By AUSTIN SMITH
The Lady Griz are officially on a win streak after Monday’s 85-47 thrashing of Minot State in the second game of their 2012-13 season.
Katie Baker earned top honors with a calmly placed 19 points, shooting a little over 70% from both the line and two-point range with the practiced silence of an assassin.
Baker, along with standout sophomore forward Maggie Rickman, dominated the paint for a total of 23 Griz offensive rebounds, keeping Montana safely in the lead throughout the matchup.
The Lady Griz squad performed as a cohesive unit in the face of Minot’s persistent junior forward, Carly Boag. Boag’s 15 points and powerful defensive showing spurred the Beavers to press onward, despite being outscored by approximately 20 points each half.
Montana’s bench was responsible for 40 points alone, and not one Lady Griz player logged less than 10 minutes of playing time. Head Coach Robin Selvig has a balanced team this year that has congealed around senior and freshman leadership alike.
Baker was helped Monday by fellow senior Kenzie De Boer’s seven points, four rebounds and single assist. Shanae Gilham also came to play, adding 14 points and eight rebounds in an impressive showing that echoes last week’s display of freshman fortitude.
The Lady Griz will be traveling into hurricane territory and looking to extend the streak to three games when they meet the Temple Owls this Friday in Philadelphia, Penn. They’ll be back to the home turf of Dahlberg Arena the following Tuesday, November 13, to host MSU Northern.
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Austin Smith is a 21-year resident of the Missoula area, and an ardent fisherman, hunter, and snowboarder. When not working on the University of Montana campus, taking classes in the Journalism program, or contributing to the social media efforts of several local organizations, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his Akita and his family.