LETHBRIDGE - All five starters reached double digits as the University of Great Falls women's basketball team defeated Lethbridge College 85-46 here Saturday.
The UGF defense held tough in a physical game, limiting the Kodiaks to 23 percent shooting throughout the game and acquired 18 steals. The Lady Argos also dominated the glass, out rebounding Lethbridge 56-39.
The defensive effort showed growth in an area the team is focused on improving early in the season, although they did give up too many open looks on the perimeter.
Offense is less of a work in progress for UGF and that showed again against the Kodiaks. Preseason All-Conference forward Nneka Nnadi led all scorers with 21 points off of 8-14 shooting. The junior added eight rebounds and two steals to her statistical totals.
While Nnadi was the team’s leading scorer, every Argo that played, scored and every starter finished with over 10 points.
UGF’s preseason All-American Erin Legal flirted with a quadruple-double. She finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, six steals and six assists.
Overall, the Lady Argos finished with room for improvement in the shooting department, finished with a percentage of 40 from the field. They did manage to hit a third of their 3-point attempted thanks in large part to the 4-for-4 sharp shooting of junior guard Morgan Grier.
The win puts UGF at 4-0 on the year with the team having yet to play at home. It’ll be awhile still before they make to the McLaughlin Center on November 21, but before that, they’ll travel to a tournament Las Vegas, Nevada from November 13-15.
BILLINGS - Trisha Carlson had 11 kills and two aces, but the C.M. Russell High girls' volleyball team fell to Billings Skyview 3-1 here Saturday.
The Rustlers fell to 4-8 in Eastern AA play and 9-14 overall. Russell faces a playoff game next week, with a berth in the State AA tournament on the line.
Lindsay Anderson had 19 assists and Kiersten Evenson had 32 digs. Katia Michelotti had three blocks for CMR.
BILLINGS - Danielle Devlin had nine assists and four blocks, but Great Falls High dropped a 3-0 decision to Billings West here Saturday in Class AA volleyball play.
The Bison fell to 2-10 in Eastern AA play and 5-18 overall. Great Falls High plays host to Butte High Tuesday night at Swarthout Fieldhouse, with the winner advancing to another match later in the week that will determine a berth in the State AA tournament.
Brooke Ortiz had 13 assists and Hailey Little added 12 digs for the Bison.
CEDAR CITY, Utah - Montana Grizzly freshman Makena Morley of Bigfork claimed her first conference title Saturday morning when she led from start to finish to win the Big Sky Conference cross country championship at the Cedar Ridge Golf Course.
Morley becomes Montana’s first cross country champion since Sabrina Monro won back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000. Morley took the lead just seconds into the race and held it to the finish line, covering the five-kilometer course in a time of 17:45.
Weber State’s Ellie Child, who ran a 17:55, was the only other runner to break 18 minutes.
“That girl made a statement today,” said UM coach Collin Fehr. “She was strong and determined. She wanted it, and she let everybody know from the start that she wanted it and that someone was going to have to do something really special to take it away from her.
Weber State’s women, ranked No. 27 in the nation, placed their top five in the top 15 overall to win their fourth title in the last five years. Morley was the only freshman in the top 14.
Eastern Washington finished second behind Weber State. Northern Arizona, Idaho and Montana State rounded out the top five.
Southern Utah’s men placed five runners in the top 10 overall to snap Northern Arizona’s eight-year run atop the conference. The Thunderbirds went 1-2 behind Hayden Hawks, who ran a 24:56, and Mike Tate, who finished in 25:01.
Southern Utah and Northern Arizona, which finished second, claimed 10 of the top 11 individual spots.
The Thunderbirds and Lumberjacks were followed in the team standings by Weber State, Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana and Montana State.
April 10, 2019, 1:22 p.m.
April 10, 2019, 4:23 p.m.