MISSOULA – Non-conference play is in the books. Big Sky play tips off next week. And now the Lady Griz have some decisions to make.
Thursday night’s exhibition versus Montana Tech doubled as the season debut for a couple sophomore guards.
Sophia Stiles made her return to the court. A torn ACL in February ended a breakout freshman season for the Malta native. She immediately came back to her dominant defensive ways, with four steals and 10 points in 14 minutes versus the Orediggers. Now Stiles and head coach Shannon Schweyen have to decide if she should play this year, or continue to sit out, redshirt, and still have three years of eligibility left.
Meanwhile, this week the NCAA cleared Arizona transfer Sammy Fatkin to play this season. The 5’11 guard from Snohomish, Wash. showed her versatility with seven points, six rebounds, and three assists versus Montana Tech. Now she can step right into a big role, or Fatkin could also redshirt and have three full seasons remaining.
The Lady Griz have played pretty well without either dynamic guard, going 5-4 through a tough non-conference schedule. They’ll have a Christmas Break to think about their options. Then Big Sky play tips off next Saturday, when Montana hosts Northern Arizona on Dec. 29.
