MISSOULA — Ice-cold capturing within the fourth quarter doomed the Montana girls’s basketball workforce Saturday in a 63-56 loss at Sacramento State.
The Woman Griz fell to 9-8 in Huge Sky Convention play and 13-15 total with their third-straight loss. Montana will attempt to construct some much-needed momentum heading into subsequent weekend’s league event when it performs host to Idaho within the regular-season finale for each groups Monday at 7 p.m.
Montana did not hit a subject aim within the ultimate 6-plus minutes towards the Hornets and completed at 30.6 % for the sport (19 for 62). Nonetheless, the Woman Griz had an opportunity to win with 5 minutes left, locked in a 52-52 tie.
Isnelle Natabou’s layup at 3:37 gave the Hornets a 54-52 lead. Then after a miss by Montana’s Gina Marxen, Kahlaijah Dean hit a crucial 3-point shot for the hosts.
Marxen hit two free throws with 1:57 left, shaving her workforce’s deficit to 57-54. However Dean answered with one other triple and Sac State held on for its fifth-straight victory, giving the workforce a share of second within the Huge Sky with Northern Arizona heading into the ultimate week.
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“I assumed our effort was implausible immediately, we actually battled,” Montana coach Brian Holsinger stated. “We proceed to not execute nicely. We do not field out, we do not go over screens, we make too many errors.
“… Our execution on protection, simply not likely doing the issues we’re alleged to do, price us.”
Marxen paced Montana with 18 factors, adopted by Mack Konig with 13 and Carmen Gfeller 12. Dani Bartsch grabbed 15 rebounds to go along with her 5 factors. Natabou led the Hornets with 20 factors and 9 rebounds.
Montana’s chilly end could have been partially on account of fatigue. The Woman Griz hit simply 5 of 16 photographs within the third body and expended numerous power rallying from a 48-39 deficit early within the fourth.
The Woman Griz went on a 10-2 run to begin the final interval and seized the lead on a Marxen 3-point shot with 6:40 left. Sac State then knotted the rating with simply over 5 minutes left, setting the stage for its sturdy end.
“There have been some offensive rebounds — it is killed us each video games this week,” Holsinger stated. ” … We’re ok to beat anyone, however we’re dangerous sufficient to lose to anyone. It is on me the execution half however love the trouble of our youngsters immediately.”
Montana struggled early, recognizing the hosts a 15-9 lead within the first body. The Woman Griz had been simply 3 for 16 from the sphere, with the freshman Konig protecting them afloat, hitting a triple and deuce.
Sac State surged to a 28-17 lead with simply over 3 minutes left within the second quarter earlier than Montana responded with a 10-0 run to shut out half. The Woman Griz owned a 23-16 edge in rebounds at intermission however Sac State ended up profitable the battle of the boards for the sport, 37-35.
Montana has been leaning closely on freshmen guards Konig and Libby Stump in current video games. On Saturday they shot a mixed 5 for 23.
“The freshmen have had a extremely robust weekend,” Holsinger stated. “I do not know if it is they’re drained, I do not know what it’s … We’re counting on freshmen proper now. And if you depend on freshmen in an extended season it makes it actually exhausting.”
Montana reserve Haley Huard didn’t play for the second-straight sport with an undisclosed damage. Reserve Keeli Burton-Oliver performed Saturday after sitting out Thursday’s sport with an undisclosed damage.
Invoice Speltz is Missoulian Sports activities Editor and has served as Sunday columnist the previous 16 years. Do you might have a narrative thought? E mail Invoice at invoice.speltz@missoulian.com.