THE MATCHUP
The Montana Lady Griz took a 10-day break because of postponements stemming from the pandemic before hosting Weber State on Thursday night in Missoula. The last time Montana took the court, UM fell 73-59 to rival Montana State.
UM lost 66-56 in Ogden, Utah to Weber State on New Year’s Day in the last matchup before the Wildcats played in Missoula on Thursday night.
THE RESULT
Montana senior guard Sophia Stiles, who missed the first matchup of the season against WSU because of an illness, missed eight of her first 10 shots Thursday. But the former two-time Montana Gatorade Player of the Year from Malta drilled a long two-point jump shot off the dribble as time expired to lift the Lady Griz to a 61-59 win over the upstart Wildcats.
The Lady Griz move to 6-3 in Big Sky Conference play, 13-5 overall with the victory. Weber State started 3-1 in league play, including sweeping Montana and Montana State to start 2022. But WSU endured a six-game losing streak that the Wildcats snapped against Sac State on Saturday only to lose again in Missoula Thursday. WSU ists at 4-8 in league play, 8-13 overall.
THE STANDOUTS
The first buzzer-beater of Stiles’ life, at least according to her own memory, helped her finish with eight points and an unforgettable moment in her enigmatic career. UM seniors Sammy Fatkin and Abby Anderson helped Montana gain momentum back in a game that saw massive momentum swings in favor of both teams.
The Lady Griz bolted out to a 15-7 lead in the first quarter and closed the first frame with a 24-15 advantage behind 20 points in the paint, all by Anderson and junior forward Carmen Gfeller. Gfeller went 4-of-4 with 10 points and Anderson was 4-of-5 with 10 points in the first 10 minutes.
Then the Wildcats got into the Lady Griz, forcing Montana to shoot a variety of errant 3-point shots. The Wildcats ended the first half on a 12-2 run to take a 35-33 lead to the break. Montana went 1-of-9 from beyond the arc in the first half.
In the second half, more of the same as the Wildcats kept using their methodical, back-dooring offense to slice the Montana defense. Weber State opened the second half on a 12-0 run to build the largest lead of the night, 48-33, midway through the third quarter.
But a few timely steals and scores in transition midway through the fourth quarter helped Montana get back on track. And Fatkin’s spark helped the Lady Griz erase the deficit. Fatkin finished with a game-high 20 points. Anderson chipped in 14 points and five rebounds. Gfeller finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds but the Wildcats won the battle of the boards 37-32.
Kori Pentzer went just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc (Weber shot 4-of-12 from deep) but still led the Wildcats with 16 points and seven rebounds in 39 minutes. Daryn Hickok also scored 16 points while Emma Torbert chipped in 12 points for a much-improved Wildcat team that has already won twice as many games in league play this season than the two they won last season.
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WHAT’S NEXT
Montana hosts defending Big Sky champion Idaho State on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Missoula. UM lost 69-61 to ISU in Pocatello earlier this year. The Bengals fell 73-68 in Bozeman to surging Montana State on Thursday.
