Jan. 15, 2009
Final Stats
Complete Montana Box Score 
Missoula, MT-Idaho State was no match for Montana as the Lady Griz dominated on the offense and crashed the board to overcome ISU 70-48 at the Dahlberg Arena Thursday Night. Montana would shoot 45.3 percent from the field while the Bengals struggled hitting 33 percent. The Lady Griz would out rebound the Bengals 44-to-31, with the Bengals recording 13 offensive rebounds while UM recorded 18. Montana improves their undefeated Big Sky record to 4-0 and 15-3 overall while ISU falls to 5-12 overall and 2-2 in Big Sky play.
The Bengals started off strong in the first eight minutes as they held their own against the Griz holding their opponent to a three point lead of 10-13 as ISU was shooting 40 percent. However, UM's Sarah Ena would help set the tone and pull the Griz ahead earning 10 points in the first nine minutes as she was 4-of-6 from the field and 2-for-4 from the line. Ena would post 12 points in the first half, 14 over the course of the competition. The Griz would feel the momentum swing their way and use it to their advantage to dominate the end of the first half for a 23-8 run. Montana ended the half with a 20 point lead at 38-18 on the board.
The tipping of the scales in Montana's favor came from the boards as Montana out rebounded the Bengals 27-to-18 into the break with the Griz posting 12 offensive rebounds to Idaho State's four to give Montana 14 points based solely off of second chances.
Idaho State dropped from 40 percent from the field to 30.8 percent as ISU went 8-for-26 from the field and 0-9 from the arc. Idaho State would go 0-for-11 from three point territory through the first half into the second before senior Michelle Grohs would knock it down two minutes into the second to improve the score to a 19-point deficit at 24-43. Grohs led the Bengals with 14 points hitting 6-of-10 from the field. The first three of the game was hers as she was 1-for-4 from the arc and hit her only free throw. Grohs hustled on the court posting the team-high in rebounds with seven, three on offense. She also recorded a blocked shot.
Montana would continue to control the tempo and expose the Bengal defense to take their largest lead of the game was 29 points which the Lady Griz hit twice, first at the 13:55 mark in the second and again at the 11:01 mark from a Tianna Ware jumper. UM's bench would hit the court for the majority of the second half, but with so much depth the line-up was hardly affected.
Sophomore Chelsea Pickering would post a burst of points as she recorded seven points in 1 minute and 31 seconds with a three a jumper and two free throws. Pickering would score eight points over the course of the game. Pickering who scored a career-high 31 points in the last game would go 0-for-12 from the field before recording her first point due in part to Mandy Morales, the leading scorer for Montana for the season. However, Pickering would return the favor reducing Morales to 10 points.
Junior Devin Diehl would record nine points for Idaho State and two rebounds. She also posted three steals. Montana had three players in double-digits with Ena leading at 14 points, then Sonya Rogers with 11 and Morales with 10 points.
Idaho State will head to Montana State on Saturday, January 17 who posted its first Big Sky victory of the season in a late 65-62 victory over Weber State on Thursday night. Montana State improves to 1-3 in Big Sky Play. Tip off begins at 7:05 p.m. at the Worthington Arena in ISU will have its chance against the Bobcats with
Notes: Second lowest half score as the Bengals were held to 17 points against Wyoming, however in turn the Bengals held the Cowgirls to 19 points in the same half ... Also the second lowest overall score as the Bengals recorded 47 points against New Mexico at the Pit.
