Game Recap

Lady Griz push No. 25 Gonzaga to the brink

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It wasn’t a one-possession game at the end, but it felt like Sunday’s contest between Montana and No. 25 Gonzaga at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane may have come down to a single shot. Or two.

After going on a 14-2 run that cut the Bulldogs’ lead to two, 48-46, and probably had the cutouts in the stands chewing on their cardboard fingernails, the Lady Griz had two shots that would have given them the lead with less than four minutes to go.

But they were off the mark, and Gonzaga’s Kayleigh Truong answered with a triple of her own at the other end to make it 51-46 with 2:48 left, and that would be the game’s big blow.

The Bulldogs, who lost by seven earlier this season to then No. 1 South Carolina, made their free throws down the stretch and held off the Lady Griz, who were looking for their first victory over a ranked opponent since 2004, 58-51.

It was Montana’s closest result against a ranked opponent since knocking off No. 24 Utah by three back in January 2004.

“I’m very proud of the girls. They competed their hearts out. We put ourselves in position. They just made a few more plays than we did,” UM first-year head coach Mike Petrino said.

“But the effort was there. I was really proud of the effort. It was a very competitive effort. I loved it. Even when we were down, we kept fighting.”

Montana was fighting out of its weight class, given Gonzaga starts 6-foot-3 Jenn and LeeAnne Wirth and can roll with 6-foot-5 Anamaria Virjoghe off the bench.

That size differential was a factor early on. The Bulldogs took 20 shots in the first quarter to the Lady Griz’ 10 because of seven offensive rebounds and six Montana turnovers.

It made it tough to function, and Gonzaga led 15-9 at the first break.

“The first quarter they got so many offensive rebounds and so many second-chance points,” said Petrino, whose team showed its moxie in the second.

The Lady Griz would fight to within four midway through the second quarter and go to the locker room at the half trailing 30-23.

The score and shooting percentages — both teams were in the upper 20s through 20 minutes — would indicate an ugly game.

“The first thing we always ask about is the effort, and I thought the girls’ focus, effort, energy and competitiveness were there,” Petrino said.

“We didn’t shoot very well. The effort we put into defending them was probably the best result we had. You can say those are shots they normally make, but then again we missed shots we normally make too.”

Gonzaga appeared ready to pull away in the third quarter, building a pair of 14-point leads. But after Melody Kempton put her team up 46-32 with 1:49 left in the period, Montana began its comeback.

The Bulldogs missed six straight shots, and Petrino went to every player he thought might give his team a spark.

In Monday’s home victory for UM over North Dakota, it was the upperclassmen who led the fourth-quarter charge.

On Sunday it was freshman Joelnell Momberg scoring early in the final period, her first points as a Lady Griz. Then it was freshman Willa Albrecht, who scored inside to make it 46-42.

After Jill Townsend, who is on the 50-player watch list for the Naismith Trophy, or the national player of the year, scored for Gonzaga, Carmen Gfeller connected twice.

And Montana was within two, 48-46.

“When you’re struggling scoring, you can’t be afraid to try new things,” said Petrino of his various lineups that sparked his team’s rally.

“We tried new things with players who maybe have not been in that position before, but we have to learn.”

After Montana forced a turnover, one of three for Gonzaga in a critical 77-second stretch, the Lady Griz had their shot. Two, actually. Either of the 3-pointers they got would have given them the lead.

Who knows what happens if either connects?

“First of all, we got stops,” said Petrino, whose team held Gonzaga to two made baskets in the fourth quarter. “We did a good job of guarding them without fouling them. And they’re big. They are huge.

“Second, we did a good job of just playing. The girls did a good job of just playing and reacting and moving the ball. We had balanced scoring during that stretch.”

The second of the two baskets Gonzaga made in the fourth quarter was Truong’s triple with just under three to go.

Cierra Walker, a transfer from Vanderbilt, would hit four free throws to extend the lead to nine, 55-46, before Montana would score again.

“There were a couple big possessions we’ll look back at as coaches and players, some critical possessions we wish we could have back, but I thought the effort was there,” said Petrino.

“Credit to Gonzaga. They made more plays than we did. They are a really good team.”

Sophia Stiles led both teams with 15 points and had four more steals, giving her 13 through three games. It was part of a collective effort that held Gonzaga to 31.1 percent shooting.

The Bulldogs shot 52.7 percent against South Carolina, 55.0 percent in its 39-point road win at Wyoming on Tuesday.

It was more than two years ago that Gonzaga was held to a lower percentage, by Colorado State in November 2018.

But 18 offensive rebounds turned into 11 important second-chance points, and Gonzaga turned Montana’s 19 turnovers into 17 points.

The Bulldogs’ 14 turnovers resulted in just four Lady Griz points.

Gfeller added 12 points, Madi Schoening again did the dirty work on her way to nine points and nine rebounds, four of which came on the offensive end.

“Madi was a beast on the boards,” said Petrino. “If she didn’t get the ball, she got a piece of it. If she didn’t get it and they got it, they had to earn it.

“Now we’ve got to play a tough team on Tuesday. We’re going to have some sore bodies, some tired bodies. It’s going to feel like we played a couple of games today.”

That team will be Seattle, which Montana will face at 3 p.m. (MT) on Tuesday. The Redhawks are 2-3, including a 75-72 overtime win at home over Utah State, the team Montana lost to in its season opener.

“Their last game was Thursday, so they’ll be fresh and we won’t, but no excuses,” said Petrino. “We have to rally and keep getting better. This is what we want.”

Sunday was as well.

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