MISSOULA – The 1,471 fans at Dahlberg Arena on a beautiful early spring evening Wednesday were a far cry from the thousands that used to show up to watch the Lady Griz play in the postseason. Earning that devotion back has been the stated goal of various Montana women’s basketball coaches for nearly a decade now. But on Wednesday, the Lady Griz took another step towards that goal, and the 1,471 that showed up got to watch them check off – in style – another milestone on the path back to the heights of their history.
Up until about 10 years ago, NCAA Tournament appearances were a given for the program.
On Wednesday, the competition was a step down – the first round of the National Invitational Tournament.
But in blowing out Boise State 92-66, the Lady Griz emphatically kept their season going by running the 21-win Broncos off of Robin Selvig Court.
Senior Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw, clearly reveling in one more chance to play at home, scored 20 points for Montana, which made 15 of 25 3-point attempts and scored 46 points in each half en route to an eye-catching rout.
It was Montana’s first win in a national postseason tournament since 2014, two years before Selvig’s retirement, when the Lady Griz beat Washington State in the WNIT.
“I think this was a big stepping stone for the teams to come after this,” Espenmiller-McGraw said. “And I think we’re kind of just trying to set that expectation that we are a top contender in the Big Sky and hopefully, the next teams that come will be able to do even better than we did.”
Last week’s loss to Northern Arizona in the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament ended the major part of Montana’s season, extending an NCAA Tournament drought that stretches back to 2015.
With that pressure removed and a week to re-focus on the bonus opportunity of the WNIT, the Lady Griz came out fast and loose on Wednesday.
Gina Marxen, Espenmiller-McGraw, Mack Konig, Dani Bartsch and Macey Huard all made 3-pointers in the first quarter. Montana led 21-18 after the first and 46-39 at halftime, making 10 of 15 3-point attempts in the first 20 minutes.
“I think we played with a little more freedom,” UM head coach Brian Holsinger said. “Obviously, being at home makes a big difference. But we played looser, and we looked like we were having a little more fun. We didn’t look so tight, and as a coach you’re like, how do I repeat that for all the games?”
Facing Boise State’s two-post lineup, the Lady Griz pressed the Broncos for most of the game, forcing 18 turnovers and blunting the impact of bigs Abby Muse and Elodie Lalotte, who combined for 11 points on 14 shots.
“They’re very traditional,” Holsinger said. “It’s funny, in the Big Sky, we play mostly one post with guards around, and they play with two posts. I’m like, well, if you’re gonna play two posts, let’s make the other post make a play. So they end up having to totally recreate their transition offense and bring guards up. I think it gave us a little bit of a lift because it put them on their heels for a second.”
After Carmen Gfeller’s layup to start the third quarter, Montana led by double digits for almost the entire second half. Boise State never cut the lead under eight points after halftime, and the Lady Griz put a final statement on the game by outscoring the Broncos 20 to 6 in the fourth quarter.
The 92 points were the most ever scored in a postseason tournament by the Lady Griz as Holsinger’s team showed off its full offensive potential with Gfeller’s interior scoring and Konig’s driving opening up cracks in the defense that manifested in increasingly wide-open 3-pointers for Espenmiller-McGraw and Montana’s other shooters.
Konig and Macey Huard each had 16 points, and Gfeller and Gina Marxen had 14 apiece. Marxen added nine assists, one off her season high.
“I love playing with her,” Espenmiller-McGraw said about Marxen. “She might be one of my favorite people, on the court and off the court. And, you know, it’s just so fun playing with her. She’s such a good passer.”
Montana now advances to play North Dakota State, with the date and venue for that game still to be announced.
