UPDATE: Brawl of the Wild in Women's Championship, MSU's Cinderella Dreams Fall Short as Grizzlies Move On

Both Montana women’s teams took care of business yesterday, leading to a Brawl of the Wild tonight in the Big Sky Women’s Basketball Championship. Tipoff is at 3:00 pm MDT on March 12th. Broadcast on ESPNU and ESPN+.

#5 Idaho State: 42 vs #1 Montana State: 75

The Cats opened the game with a 10-0 run, helped by a pair of Esmeralda Morales 3-pointers. The first ended 10-24, but the Bengals held the Cats to only 5 points in the second until the last minute, where the Cats put up 7 to make it 21-36 at half. Montana State came out of halftime firing on all cylinders, putting up 21 points and holding Idaho State to just 6. With a 30-point difference and only 10:00 on the clock, MSU coach Tricia Binford was able to use the bench, giving underclassmen valuable tournament experience. Isobel Bunyan led the Cats in scoring with 15, with Esmeralda Morales scoring 14 on 3-6 from three.

#6 Montana: 71 vs #2 Northern Arizona: 67

The Grizzlies kept the game close through the first, with the score 13-15 as the second started. Northern Arizona pushed ahead into the third, extending the lead to 19-33 with 2:45 left in the half. The Lady Griz clawed back to cut the lead to single digits at halftime, and coming out of the break it was back-and-forth between the two teams. Down 41-48 to start the 4th, the Lady Griz were fighting their demons against the Lumberjacks, who had knocked them out of the tournament twice in the last three years. Dani Bartsch only had 9 points on the game, but a pair of free throws gave the Lady Griz a 53-52 lead with 5:00 left in the 4th. The Lady Griz scored 30 total points in the 4th, and after they took the lead they held on through the final buzzer for their first title appearance since 2015. Mack Konig exploded for 29, going 9/15 from the field and 2/3 from deep.

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The Grizzlies will head to the Big Sky Championship game against Northern Colorado in a #1 vs #2 matchup in the Men’s championship. With Big 12 and ACC action going on as well, the men get the west coast treatment with a 9:30 pm MDT tipoff on March 12th. Broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

#5 Montana State: 45 vs #1 Northern Colorado: 72

Everyone knew it’d be an uphill battle for the Bobcats, but there was hope given the 15-18 squad’s performance thus far in the tournament. Unfortunately, their Cinderella run would end here, and there were early signs as the Bears went on a 15-0 run to start the game. The Cats were able to answer with an 8-0 run, but it was a fruitless effort as the Bears led 17-29 at halftime. Coming out of the half, the Bears put up another 15-2 run that doubled their 11-point to 24. Bryce Zephir was the only player to reach double-digits for the Cats, scoring 11 points as the team shot an abysmal 23.6% percent from the floor and only 16.7% from deep.

#6 Idaho: 55 vs #2 Montana: 78

No more upsets in Boise as #2 Montana held off #6 Idaho in the semifinal. Idaho would keep it close though the first 5 minutes with a tie at 7, until Austin Patterson sent the Griz up by 3. The Grizzlies would lead from then on, putting up a total of 39 in the first half on 45% from the field. Montana would maintain control, scoring another 39 in the second on their way to a 78-55 victory over Idaho. Austin Patterson scored 20 points in just 27 minutes, making 5 of his 10 3-point attempts. Money Williams and Kai Johnson each put up 13.

Brawl of the Wild Looms in Big Sky Championship Fight

After three days of Big Sky basketball, Montana and Montana State remain in contention in both men's and women's brackets. With only four teams remaining and a ticket to the Big Dance at stake, Big Sky basketball is reaching must-watch status.

Read More: High School Basketball State Tournaments: All-Class Preview

#5 Idaho State vs #1 Montana State - Women’s Semifinal - ESPN+

For the third time this year, the Bengals will face the Bobcats. The last time these two met in February, it ended in a Montana State victory 74-60 over Idaho State with Marah Dykstra scoring 29. Esmeralda Morales will also be one to watch, averaging 15 points a game for the Cats. The Bengals will have to step up their defense, as they were outscored by 56 points between their last two meetings. 9-1 in their last 10 games, #1 Montana State comes in as the heavy favorite, -6.5 over Idaho State. Tipoff will be Tuesday, March 11th, at noon MST.

#6 Montana vs #2 Northern Arizona - Women’s Semifinal - ESPN+

#6 Montana comes off an upset over #3 ranked Idaho and will look to continue their Cinderella run in what the Big Sky Conference is calling ‘Starch Madness’. The Grizzlies have been outscored by 2.5 points per game, and with Northern Arizona’s 9 3-pointers per game, coach Brian Holsinger will have defense on his mind. Mack Konig will look to lead the way offensively, scoring 20 points against Idaho, with Avery Waddington adding 17 of her own. ESPN analytics has NAU at an 81% chance of grabbing victory. The game is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11th, at 2:30 pm MST.

The Women’s Championship is scheduled to be played at 3:00 pm MST on March 12th. Broadcast on ESPNU and ESPN+.

#5 Montana State vs #1 Northern Colorado - Men’s Semifinal - ESPNU, ESPN+

The sub-.500 Montana State Bobcats will have some work ahead of them as they go against the #1, 24-8 Northern Colorado Bears. Montana State has matched up well against the Bears in their last two games, with their margin of loss between the two being only 7 points. Marcell McCreary averaged 18 off the bench in those two games on an average of 24 minutes, highlighting the depth of this year’s Northern Colorado team. Northern Colorado opened at a -4.5 favorite according to ESPN Bet, which has since gone up to -5.5. Bobcats hit the hardwood on Tuesday, March 11th, at 7:00 pm MST.

#6 Idaho vs #2 Montana - Men’s Semifinal - ESPN2, ESPN+

12-1 in their last 13, the Grizzlies will be looking to add another win to that record against the Vandals, whom they’ve beaten in both meetings this year. Money Williams and Malik Moore are both averaging 13+ points a game and shooting above 40% on the year. The Vandals are coming off of an 80-70 upset over the Portland State Vikings, where Kristian Gonzalez and Jack Payne both eclipsed 20 points. Vegas still sides with Montana, however, with the lines opening with Montana a -5.5 favorite. Tipoff is Tuesday, March 11th, at 9:30 pm MST.

The Men’s Championship is scheduled to be played at 9:30 pm MST on March 12th. Broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN+.