Women's Basketball Gives Montana Quite The Scare :: Bears Come Within Four Of League-Leading Lady Griz

Jan. 26, 2008

MISSOULA, Mont. - The University of Northern Colorado women's basketball team gave the University of Montana quite a scare in Missoula, dropping a 73-69 game - which is the closest point spread the Lady Griz have seen at home this season. The Bears move to 10-9 on the year and 4-2 in Big Sky Conference play, while Montana improves to 15-4 overall and 5-1 in league action.

Junior Jamie Schroeder scored a game-high 22 points, while freshman Kate Kevorken came off the bench to add 18 with four three-pointers, senior center Danielle Hagen had 11 points and sophomore guard Lizzie Cooper posted a career-high seven assists. Hagen had the first nine points of the game for the Bears, but was shut down by the stingy Montana defense for the rest of the evening, scoring just two more.

Montana was led by guard Mandy Morales with 19 points and four assists, while Johanna Closson had 16 points and eight rebounds and Sonya Rogers chipped in 14 points. Britney Lohman led the game with three blocks.

Northern Colorado shot .373 from the field, .464 from the three-point line and .923 from the free throw line nailing 12-of-13. Montana shot .439 from the field, .333 from beyond the arc and .762 from the free throw line. Both teams grabbed 37 boards each and the Lady Griz notched nine blocked shots.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair with five lead changes and two ties. Montana's biggest lead was three points on the first three of the game, while the Bears led by as many as seven, 32-25 after a traditional three-point play by Schroeder with 1:14 left. The Lady Griz cut the lead to three with the final four points of the half with a pair of free throws by Morales and a jumper by Lohman.

Northern Colorado stretched the lead to six points, 40-34 at the 16:06 mark on a three-pointer by Cooper and held the lead until the 6:03 point when a jumper by Closson gave the Lady Griz the 57-56 advantage. Montana stretched the lead to six, 62-56 with 5:23 on the clock, but a three-pointer by Kevorken at 1:26 cut the lead back to one, 66-65. Montana made five of six free throws in the final 27 seconds to seal the win, 73-69.

Northern Colorado will finish the first half of conference action playing at Sacramento State on Thursday and Northern Arizona on Saturday.