OGDEN, Utah (February 25, 2017) – The North Dakota Fighting Hawks are officially holding the keys to the #RoadToReno.
The Fighting Hawks came into a game against rival Northern Colorado needing a win to clinch the second seed, with the opportunity to extend their lead for the regular season title. UND accomplished the goal,
earning a 75-68 win over the Bears in Grand Forks.
North Dakota led 37-29 at halftime, after holding Northern Colorado to just 31 percent shooting in the first half. The Bears had struggles from the three-point line throughout the game, making just 2-of-14 in the first half. Still, UNC held leads in the first half, before the Fighting Hawks pulled away.
Northern Colorado’s Savannah Scott led all scorers, finishing with 19 points. Last week’s Big Sky player of the week, Makailah Dyer, led the Fighting Hawks with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Idaho 82, Weber State 77 – The Idaho Vandals completed the season sweep of the Weber State Wildcats, helping their cause for higher seeding in Reno.
The Vandals outscored the Wildcats 43-35 in the second half, after trailing 42-39 at halftime. Idaho limited Weber State to 29.4 percent shooting in the final quarter, as the Vandals earned a split of a road trip.
A layup by Geri McCorkell gave the Vandals a 71-70 lead with 3:48 remaining, a lead they would never relinquish. It was a back-and-forth game, with 14 lead changes.
Mikayla Ferenz led all scorers, finishing with 32 points. Geri McCorkell contributed 25 points for the Vandals. Deeshyra Thomas led Weber State with 26 points.
Eastern Washington 61, Idaho State 58 – The Eastern Washington Eagles are well-positioned for a top-four seed heading into the final weekend of the #BigSkyWBB regular season.
The Eagles outscored the Bengals 37-30 in the second half, after Idaho State held a 28-24 halftime lead. The score was tied at 50-50 with 3:57 remaining, before Eastern Washington responded with a 7-0 run that gave them a controlling advantage.
Eastern Washington’s Delaney Hodgins led all scorers with 20 points, making 4-of-6 three-pointers. Ashli Payne finished with 15 points for the Eagles. Lindsay Brown led Idaho State with 14 points, making 6-of-7 field goals.
Sacramento State 110, Southern Utah 104 – The highest scoring game in #BigSkyWBB this season ended with the Sacramento State Hornets getting a road trip split, after a win over the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.
The two teams combined for 161 field goal attempts, with Southern Utah attempting 85 shots. Sacramento State led 50-43, before going on a 37-30 run in the third quarter. The Hornets had their whole team get in on the action, as the bench held a 62-26 advantage over Southern Utah.
Maranne Johnson led the Hornets with 25 points, making 6-of-10 three-point shots. Ashlyn Crenshaw also chipped in 22 points for Sacramento State. Southern Utah’s Jamie Smith led all scorers with 30 points, making 11-of-18 attempts.
Portland State 74, Northern Arizona 73 OT – A back-and-forth affair ended with the Portland State Vikings earning a road win in overtime, over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.
In a game that neither team led by more than six points, Portland State’s Ashley Bolston gave the Vikings a 73-72 lead with 54 seconds in overtime, which PSU never relinquished. The game went to overtime after a dramatic back-and-forth fourth quarter, with Northern Arizona’s Brittani Lusain hitting the tying bucket late in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings held a 50-46 lead entering the fourth quarter, shooting 71.4 percent in the quarter and making 10-of-14 shots. Portland State used its considerable advantages in the paint to stay in the game, as the Vikings held a 36-20 advantage in points-in-the-paint.
Bolston led all scorers in the game, finishing with 24 points for Portland State. Olivia Lucero finished with 19 points for the Lumberjacks.
Montana State 71, Montana 54 – It was the Montana Lady Griz who had the early laugh in a #BrawloftheWild matchup in Bozeman, but it was the Montana State Bobcats who had the last laugh as they swept the season series from their in-state rivals.
The Lady Griz held a 16-6 lead after the first quarter, and a 29-26 halftime lead. However, the Bobcats owned the second half, outscoring Montana 26-7 in the third quarter, to take a 52-36 lead into the final period. Montana State held the Lady Griz to an 18.2 percent clip from the floor in the quarter, making just 2-of-11 field goals.
The win keeps Montana State in position to earn the conference’s top seed in Reno, as they sit one game behind North Dakota. If it comes down to a tie-breaker, the Bobcats will hold the advantage, due to an overtime win over UND.
Delaney Junkermeier led the Bobcats with 19 points, downing 7-of-12 field goals. Peyton Ferris contributed 16 points, while Hannah Caudill finished with 16 points. Hailey Nicholson led Montana with 13 points.