By AUSTIN SMITH
The Lady Griz survived a fast-paced and physical matchup to win 68-52 over the Weber State Wildcats Saturday afternoon. Kellie Cole and Jordan Sullivan both finished with a double-double en route to Montana’s fifth Big Sky Conference victory.
The numbers didn’t come for the Griz at first, however – the Wildcats led for most of the first half, buoyed by sophomore point guard Desiree Ramos who finished with a team-high 17 points and three assists.
Montana tied and took back the lead on a pair of McCalle Feller free throws at the two-minute mark. Weber State threatened a comeback ten minutes into the second half, but Cole and senior point guard Torry Hill maintained their torrential scoring and slammed the door shut for good.
Hill tallied 19 points and two rebounds, but was eclipsed by the high-low combination of Cole and Sullivan. Besides Player of the Game honors, Cole scored 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists – despite only shooting only 36% from the field.
Sullivan walked away with 14 points, 11 rebounds and three demoralizing blocks on the defensive end. She also shot an even 50% and went 2-3 from the perimeter, displaying her effectiveness both in and out of the paint.
The Lady Griz will now take a week off for the commencement of the Spring 2014 semester, but will return to host Southern Utah on Saturday, Feb. 1, and Montana State on Monday, Feb. 3. They will then hit the road for a two-game trip starting at Portland State and ending at Eastern Washington.
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