by MISSOULA, Montana – Closing out their regular season road schedule, Weber State earned an 86-79 overtime win against the Montana Lady Griz this Saturday afternoon.
The game started as a close contest between the Wildcats and the Lady Griz. However, the Wildcats gained momentum late in the first quarter, using a 6-0 run to create a 17-13 lead as the period ended.
The Wildcats increased their lead to 21-13 during the second quarter. Although the Lady Griz made a few scoring runs, the Wildcats Lanae Billy and Paris Lauro maintained Weber State’s advantage by hitting three 3-pointers. However, with 2:35 remaining in the half and the Wildcats up by seven, Montana scored seven unanswered points to tie the game 30-30 at halftime.
The third quarter was a tight, back-and-forth contest, with neither team able to pull ahead by more than five points as they traded baskets. Weber State found its rhythm from beyond the arc, sinking five 3-pointers in the quarter to take a 51-50 lead into the final frame.
The fourth quarter was tightly contested, as the score was tied five times. With 19 seconds remaining, a successful layup by Antoniette Emma-Nnopu gave Weber State a 69-67 lead. However, a foul called on the Wildcats with only four seconds left allowed the Lady Griz to even the score at 69-69 and send the game into overtime.
The five-minute overtime was a battle of runs. Weber State initially pulled ahead, first with a five-point run to make it 74-69, and then another five points to lead 79-73. However, Montana rallied with a 6-0 run to tie the score at 79-79. In the final minute, Paris Lauro hit a crucial 3-pointer, her fifth of the game. Sydney White then secured the victory with a trio of successful free throws, followed by one from Fui Niumeitolu, to finalize the score at 86-79 in favor of the Wildcats.
