OGDEN, Utah (February 11, 2017) – The Big Sky Conference has been a league of parity this season and at no point did it prove itself quite like Saturday, February 11.
Take the Eastern Washington Eagles, for example. The Eagles, while in the top half of the league standings, have struggled to find a consistent threat late in games. Facing league-leading Northern Colorado, the Eagles put together an 11-4 run late in the game,
downing the Bears 67-61.
The Eagles never led by more than 12, which came early in the game, and fought off a scrappy UNC effort. The Bears trailed for 34:13 of the game, as they committed 14 turnovers.
Eastern Washington’s Delaney Hodgins finished with 22 points, while Ashli Payne contributed 16 points. Savannah Scott led Northern Colorado with 22 points.
Idaho 74, North Dakota 61 – A dominant performance led the Idaho Vandals to a win over league-leading North Dakota.
The Vandals limited the North Dakota Fighting Hawks to just 34 percent shooting (23-of-67), while outrebounding UND and scoring more points-in-the-paint (32-24). The Vandals led by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Idaho held a 35-24 halftime lead, and stretched the lead to 57-36 at the end of the third quarter. North Dakota closed the game making 6-of-8 shots.
Mikayla Ferenz led the Vandals with 27 points, while Bailey Strand chipped in 12 points for Idaho.
Montana State 71, Southern Utah 68 – A scrappy, back-and-forth affair in Bozeman ended with the Montana State Bobcats crawling into a tie atop the league standings.
The Bobcats overcame a 42-39 halftime deficit, taking a 53-52 lead into the final period. It was not a day for offensive efficiency, as both teams shot under 40 percent. Also, the two teams missed a combined 12 free throws. There was a combined 32 turnovers in the game.
Southern Utah got within a point late in the fourth quarter, 67-66, after a layup by Darri Fransen. However, MSU responded with a pair of Riley Nordgaard free throws to ice away the game.
Peyton Ferris led Montana State with 19 points, while Nordgaard contributed 10 points. Jessica Richardson finished with 17 points for Southern Utah.
Montana 60, Northern Arizona 59 – After struggling for much of the league season, the Montana Lady Griz are now on a winning streak.
The Lady Griz earned their second league win in as many games, fighting off a sustained charge by the Lumberjacks. Montana held a 36-25 halftime lead, but watched that repeatedly dwindle away in the second half.
Northern Arizona took a 57-56 lead with 1:16 remaining, after a Raina Perez three-point shot, and led 59-58 in the final minutes. However, a late jump shot by Montana’s McKenzie Johnston sealed the win, giving the Lady Griz a home sweep this weekend.
Johnston led Montana with 26 points, making 11-of-13 shots. Perez finished with 18 points for Northern Arizona.
Weber State 85, Portland State 75 – The Weber State Wildcats earned a home sweep, picking up a controlling win over the Portland State Vikings.
The Wildcats never trailed in the game, using a hot first half offensively to take control in the game. Weber State led 32-18 after the first quarter, and stayed in front. The Wildcats shot 72.7 percent from three-point range in the first quarter (8-of-11).
Portland State would cut the deficit to six midway through the second quarter, but Weber State responded to take a 48-38 halftime lead. The Vikings made five of their last six shots.
Weber State’s Deeshyra Thomas led the Wildcats with 16 points, one of five double-digit scorers for Weber. Sidney Rielly led all scorers with 32 points.
Idaho State 79, Sacramento State 60 – The Idaho State Bengals used a dominant second quarter to pick up a big home win over the Sacramento State Hornets.
The Bengals outscored the Hornets 21-8 in the second quarter, with ISU taking a 43-28 halftime lead. Idaho State limited Sacramento State to just 14 percent shooting from three-point range (4-of-28).
Estefania Orrs led the day for the Bengals, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Brianna Burgos finished with 9 points for Sacramento State.