BOZEMAN, Mont. (January 7, 2023) – After Thursday's streak-busting win in Missoula required a rally back from a 15-point deficit, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks needed no such comeback Saturday afternoon against the defending Big Sky Conference champions.
Leading by five in the opening minutes, the Lumberjacks (9-8, 3-1 Big Sky) quickly set the tone for a back-and-forth, high-scoring battle with the Montana State Bobcats (9-7, 2-2 Big Sky). While Montana State took an eight-point lead midway through the third, Northern Arizona quickly erased it with a pair of threes with neither side leading by more than five for nearly all of the final 14 minutes of play.
Up by one with 2:03 on the clock,
Taylor Feldman connected on a long jumper as the shot clock wound down and with21 seconds remaining,
Sophie Glancey laid in a perfect pass from
Regan Schenck to extend the Lumberjacks' lead to five. Four straight free throws by
Montana Oltrogge closed out the 85-80 victory.
"Our turnover numbers this weekend were really critical in our success," said Lumberjacks head coach
Loree Payne, as her team committed just 21 turnovers in the two wins after entering the week averaging 18.2 per game. "This is like the Big Sky Championship, Boise Tournament type of atmosphere. For them to get to experience it and come out on top with a little confidence is something that is definitely going to stay with us during conference play."
The win snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Bobcats and a 12-game losing streak in Bozeman stretching back to the 2009-10 season. Coupled with Thursday's victory in Missoula, the fourth in school history on the road against the Lady Griz, completed the Lumberjacks' first road sweep of the two Montana schools since 2005 and just the second in program history. For Payne, a Havre, Montana native, it was a special weekend.
"Just to come back here, I think it is always special," Payne said. "We've struggled a little bit here and we've had some close games here, but to be able to complete the sweep... It's something they needed to accomplish, especially the returners really wanted to accomplish that."
The game opened with Schenck taking the opening tip right to the basket for a layup, as the senior once again toyed with a triple-double following an incredible second half. Finishing with a team-high 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, Schenck produced 11 points and eight assists in the second half alone.
After Montana State took a 54-46 lead with 6:26 left in the third, Schenck assisted four consecutive Northern Arizona baskets including three on an 8-0 run built off a layup by Glancey and threes from
Emily Rodabaugh and Feldman.
While the Bobcats regained a five-point lead at 62-57 with less than two minutes in the third, Schenck assisted a three by Oltrogge and put in a pair of layups herself to tie the game at 64. Glancey tied the game at 70 off another assist by Schenck, who later came up with a steal off Montana State's Darian White and drove to the basket for a 75-70 lead.
"Regan's decision making down the stretch has been nearly perfect," Payne said. "I will take her over every single other person in this conference to have the ball in their hands in a close game. She is just on a whole other level. Her elite level of play, especially in crunch time, is outstanding and some of the best I have ever seen from a point guard."
Five Lumberjacks reached double-digits, with Feldman and Glancey each scoring 15 points off the bench, followed by 14 for Oltrogge and 13 by Rodabaugh.
Coupled with a 22-point game against Montana, Glancey bounced back after a tough start to conference play. Hitting 6-10 from the field against the Bobcats, the freshman shot 72.7 percent this week while averaging 18.5 points per game off the bench.
"Last weekend, we had to be reminded that she's a freshman and this is her first weekend in conference play," Payne said. "We have to give her a little bit of grace there. Everything she has been able to do thus far has been so impressive for a freshman."
Meanwhile, Feldman found herself with a larger role off the bench due to the absence of
Nyah Moran and foul trouble for
Olivia Moran. Scoring eight points in the second half, Feldman tied her career-high set this season against Park University.
"She's just a freshman too, she's going to have ups and downs and you expect that," Payne said. "You give them grace and let them play when they are playing well and help teach and grow them when they are struggling a little bit. She stepped up in big moments and that's kind of the type of player she is."
Oltrogge's 14 points pushed her over the 1,000-point mark for her college career after arriving from Idaho State with 802 career points and is averaging a career-high 12.2 for the Lumberjacks. Matching Schenck with a team-high seven rebounds, Oltrogge continued her dominant season on the boards and sits just 90 away from breaking into Northern Arizona's single-season Top 10.
"To have so much success this year, in her last year, I am just really proud of her," Payne said. "That's a huge milestone and accomplishment."
The Lumberjacks return to Flagstaff to face the Portland State Vikings at 6 p.m. on Thursday and the Sacramento State Hornets at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Vikings (6-7, 1-2 Big Sky) snapped a 22-game losing streak in conference play with a 53-43 victory at home against the Idaho Vandals. The Hornets (12-2, 3-0 Big Sky) defeated the Eastern Washington Eagles on Saturday and have won six straight games dating back to Dec. 10.
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