OGDEN, Utah — The Montana women's basketball team built a double-digit lead and then held off a Weber State rally to clinch a 51-50 win Thursday, giving the Lady Griz two consecutive Big Sky Conference wins since starting league play with five straight losses.
Montana led 29-22 at halftime and grew the lead to as many as 12 points — 36-24 — midway through the third quarter. Weber State rallied to tie the game at 44-44 with 4:29 to play, but Avery Waddington refused to let the Lady Griz lose.
The 6-foot-3 sophomore guard scored all 10 of Montana's fourth-quarter points, including a crucial 3-pointer that broke the 44-44 tie and then two layups in the final minute to keep the Lady Griz in front.
After Waddington's final basket with 30 seconds to play, Antoniette Emma-Nnopu rattled in a bucket to get the Wildcats within 51-50. But Montana was able to run out the clock — fittingly with Waddington dribbling out the final ticks — and the Lady Griz escaped with the win.
Waddington scored a game-high 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting. She added eight rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot to her stat line. Rae Ehrman chipped in 12 points for Montana, which led for more than 33 minutes of the game.
Emma-Nnopu paced Weber State with a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds. She also had two blocks and three steals.
Montana (5-13 overall, 2-5 Big Sky) will look for its third consecutive win Saturday against Idaho State. The Lady Griz and Bengals are scheduled to tip off at 2 p.m. in Pocatello, Idaho.
Weber State (6-14, 0-7) has lost seven consecutive games to start its Big Sky Conference schedule. The Wildcats host Montana State at 2 p.m. Saturday.
