BIGFORK — One of the most decorated basketball players to come out of Bigfork High School has recently announced her return to the Treasure State.
After spending her freshman year at BYU, Braeden Gunlock entered the transfer portal and announced on April 11 that she will suit up for the Montana State Bobcats.
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“I loved BYU, I loved my experience in Utah,” Gunlock said. “I think it just all came down to me wanting to come home. I love Montana, I think this is the place for me.”
Gunlock appeared in 31 games with the Cougars this past season. She averaged 1.5 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game.
She hopes to bring the experience she gained playing at a big program like BYU to Montana State.
Even with her skill set, she believes there is much more to learn throughout the rest of her basketball career.
“What I was really looking for was a school where I know I’m going to grow in areas off the court, on the court, and so I think with the whole coaching staff, they’re willing to push me to be better every day,” Gunlock said.
Gunlock is no stranger to being pushed, given her storied high school career, which included two state championship appearances and one win.
She also believes growing up playing in Montana has set her up for success at MSU.
“Montana basketball to me is a lot of grit and determination,” Gunlock said. “If you want to be the best, you have to work hard every single day. And yeah, translating over to MSU, all the kids in Montana know it takes a lot to be at that level.”
Now that she is committed, Gunlock hopes she can help keep the Bobcats’ recent success going with her play.
“I want to win, that’s just who I am as a person,” Gunlock said. “I think that MSU’s program is definitely a winning program, and I want to be part of that. Everybody wants to be part of that. My time at MSU, I want to win, and I know coach (Tricia) Binford wants to win and everybody else on that team.”
