MISSOULA — When Montana ranked second nationally in 3-pointers made last season and fourth in 3-point percentage, it went beyond that Lady Griz team simply playing to its strengths in an effort to win games, which it did 23 times.
People noticed, players like Rae Ehrman of Eden Prairie, Minn., a 5-foot-10 shooting guard for whom the 3-point line on the court is only the start of a vast area that produces more value per made shot. Good shooting attracts good shooting, right?
"She and her family wanted to go to a place that valued the 3-pointer and would never say, you can't shoot that," said fourth-year Lady Griz coach Brian Holsinger, who signed Ehrman to a University of Montana scholarship contract on Wednesday.
"If you can make it, you can shoot it. That's my coaching philosophy. Some coaches have their own ideas of what a good shot is. Mine is only if you can make it or not. It can be half court if you can make it, and Rae has really deep range."
Of course, it wasn't quite that basic for Ehrman, a senior at Eden Prairie High and a member of the Minnesota Fury, a nationally competitive club program. She needed a lot more from a program than just a green light.
"I chose the University of Montana because the culture made it feel like home for me," she said. "I wanted to be a part of a strong program that was going help me develop as a player and a person.
"The competitive and positive environment really stood out to me. The relationships and support from the coaching staff and current players made it clear that Montana is the place I want to be."
While Ehrman is known for her shooting, she had multiple double-doubles last season for the Eagles, including this stat line when Eden Prairie in January knocked off defending state champion St. Michael-Albertville: 26 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, three steals, two blocked shots.
At season's end, she was voted All-Lake Conference and honorable mention all-state by the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association.
"The rest of her game is underrated," said Holsinger. "She rebounds the ball, she passes the ball really well. She's known for her shooting but she's a player who can do it all."
