A back-and-forth contest didn’t go the Vandal’s way on Saturday.
Montana defeated Idaho 82-79 in a matchup that went down to the final seconds. In spite of remarkable performances from Idaho’s leaders, the Vandals dropped a matchup to the Grizzlies for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
Montana (9-7, BSC 4-3) made the most of homecourt momentum early on, matching a potent Idaho offense shot-for-shot. The Vandals (7-8, BSC 4-2) managed a 12-5 run to take their first lead of the game in the second quarter, but Montana managed to regain the lead by halftime at 40-36.
Three different Vandals finished in double figures, led by senior guard Taylor Pierce with 28. Pierce also shot 8-15 from 3-point range, coming just one three short of tying the single-game record that she shares with fellow senior guard Mikayla Ferenz.
Ferenz struggled from behind the arc but excelled everywhere else. Despite shooting 2-10 from three, the senior finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. It was her fifth double-double of her career.
With less than two minutes left in regulation, the game remained deadlocked at 73-73 before Montana took a timeout. The Griz went on a five-point run after the timeout and were able to keep the Vandals at bay until the final buzzer.
Despite the excellence Vandal fans have come to expect from Pierce and Ferenz, the best player on the court actually belonged to Montana. Senior forward Jace Henderson led all players with 31 points in a 13-17 shooting night. Henderson also led the Griz with a 5-7 performance from the free throw line, where Montana held a significant edge over Idaho.
The Vandals took only six free throws all night, while the Grizzlies were awarded 22.
“What I saw tonight was a very physical basketball game,” said Idaho head coach Jon Newlee in a news release. “It was a war in the paint, and it seems as though we have to get tougher to get the free-throw line. Unfortunately, we could not keep our best post defenders in the game.”
One of those in trouble turned out to be junior forward Lizzy Klinker, who alternated between offensive performance and foul problems. Klinker finished with a season-high 14 points and seven rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
“In fourth, we had some shots go in-and-out in the final seconds, but it never comes down to the last possession. I thought we ran our play and got some good looks down the stretch, but unfortunately, it didn’t go our way,” Newlee said. “That was a heck of basketball game. It is the Big Sky, and you have to come ready to bring it every night. Now we get to go back home and defend our home floor like Montana did tonight.”
Up next, Idaho will take on Sacramento State in the Cowan Spectrum at 6 p.m. Jan. 24.
Jonah Baker can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jonahpbaker