N. Colorado rallies, catches Lady Griz in OT
GREELEY, Colo. — Alexis Chapman scored 23 points, including two 3-pointers in the final minute of regulation to force overtime, and Northern Colorado rallied past the Montana Lady Griz 72-64 in Big Sky Conference women’s basketball Wednesday.
The loss kept Montana (18-10 overall, 11-8 in league) from locking down one of the five byes into next week’s Big Sky Tournament in Boise.
Montana led 57-50 on Carmen Gfeller’s layup with 3:10 left in regulation, and 59-52 on two Kyndall Keller free throws at the 1:04 mark.
Chapman hit a 3-pointer and Sydney Stensgard hit a jumper sandwiched around a Lady Griz turnover, to close the gap to 59-57.
Montana committed another turnover, got the ball back on a Bears miss, and then Gfeller hit one free throw with 13 seconds remaining. She missed the second, and Chapman hit another three with 9 seconds left to force OT.
The Bears (12-15, 8-11) scored the first five points of overtime, including a layup by Kurstyn Harden, to go up 65-60. With 1:23 left Chapman hit a jumper for a 67-61 UNC lead, and two Hannah Simental free throws made it 69-61 with 48 seconds remaining.
Simental ended with 16 points; Harden had 15.
Gfeller led Montana with 16 points. Nyah Morris-Nelson added 11 and Abby Anderson and Sophia Stiles had 10 each. Stiles and Gfeller both snared seven rebounds. Anderson blocked four shots.
Montana completes its regular season with a game at Sacramento State Friday.
MONTANA — Gfeller 6-10 3-4 16, Keller 1-7 2-2 4, Tsineke 0-3 0-0 0, Morris-Nelson 4-10 0-0 11, Huard 2-8 1-1 6, Anderson 2-5 6-7 10, Stiles 4-13 0-0 10, Frohlich 2-2 3-5 7, Bartsch 0-1 0-0. Totals 21-59 15-19 64.
NORTHERN COLORADO — Simental 4-14 6-6 16, Chapman 9-19 0-1 23, Isenbart 2-6 4-4 9, Downing 0-4 0-2 0, Stensgard 3-5 1-1 8, Harden 6-9 3-6 15, Lipe 0-3 0-0 0, Gorzeman 0-1 0-0 0, Campbell 0-4 1-2 1, Galloway 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-64 15-22 72.
Montana 18 15 13 14 4 - 64
UNC 13 15 10 22 12 - 72
3-point goals — Montana 7-27 (Morris-Nelson 3-7, Stiles 2-6, Gfeller 1-2, Huard 1-7, Keller 0-4, Tsineke 0-1), UNC 9-25 (Chapman 5-8, Simental 2-9, Isenbart 1-1, Downing 0-4, Stensgard 1-1, Lipe 0-2). Rebounds — Montana 39 (Stiles 7, Gfeller 7), UNC 46 (Downing 8, Harden 8). Fouls — Montana 20, UNC 19. Fouled out — Anderson, Stiles, Harden. Assists — Montana 10 (Keller 3), UNC 15 (2 with 3). Steals — Montana 4 (4 with1), UNC 8 (2 with 2). Blocks — Montana 5 (Anderson 4, Stiles), UNC 3. Turnovers — Montana 16, UNC 16..