Post by griz on Mar 21, 2011 14:01:42 GMT -5
Lady Griz season ends at NCAA tourney, 55-47
www.montanagrizzlies.com/news/?n=2011/96/9733&m=48
For almost 40 minutes Montana stood toe-to-toe with one of the most highly touted women’s basketball teams in the country.
The one-sided affair many anticipated against eighth-ranked UCLA never materialized in Saturday’s NCAA tournament opener. The Lady Griz even managed to make a miracle at the McCarthey Athletic Center appear possible, trailing by four points with a minute left.
But the stronger, quicker Bruins imposed their will when it mattered most. Forward Jasmine Dixon broke free for a critical UCLA bunny with 54 seconds remaining and Montana turned the ball over three times in the final 51 seconds in a season-ending 55-47 loss in front of a crowd of about 3,000 mostly UM fans.
Tears flowed for Montana’s players afterward. Yet the impression the 14th-seeded Lady Griz (18-15) left on the third-seeded Bruins (28-4) was something the Lady Griz could feel good about.
“I’m proud of the team,” Montana senior Stephanie Stender said. “It was awesome to get here and I think what was unique about this team is we weren’t satisfied just being here. I wish we could just go back out and play another game right now.”
The fighting spirit of the Lady Griz was not lost on Bruins coach Nikki Caldwell.
“Their will and resilience are things I’ll obviously take from them,” said the third-year skipper, whose team will face Gonzaga with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line Monday night in Spokane. “Montana did an exceptional job of executing their game plan. They did a great job of exploiting us when we broke down, making key shots.”
In the final analysis, the Bruins’ defense was the difference. Montana matched a season high with 25 turnovers. UCLA’s fullcourt press and feisty matchup zone also forced the Lady Griz into a bevy of ill-advised shots and a handful of air balls.
“They can make you look bad at times,” Montana coach Robin Selvig said. “That’s how they’ve won, with their defense.
“They just really do a good job of pressuring and then they recover so quickly. I thought we weathered the frustration of the turnovers of the first half and battled and actually got enough shots. We could have had a chance to do a little better, but again, UCLA is a great team.”
The Lady Griz finished at 32.7 percent (16 for 49) from the floor, their coldest shooting in 15 games. They managed just 12 points in the paint to the Bruins’ 18.
Still, Montana showed its mettle with a 34-32 edge in rebounds and tireless zone defense. Nothing came easy for UCLA and if not for Dixon’s superior muscle in the middle and near double-double (15 points, nine rebounds), the outcome might have been different.
“We worked our asses off on defense and tried and tried and kept battling, trying to get some shots,” Montana sophomore forward Alyssa Smith said. “It was hard for us to get the ball inside, which was really tough because they are guarding us on the perimeter and they are big and long so it’s not easy to get a shot off.
“So it’s just tough. But we have been through a lot this season, with injuries and spontaneous things here and there, and our team has never stopped believing. That’s something I’m really proud of our team for.”
Montana appeared as if it might have run out of steam when Rebekah Gardner’s free throws with 8:44 left gave UCLA its biggest lead, 42-30. But senior Sarah Ena hit back-to-back buckets to help the Lady Griz regain their footing and a 17-9 run was capped by a pair of Stender foul shots that pulled UM within four, 51-47, with 1:16 left.
Selvig went to a fullcourt press but the move backfired when Dixon broke free for a layup with 54 ticks left. She then stole the ball from Katie Baker at midcourt and was back at the line again after being fouled by Stender.
She hit 1 of 2 attempts and Montana responded with another turnover near midcourt. From there the outcome was inevitable.
“They are a lot more athletic than a lot of the schools that we played this year,” Montana guard Kenzie De Boer said. “We had a hard time passing the ball because they were just there.”
Smith was a bright spot for Montana, finishing with a career-high 14 points, 12 coming on four 3-pointers. Ena added nine points and Stender and Baker each had six.
Dixon led UCLA with 15 points. Frontcourt teammate Atonye Nyingifa tallied a game-high 11 rebounds.
“I’m really sad to have it come to an end,” Ena said. “Especially when we were so close.
“I thought we were going to pull it off. But it’s been a blessing playing here. What better way to end your career than to be playing in the NCAAs.”
Saturday marked the best showing by Montana in an NCAA game since 2004 when it nearly upset fifth-seeded Louisiana Tech in Missoula, falling 81-77. The Lady Griz are now 6-19 overall in the Big Dance.
Bill Speltz can be reached at 523-5255 or bill.speltz@lee.net.
www.montanagrizzlies.com/news/?n=2011/96/9733&m=48
For almost 40 minutes Montana stood toe-to-toe with one of the most highly touted women’s basketball teams in the country.
The one-sided affair many anticipated against eighth-ranked UCLA never materialized in Saturday’s NCAA tournament opener. The Lady Griz even managed to make a miracle at the McCarthey Athletic Center appear possible, trailing by four points with a minute left.
But the stronger, quicker Bruins imposed their will when it mattered most. Forward Jasmine Dixon broke free for a critical UCLA bunny with 54 seconds remaining and Montana turned the ball over three times in the final 51 seconds in a season-ending 55-47 loss in front of a crowd of about 3,000 mostly UM fans.
Tears flowed for Montana’s players afterward. Yet the impression the 14th-seeded Lady Griz (18-15) left on the third-seeded Bruins (28-4) was something the Lady Griz could feel good about.
“I’m proud of the team,” Montana senior Stephanie Stender said. “It was awesome to get here and I think what was unique about this team is we weren’t satisfied just being here. I wish we could just go back out and play another game right now.”
The fighting spirit of the Lady Griz was not lost on Bruins coach Nikki Caldwell.
“Their will and resilience are things I’ll obviously take from them,” said the third-year skipper, whose team will face Gonzaga with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line Monday night in Spokane. “Montana did an exceptional job of executing their game plan. They did a great job of exploiting us when we broke down, making key shots.”
In the final analysis, the Bruins’ defense was the difference. Montana matched a season high with 25 turnovers. UCLA’s fullcourt press and feisty matchup zone also forced the Lady Griz into a bevy of ill-advised shots and a handful of air balls.
“They can make you look bad at times,” Montana coach Robin Selvig said. “That’s how they’ve won, with their defense.
“They just really do a good job of pressuring and then they recover so quickly. I thought we weathered the frustration of the turnovers of the first half and battled and actually got enough shots. We could have had a chance to do a little better, but again, UCLA is a great team.”
The Lady Griz finished at 32.7 percent (16 for 49) from the floor, their coldest shooting in 15 games. They managed just 12 points in the paint to the Bruins’ 18.
Still, Montana showed its mettle with a 34-32 edge in rebounds and tireless zone defense. Nothing came easy for UCLA and if not for Dixon’s superior muscle in the middle and near double-double (15 points, nine rebounds), the outcome might have been different.
“We worked our asses off on defense and tried and tried and kept battling, trying to get some shots,” Montana sophomore forward Alyssa Smith said. “It was hard for us to get the ball inside, which was really tough because they are guarding us on the perimeter and they are big and long so it’s not easy to get a shot off.
“So it’s just tough. But we have been through a lot this season, with injuries and spontaneous things here and there, and our team has never stopped believing. That’s something I’m really proud of our team for.”
Montana appeared as if it might have run out of steam when Rebekah Gardner’s free throws with 8:44 left gave UCLA its biggest lead, 42-30. But senior Sarah Ena hit back-to-back buckets to help the Lady Griz regain their footing and a 17-9 run was capped by a pair of Stender foul shots that pulled UM within four, 51-47, with 1:16 left.
Selvig went to a fullcourt press but the move backfired when Dixon broke free for a layup with 54 ticks left. She then stole the ball from Katie Baker at midcourt and was back at the line again after being fouled by Stender.
She hit 1 of 2 attempts and Montana responded with another turnover near midcourt. From there the outcome was inevitable.
“They are a lot more athletic than a lot of the schools that we played this year,” Montana guard Kenzie De Boer said. “We had a hard time passing the ball because they were just there.”
Smith was a bright spot for Montana, finishing with a career-high 14 points, 12 coming on four 3-pointers. Ena added nine points and Stender and Baker each had six.
Dixon led UCLA with 15 points. Frontcourt teammate Atonye Nyingifa tallied a game-high 11 rebounds.
“I’m really sad to have it come to an end,” Ena said. “Especially when we were so close.
“I thought we were going to pull it off. But it’s been a blessing playing here. What better way to end your career than to be playing in the NCAAs.”
Saturday marked the best showing by Montana in an NCAA game since 2004 when it nearly upset fifth-seeded Louisiana Tech in Missoula, falling 81-77. The Lady Griz are now 6-19 overall in the Big Dance.
Bill Speltz can be reached at 523-5255 or bill.speltz@lee.net.