MISSOULA — Faced with a hyper-motivated foe coming off a heartbreaking loss, the Montana Lady Griz needed to be ready from the start Sunday.
They played exceptional basketball in the first quarter and stayed in front for the duration.
Montana used hot shooting and hustling defense to post a 66-55 win over the slumping Bengals at Robin Selvig Court. The Lady Griz improved to 2-0 in Big Sky Conference play and 8-3 overall with their fifth straight win.
“Really proud of our kids — defensively we were better today,” Montana coach Brian Holsinger said. “That’s a huge positive.
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“Really proud of the effort and energy. We beat them by 12 on the glass.”
The win sent a message to the rest of the Big Sky that the Lady Griz have elevated their game. Defensive-oriented Idaho State had won five games in a row in Missoula, holding the Lady Griz to an average of 54 points per game.
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Montana simply had too many weapons to contain Sunday, especially at the the 3-point line. Six Lady Griz hit from behind the arc and the team totaled 10 makes from deep.
Gina Marxen and Carmen Gfeller shared the team lead in scoring with 12 points apiece. Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw added 11 and Dani Bartsch totaled eight points and seven rebounds.
Idaho State, who lost on a buzzer beater at Montana State Thursday, jumped to a 7-2 lead in the first 2 minutes before the Lady Griz ignited on the offensive end. Montana went on a 19-5 run fueled by 3-point buckets by MJ Bruno, Mack Konig and Espenmiller-McGraw.
“They came out and actually scored better against our zone than man, but I thought let’s just stick with it a little,” Holsinger noted. “I think it wore them down. We’re still making interesting mistakes (on defense) but I was proud of our kids.”
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This story will be updated
Bill Speltz is Missoulian Sports Editor. Email Bill at bill.speltz@missoulian.com.
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WESTERN MONTANA — Here’s a look at Western Montana’s top news stories for Wednesday.
The University of Montana removed Business Professor Anthony Richard Pawlisz from faculty after he was charged with criminal endangerment in Ravalli County court. Pawlisz allegedly pulled a gun on a man and fired a shot into the air after a fight outside of a bar in Florence on Aug. 17, according to court documents. His former class will continue under Professor Udo Fluck. (Read the full story)
Nathaniel Luke Smith pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on Monday after posing a threat to Mission High School on Oct. 8, which prompted increased police presence while classes continued. Smith is also serving a three-year deferred sentence for intimidation from an incident in November 2024. (Read the full story)
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said he will not be using state funds to temporarily cover SNAP benefits for nearly 78,000 enrolled Montanans if federal funding runs out on Nov. 1. Amidst a government shutdown, he said it’s a federal responsibility — despite calls from Democrats and food banks to use leftover state money. (Read the full story)
Matt Rains recently announced his campaign for Montana’s First Congressional District seat. Rains, a Democrat, is a fourth-generation Montana rancher, U.S. Army Veteran, and former Chief of Staff for the Montana Farmers Union.
“I am running for Congress because Montanans deserve better,” said Rains. “Like my neighbors and friends, I see and feel the cost of everything going up in Montana – and Ryan Zinke is making it worse by voting to support the tariffs and cutting Medicaid to drive up our health care costs.
“When I see a problem, I run towards it to find a solution: when our country was at…
