GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Stephanie McDonagh gathered the offensive rebound off an intentionally missed free throw from teammate Darah Huertas-Vining and got off a shot as the buzzer sounded. The shot fell, but it wasn't out of her hands in time and the Lady Argos lost to Montana Tech 65-63.
The game featured 9 ties and 14 lead changes, most of which came in a nail biting fourth quarter. UGF led 29-22 at the half, due in most part to a 21-11 second quarter performance. Tech answered with an equally impressive third quarter score of 24-14.
Offense was at a premium in the first quarter, particularly for the Argos. While the Orediggers finished the first 10 minutes with 11 points off 3-14 shooting, the Lady Argos only had 8 points and made just one field goal in 14 attempts.
That all turned around in the second quarter. UGF improved from 7 percent shooting to 47 percent, scoring 24 points and holding Tech to just 14. During that run, junior guard Stephanie McDonagh scored 9 points and the Lady Argos hit both of their 3-point attempts.
Thanks to the second quarter effort, UGF entered halftime up 29-22 with the third quarter, traditionally the team's best, coming up.
This time, the third quarter did not bring out the best of the Lady Argos. An early three from freshman Jenna Randich increased UGF's lead to 9 but after that, the team's offensive struggles returned. Before her three, Nneka Nnadi made a layup, and after Whitney George did the same. Those three shots were the only ones that went through the hoop for UGF in the quarter.
Unlike in the first quarter, the Orediggers didn't match UGF's scoring deficiency. Even without star point guard Hattie Thatcher, Tech shot 53 percent, benefiting off UGF mistakes to the tune of 7 points off turnovers.
The trend continued in the fourth quarter but to a lesser degree. Tech scored 5 more points off turnovers to finish the game and UGF still struggled to shoot. What kept the Lady Argos in the game was an ability to get to the free-throw line and make shots from the charity stripe.
UGF went 15-21 from the line in the second half. Those free throws gave the Lady Argos a 61-60 lead with 55 seconds left. A Tech layup and two free throws, broken up by a Nnadi free throw, put the score at 64-62.
The Lady Argos had the ball down two, with 24 seconds left but a turnover sent Tech back in transition. This time, however, the Orediggers traveled giving the ball back to UGF, but after the whistle blew a Lady Argo player ran into the ball handler and drew a technical foul. Tech made one of two, giving the ball back to UGF with 9 seconds, down by three.
On the final possession, Randich got two semi-open looks from three but couldn't make either one, but senior guard Darah Huertas-Vining grabbed two offensive rebounds and eventually got fouled with one second left.
She made the first free throw and did her job well, intentionally missing the second. McDonagh crashed down the right lane, grabbed the ball and put up the potential game-tying shot but couldn't get it out of her hand before the buzzer sounded.
McDonagh, Huertas-Vining, and Nnadi combined for 43 of UGF's 63 points. Huertas-Vining led the Lady Argos with 8 rebounds and 4 assists while also scoring 14 points. McDonagh led UGF in points with 16, while grabbing 5 rebounds. Nnadi scored 13 points, 7 of which came from the free-throw line.
Along with free throws, hustle on the offensive glass was key for UGF. The Lady Argos finished the game with 25 offensive rebounds, and scored 17 second chance points.
The Lady Argo's record now stands at 12-7 (1-7). UGF will go on the road for the first time in 20 days, traveling to Havre, Montana to take on (11) Montana State University – Northern at 6:00 p.m. on January, 26.
