By AUSTIN SMITH
Freshman Shanae Gilham earned her second ‘Player of the Game’ honors Tuesday evening as the Lady Griz trounced the MSU-Northern Skylights 75-45 for their third win this season.
Gilham’s dominance buoyed Montana over a ferocious full-court press from the Skylights that seemed to last all night. The first year guard tied Katie Baker with 12 points, led her team with three assists, and placed a cherry on top of the Lady Griz win with a clutch steal late in the second period that visibly deflated the MSU bench.
Short an injured Maggie Rickman, ‘Selvig’s Sirens’ leapt ahead early in the first period and matched the Skylights’ defensive intensity from start to finish. MSU-Northern struggled to retain possession, crumbling in the face of 20 total turnovers and only seven offensive rebounds.
The Lady Griz also lagged early on the offensive boards, missing several second-chance opportunities before being revived by senior guard Kenzie De Boer’s automatic low-block jumper and Jordan Sullivan’s persistent paint work.
Sullivan initially struggled to make herself some room down low but by halftime was nonchalantly netting rebounds, ultimately tallying nine boards and eight points for the contest. Alyssa Smith, Kellie Cole, and De Boer each added 10 points to the coffer, doing their part to avoid a repeat of last week’s tough loss to the Temple Owls.
The Lady Griz will head to Sin City next week to participate in the UNLV Lady Rebel Roundup, and will return to Dahlberg Arena November 29th to host the Idaho Vandals for the 32nd Lady Griz Classic.
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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.