‘We haven’t won enough’: Montana Lady Griz enter offseason disappointed after another early ending

For the fifth straight yr, it was one and accomplished on the Huge Sky Convention event for the Montana Girl Griz, and now, they head into the offseason trying to construct on their youth to get again to their successful methods.

It was up and down in Brian Holsinger’s second yr as head coach as UM completed 14-16 on the season, and his disappointment was evident after the Girl Griz misplaced within the quarterfinal spherical of the event.

“I hope it hurts, to be sincere. I hope it hurts. It has to harm sufficient to make adjustments, proper?” Holsinger mentioned. “I will settle for duty greater than anyone. I’ve great children to educate. For no matter purpose, I could not fairly get them over the sting in a whole lot of video games this yr. There’s a whole lot of various factors. We have now to get higher in some areas to be able to win these video games versus what the result was at the moment and we simply weren’t fairly there a lot of the season.”

The Girl Griz went 4-8 in a rugged nonconference schedule, and began out Huge Sky play hit and miss early on, earlier than a lineup change gave them some life as they went 10-8 in league play. The Girl Griz had been swept by rival Montana State, however confirmed their mettle with wins over Northern Arizona and Sacramento State this season, groups that went head-to-head within the Huge Sky championship sport.

After inserting sophomore Dani Bartsch and freshman Mack Konig into the beginning lineup mid-way via convention play, UM gained 4 straight video games however sputtered down the stretch, shedding 4 of their final 5 video games.

“We’ve not gained sufficient in my view within the second yr,” Holsinger mentioned. “Program just isn’t the place it must be in my view but. The third yr shall be a giant tell-tale. We’ll be tremendous younger once more however a number of expertise coming in, so I am excited in regards to the future, upset within the outcomes. I am a defensive man, we didn’t play protection like we should always’ve all yr. We have got to enhance in that space and we are going to.”

UM was a mixture of vets and youthful gamers this yr, with freshmen Libby Stump and Konig exhibiting they had been prepared for faculty out of the gates. Ahead Alex Pirog additionally noticed the courtroom early for Montana.

As this system strikes ahead, their growth shall be paramount this offseason.

“Numerous progress this yr. I am tremendous excited to see simply how our younger gamers proceed to develop,” senior ahead Carmen Gfeller mentioned. “They obtained a whole lot of expertise beneath their belt this yr. I feel we have now some actually nice incoming freshmen which can be simply going to proceed to construct this program up and so being part of it’s tremendous particular and I am feeling optimistic about our future with the Girl Griz.

“That is simply one thing that we have been attempting to work via each single yr that I have been right here and I am grateful for the chance to return again and get one other shot at it, however each workforce is totally different, and this can be a workforce that I really like a lot, each particular person individual and participant and I’d’ve cherished to maintain competing so long as attainable with them.”

The Girl Griz will lose a prolific scorer in Sammy Fatkin, whose roller-coaster faculty journey got here to a detailed in Boise, but it surely’s one she’s grateful for.

“I feel proud is the right phrase. We have been via a whole lot of ups and downs, me and Carm, in our time right here however all I can say is this system is transferring in the proper route,” Fatkin mentioned. “I am actually pleased with the place it is going. There’s nothing however positivity occurring right here. We’re pleased with our younger children, I feel we confronted quite a bit. We had been proper there in a whole lot of video games this yr. And so I feel this workforce can solely develop from that, I am actually excited for his or her future. I feel nothing however good issues are coming.

“I am simply blessed to be part of the final two years as a result of the final two years this program is transferring the place it is imagined to be and joyful to be part of it.”

Whereas Fatkin is gone, Gfeller already introduced she’ll be again for another yr.

Bartsch emerged as a dependable starter this yr whereas Gina Marxen additionally performed a giant position after returning to basketball and becoming a member of UM, plus position gamers like Keeli Burton-Oliver and Haley Huard shall be extra skilled, so the Girl Griz return loads of acquainted faces for subsequent yr.

Montana additionally has three incoming freshmen for subsequent season in guard Macy Donarski of La Crosse, Wisconsin, guard Macey Huard from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and guard Adria Lincoln of Monroe, Washington.

UM was a preseason No. 2 choose this yr, and after falling in need of expectations, there is no time to waste heading into subsequent yr.

“You noticed flashes of it, we weren’t constant however I could not be prouder of those guys,” Holsinger mentioned. “We’re constructing one thing particular and it takes time. Everyone desires it to go quicker, I need it to go quicker. I hate shedding, these guys hate shedding. However typically you must undergo this stuff that damage to be able to get to the place you wish to go.

“That is our first recruiting class since I have been right here and it is a constructing course of. It is by no means as quick as you need it. It simply by no means is. I actually anticipated extra out of our workforce and myself this yr. It is humorous as a result of you must undergo a few of these issues, these shut losses, this stuff that these experiences that train you a lot that Nothing like shedding and making errors do.

“I feel for us it is an actual progress yr. We clearly have tons of potential. We have crushed just about nearly all people within the convention and had probabilities to beat all people and did not end and so we have now to discover ways to end and take the following step subsequent yr. In our third yr, we’ll have extra expertise and we’ll have a greater understanding for positive defensively how to achieve success.”