Nov. 18, 2000
MISSOULA, Mont. - San Diego State had four players score in double figures, but its wasn't enough to overcome a tough Lady Griz team on its own floor, as the Montana avenge its lost to the Aztecs from last season with a 68-58 victory over SDSU Saturday night in the season opener for both squads in front of 3,472 fans at Dahlberg Arena.
Senior Lauren Cooper and Montana's front line gave the Aztecs fits all night as the Lady Griz never trailed. Cooper, UM's all-time three-point shooter, led all scorers with 17 points, including nine from behind the arc. Montana also dominated the glass, outrebounding SDSU 40-28.
"We really got hurt on the inside," said head coach Barb Smith. "Our post game was not that strong tonight and it proved to be the difference, especially in the second half."
Sophomore Jamey Cox led San Diego State with 13 points, including 3-for-6 shooting from three-point range. Three Aztec newcomers, Nicolette McCartny, Tanisha Knight and Missy Schomaker, also scored in double digits.
Montana rode a 14-3 run, including nine points by Cooper midway through the first half, to a 30-21 lead at intermission. The Aztecs pulled to within eight point on six different occasions over the final 12:43 but could not draw closer, as the Lady Griz, who pulled down 25 offensive boards continued to dominate the inside.
"We wanted to do three things tonight: get more rebounds, get to the free-throw line more and have less turnovers," Smith said, whose Aztecs committed just 16 turnovers to 19 by Montana. "We were really able to only accomplish one of the three and that made it tough for us."
Also making it tough for the Aztecs was a first half shooting performance that saw San Diego State connect on just 25 percent (7-for-28) of its shots. Though the Aztecs settled down to shoot at a 54-percent clip in the second half (14-for-26), SDSU never got on enough of a run to significantly cut into Montana's lead.
San Diego State returns to the hardwood in just three days when the Aztecs travel to Loyola Marymount on Tuesday, Nov. 21 for a 7 p.m. tip-off versus the Lions.