Nuanez
Montana State guard Tori Martell (12) shoots a three vs. Montana Thursday/by Brooks Nuanez
Montana State forward Katelynn Limardo (11) dribble drive vs. Montana Thursday/by Brooks Nuanez
Montana guard Sophia Stile (2) blocks Montana State guard Darian White (2) Thursday/by Brooks Nuanez
Montana forward Carmen Gfeller (20) shoots from the base vs. Montana State Thursday/by Brooks Nuanez
Montana State forward Lexie Deden (21) shoots a mid range jumper vs. Montana Thursday/by Brooks Nuanez

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

Recommended for you