Women's Big Sky Conference Tournament

[mvemjsunpx]

Quarterfinals


(6) Northern Arizona (6-10, 10-19) vs. (3) Montana State (11-5, 16-12) - Thursday, March 13, 5:35 PM MDT

(5) Northern Colorado (8-8, 14-15) vs. (4) Portland State (11-5, 21-8) - Thursday, March 13, 7:35 PM MDT (or 30 minutes after the first game ends)



Semifinals


(highest remaining QF participant) vs. (2) Idaho State (12-4, 20-8) - Friday, March 14, 5:35 PM MDT

(lowest remaining QF participant) @ (1) Montana (13-3, 23-6) - Friday, March 14, 7:35 PM MDT (or 30 minutes after the first game ends)





Championship


(semifinal winners) - Saturday, March 15, 5:05 PM MDT on Altitude





(Entire tournament at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, MT)

[mvemjsunpx]

Montana State beats NAU, 84-78. The Lumberjacks' Laura Dinkins scores 28 & grabs 14 rebounds in her final game. Five in double figures for the Bobcats.

[mvemjsunpx]

Portland State beats Northern Colorado, 82-69. Vikings' G Claire Faucher collected her second consecutive triple-double (14 points, 10 boards, 10 assists). Danielle Hagen scored a career-high 37 in her final game, but the rest of the Bears only scored 32.

[mvemjsunpx]

Quarterfinals


(6) Northern Arizona (6-10, 10-19) 78-84 vs. (3) Montana State (11-5, 16-12)

(5) Northern Colorado (8-8, 14-15) 69-82 vs. (4) Portland State (11-5, 21-8)



Semifinals


(3) Montana State (12-5, 17-12) vs. (2) Idaho State (12-4, 20-8) - Friday, March 14, 5:35 PM MDT

(4) Portland State (12-5, 22-8) @ (1) Montana (13-3, 23-6) - Friday, March 14, 7:35 PM MDT (or 30 minutes after the first game ends)





Championship


(semifinal winners) - Saturday, March 15, 5:05 PM MDT on Altitude





(Entire tournament at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, MT)

[mvemjsunpx]

Montana State upsets Idaho State, 83-72. Five players in double figures again for the Bobcats. Natalie Doma scores 34 & grabs 19 rebounds for the Bengals. ISU G Andrea Lightfoot failed to score for only the second time in her career. The Bengals won the boards 23-11 in the second half, but still couldn't overcome a 39-21 halftime points deficit.

Idaho State needs Montana to win the tournament to get a WNIT bid.

[wkuhillhound]

Montana State upsets Idaho State, 83-72. Five players in double figures again for the Bobcats. Natalie Doma scores 34 & grabs 19 rebounds for the Bengals. ISU G Andrea Lightfoot failed to score for only the second time in her career. The Bengals won the boards 23-11 in the second half, but still couldn't overcome a 39-21 halftime points deficit.

Idaho State needs Montana to win the tournament to get a WNIT bid.

You don't believe that two teams from Big Sky can make the WNIT.

[mvemjsunpx]

You don't believe that two teams from Big Sky can make the WNIT.

Not with the current system. There are 31 auto-bids & only 17 at-large bids. Idaho State might have an outside shot at an at-large even if Montana doesn't win the title tomorrow, but with a RPI likely over 100, I doubt it (it will only happen if the WNIT really wants Natalie Doma in there). Portland State & Montana State have worse RPI's than Idaho State, so they don't really have a chance.

[mvemjsunpx]

Montana knocks off Portland State, 94-80. Montana G Mandy Morales scores 31, gets 8 boards, & nets 7 assists. PSU G Claire Faucher scores 27 points, grabs 6 boards, & gets 7 assists. Both players went perfect from the line. In fact, the 2 teams combined to shoot a near perfect 95.2% from the line (40-42; one miss each). The key was rebounding: Montana outrebounded the Viks 45-30 for the game and 26-13 in the second half.

[CrazyCat]

Sweet, an all Montana championship.

[mvemjsunpx]

Quarterfinals


(6) Northern Arizona (6-10, 10-19) 78-84 vs. (3) Montana State (11-5, 16-12)

(5) Northern Colorado (8-8, 14-15) 69-82 vs. (4) Portland State (11-5, 21-8)



Semifinals


(3) Montana State (12-5, 17-12) 83-72 vs. (2) Idaho State (12-4, 20-8)

(4) Portland State (12-5, 22-8) 80-94 @ (1) Montana (13-3, 23-6)





Championship


(3) Montana State (13-5, 18-12) @ (1) Montana (14-3, 24-6) - Saturday, March 15, 5:05 PM MDT on Altitude






(Entire tournament at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, MT)

[Rob Iola]

Montana State upsets Idaho State, 83-72. Five players in double figures again for the Bobcats. Natalie Doma scores 34 & grabs 19 rebounds for the Bengals. ISU G Andrea Lightfoot failed to score for only the second time in her career. The Bengals won the boards 23-11 in the second half, but still couldn't overcome a 39-21 halftime points deficit.

Idaho State needs Montana to win the tournament to get a WNIT bid.
Um, good luck I guess. Of course, if that's me typing that and I'm serious about that, I'm probably questioning my continued existence...

[mvemjsunpx]

Um, good luck I guess. Of course, if that's me typing that and I'm serious about that, I'm probably questioning my continued existence...

Well it's the truth. I'm not exactly sure what your point is, but I'm a Montana fan, so I don't personally care a whole lot about ISU's WNIT hopes. I just listed it in the interest of completeness.

[Rob Iola]

Well it's the truth. I'm not exactly sure what your point is, but I'm a Montana fan, so I don't personally care a whole lot about ISU's WNIT hopes. I just listed it in the interest of completeness.
Sorry to be snarky - all in good fun... :D
(I'm blaming it on the booze last night...)

[mvemjsunpx]

Montana hangs a Ben Franklin on Montana State as they win the Big Sky Tournament title game, 101-65. Mandy Morales scores a game high 24 points & shoots a perfect 6-6 from the arc. She averaged 27.5 points & 7 assists in 2 tourney games. Krislyn Wallace collected a double-double in her final game for the Bobcats (17 points, 12 rebounds).

(Idaho State clinches a WNIT berth)

[CrazyCat]

Question for ya mvemjsunpx. Does any other conference make their teams play 3 games in 3 nights? (This is not smack, the lady griz are are a great team and I wish them luck in the tournament)

[wkuhillhound]

Question for ya mvemjsunpx. Does any other conference make their teams play 3 games in 3 nights? (This is not smack, the lady griz are are a great team and I wish them luck in the tournament)

Yep. The Sun Belt conference does. Luckily WKU had a bye.

[OB55]

Damn, I love boxkitball! :)

[mvemjsunpx]

Question for ya mvemjsunpx. Does any other conference make their teams play 3 games in 3 nights? (This is not smack, the lady griz are are a great team and I wish them luck in the tournament)

The Big Sky Men's Tournament used to until they created home quarterfinal games. I believe most, if not all, of the major conferences have games every day in their tournaments, as well.

Looking at other women's tournaments. The Big West has 3 games in 3 days. It looks like the America East does, as well. A low seeded A-10 team could conceivably play 4 games in 4 days. I'm not going to look further since I'm guessing most of conferences actually have consecutive day tournaments.

I think it works better this way since it keeps a strong importance for where you finish in the regular season.

[CrazyCat]

Thanks guys, I guess I'm not paying enough attention. :o

[Peems]

Lady Griz took care of business this year. Mvemjsunpx, you think the Ladies have a shot at winning a game?

[mvemjsunpx]

Lady Griz took care of business this year. Mvemjsunpx, you think the Ladies have a shot at winning a game?

As always, it depends on who they play. The way Montana shoots the 3 & the way they play post defense makes me like their chances against a typical major conference school. The matchup I'm hoping for is Kansas State, seeing as they just lost their best player to a season ending injury (ESPN has them currently as a 5-seed). Playing Utah would also be interesting, given that Montana plays them frequently & there's also the revenge factor for last year's WNIT loss. Hopefully the Lady Griz get a neutral game & not a road game.

[mvemjsunpx]

Quarterfinals


(6) Northern Arizona (6-10, 10-19) 78-84 vs. (3) Montana State (11-5, 16-12)

(5) Northern Colorado (8-8, 14-15) 69-82 vs. (4) Portland State (11-5, 21-8)



Semifinals


(3) Montana State (12-5, 17-12) 83-72 vs. (2) Idaho State (12-4, 20-8)

(4) Portland State (12-5, 22-8) 80-94 @ (1) Montana (13-3, 23-6)





Championship


(3) Montana State (13-5, 18-12) 65-101 @ (1) Montana (14-3, 24-6)






(Entire tournament at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, MT)




Montana wins their 17th. conference tournament title, which ranks second in DI women's history behind Old Dominion.
Montana's 101 points in the title game ties a tournament record (Idaho scored 101 in the MWAC consolation game in '84).
Montana set a tournament record (2+ games) by shooting 57.5% from three (23-40).
Montana shatters the single-game tournament mark for three-pointers made with 15 in the title game (the previous mark was 10 by ISU in the '04 title game).
Mandy Morales tied the single-game tournament mark for three-pointers made with 6 in the title game (Angie Evans of Boise also had 6 in the '92 title game).

This was the highest scoring women's Big Sky/MWAC tournament ever. All the competing teams combined to average 80.8 points per game.




All-Tournament Team

G - Laura Cote (UMT)
G - Erica Perry (MSU)
G - Claire Faucher (PSU)
F - Krislyn Wallace (MSU)
C - Natalie Doma (ISU)

MVP: G - Mandy Morales (UMT)

[grizband]

Check out Mandy's stats for the two games:

15-27 fg
9-14 3fg (6-6 against MSU)
16-17 ft
11 boards
14 assists
55 points
76 minutes

[AZGrizFan]

Check out Mandy's stats for the two games:

15-27 fg
9-14 3fg (6-6 against MSU)
16-17 ft
11 boards
14 assists
55 points
76 minutes

Too bad she doesn't have a penis....the men's team could have used her. xcoolx xcoolx xcoolx xcoolx

[mvemjsunpx]

Too bad she doesn't have a penis....the men's team could have used her. xcoolx xcoolx xcoolx xcoolx

Shooting the 3 wasn't the problem for the men Griz; they currently rank 38th. in the nation in 3 pt. percentage (38.8%). However, the Lady Griz shoot it even better @ 39.6% (should rank in the top-10 or maybe top-5; the stat rankings haven't been updated yet).

Morales could probably start on many DI men's teams, seeing as how height isn't nearly as important for a guard. She obviously wouldn't be a perennial All-American candidate as a men's player, though.

The Griz men need athletes, not just slow guys that can shoot well.