MISSOULA — The Montana Lady Griz started fast again, but Idaho State proved too much to overcome as the Bengals swept the season series with UM by winning 72-56 on Saturday afternoon in Dahlberg Arena.
Callie Bourne finished 17 points and seven rebounds for Idaho State (18-3, 14-2 Big Sky Conference) while Montana Oltrogge added 13 and Estefania Ors tallied 12. The Bengals were coming off of a 30-point win over UM on Thursday and remain atop the Big Sky standings.
Carmer Gfeller led Montana (12-9, 9-7) in scoring with 19 points while Abby Anderson added 18. Sophia Stiles tallied 11 rebounds, nine points and four assists for UM, which shot at a 42% clip from the field but went 2 for 14 from deep.
The game was Montana's Senior Night as the Lady Griz honored their lone senior Madi Schoening, a Sandpoint, Idaho, native, before tipoff. The tribute to Schoening was emotional among the coaches and players before the game, as the fifth-year senior has battled a number of injuries throughout her Lady Griz career but persevered and recently reached a rebounding milestone and currently sits at 766 points and 506 rebounds in her Lady Griz career.
Anderson came out firing with eight of Montana's first 10 points as the Lady Griz built an early lead. But a six-minute scoreless drought between the end of the first quarter to the beginning of the second allowed Idaho State to grab the lead for good, and the Bengals went on to build a 40-24 lead with 3:04 left in the first half. The Bengals began the second quarter shooting 10 for 12 from the field and 4 for 4 from deep.
Montana trimmed the deficit to 42-33 after Gfeller knocked down a jumper before the halftime buzzer.
The Lady Griz got within 46-40 with 7:04 left in the third quarter, but that was as close as they got as the Bengals had an answer for every run down the stretch. Idaho State finished shooting 49.2% from the field and 11 for 20 from 3-point range. The Bengals also forced 18 Lady Griz turnovers and out-rebounded Montana 34-30 while also dishing 20 assists.
ISU shot just 1 for 4 from the free throw line while UM was 12 for 14.
Montana is scheduled to play at Idaho next Friday, the final game of the regular season after Wednesday's contest with the Vandals was canceled. The women's Big Sky Conference tournament is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 8 in Boise, Idaho.
