Tag Archives: Lady Griz Basketball

Robin Selvig named coach of the year

19 Mar

Tuesday the Big Sky Conference recognized Lady Griz head coach Robin Selvig as the Big Sky Conference coach of the year.

In 35 years of coaching, Selvig has 798-254 record. He has won Big Sky Conference coach of the year 14 times, won five times in the Mountain West Conference and once in the Northwest Women’s Basketball League.

“Everyone is very loyal to him,” sophomore Maggie Rickman said. “He has earned it in every way and I haven’t met someone who doesn’t like him for everything yet.”

Rickman was drawn to the program for Selvig’s respect others give him for his accomplishments and personality.

Senior Katie Baker and Big Sky Conference MVP said she wanted to join Montana four years ago because Selvig said they were about more than just basketball.

“He said we love the game but it’s not just about basketball, we want them to have a good college career and a good life,” Baker said. “Basketball ball coaches across the country live and breathe basketball and he loves the team but it’s more than just basketball with him. It’s a family and a love and that’s what pulled me in.”

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Lady Griz receive 13 seed, to face 4 Georgia seed

19 Mar
Tim Goessman/Montana KaiminFrom left, Kenzie De Boer, Alexandra Hurley and Lady Griz teammates watch a tv screen at the Press Box March 18, 2013 moments before they learned of their seeding against 4-seed Georgia Saturday, March 23, 2013 for a second-round NCAA tournament game.

Tim Goessman/Montana Kaimin
From left, Kenzie De Boer, Alexandra Hurley and Lady Griz teammates watch a tv screen at the Press Box March 18, 2013 moments before they learned of their seeding against 4-seed Georgia Saturday, March 23, 2013 for a second-round NCAA tournament game.

Every player’s eyes on the Lady Griz basketball team were glued to the TV’s in the Press Box waiting to hear who and where they would play in the Women’s 2013 NCAA tournament. At 5 p.m. the first three teams were announced.

Then it finally came: 13th seeded Montana vs. 4th seeded Georgia in Spokane, Wash. at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The room erupted in cheers. Continue reading →

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Lady Griz win Big Sky Conference championship, to head to NCAA tournament

19 Mar

The Northern Colorado Bears were second once again in the Big Sky Conference championship as the Lady Griz fought their way to a 56-43 win for the BSC championship. Montana has the Big Sky automatic berth to the NCAA tournament and will find out Monday evening who and where they play.

“I’m thrilled for these ladies, from day one they’ve been determined and they backed it up,” head coach Robin Selvig said. “I think we beat a really good team today, a really good defensive and rebounding team. You know I watched them and we played them twice and I think how in the heck are we going to score.” Continue reading →

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Lady Griz headed to conference championship game

19 Mar
Samuel Wilson/ Montana KaiminUniversity of Montana forward Torry Hill (2) fights her way past the half court line Friday, March 15, 2013 in Dahlberg Arena. UM beat Sacramento State 74-53.

Samuel Wilson/ Montana Kaimin
University of Montana forward Torry Hill (2) fights her way past the half court line Friday, March 15, 2013 in Dahlberg Arena. UM beat Sacramento State 74-53.

Forget that six days ago the Lady Griz (23-7) lost to the Sacramento State Hornets (19-12) in Montana’s final regular season game. Montana’s memorable part about the two team’s history this season is when No. 1 Montana beat the Hornets 74-53 in the 2013 Big Sky Conference Tournament semi-final game.

Montana will face the No. 2 seeded Northern Colorado Bears Saturday at 2 p.m. for the Big Sky Conference championship. Continue reading →

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Aside

One Man, one thousand games

15 Mar

Every Friday the Kaimin has a special issue of their paper called a “Friday Kaimin.” This is like a regular paper except that there is one big feature story. I had the privilege to do a profile on women’s head basketball coach Robin Selvig, who completed his 34th season at Montana. Here is a link to check out the story.

http://www.montanakaimin.com/news/one-man-one-thousand-games-1.2795582#.T2KBOhHeBAU

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Burn camp helps Lady Griz’s Smith excel

24 Feb

Alyssa Smith (00), tries to score a basket against the Portland State Vikings in the Dahlberg Arena. (Forest Chaput de Saintonge/Montana Kaimin)

To competitors, when Lady Griz junior forward Alyssa Smith enters a game, her 6-foot frame and intense eyes indicate a fierce player. To her father, she’s his little girl and he gets choked up talking about her: the compassion he sees in her makes him a better man and her journey with the Northwest Burn Foundation has transformed her life.

Last Saturday’s game was not only against Portland State, but was also a fundraiser for a pivotal group in the Smith family’s life.

Her journey with the Northwest Burn Foundation, an organization close to the basketball star’s heart, began when she was 7-years-old. When Alyssa was a toddler, her hands were severely burned from wrist to fingertip after running them through scalding water in a bathroom sink at her daycare in Monroe, Wash. The water-heater was accidently cranked up to 140 degrees. Since, she has had total-hand skin grafts. Alyssa said it was difficult growing up because kids would question or taunt her for the way her hands looked. She would always try to hide them in sweaters. She never wore nail polish, and she never wore rings. When a firefighter who lived in her neighborhood approached her parents about the Northwest’s Camp Eyabsut in North Bend, Wash., her father Si Smith didn’t think she needed to go.

“To begin with, she was relatively confident, even before she was 7,” Si said. “I didn’t see her as a victim; I saw a beautiful, strong little girl. I guess I didn’t want her to go away from me for a week.” Continue reading →

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