Montana advances to NCAAs

Sun., March 16, 2008

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

The Montana women’s basketball team is returning to the NCAA tournament after a 101-65 win Saturday over Montana State in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference tournament at Missoula.

Mandy Morales scored 24 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead Montana. She also had seven assists. The Lady Griz made 15 of 24 3-pointers in the rout.

Montana State led by as many as eight points early in the game, before Montana started hitting 3-pointers and pulled away. The Lady Griz led 49-31 at halftime.

The Lady Griz will learn their seeding and first-round NCAA opponent on Monday.

Fresno State 72, New Mexico State 56: Freshman Jaleesa Ross scored 16 of her 20 points in the second half and the Bulldogs (22-10) advanced to the women’s NCAA tournament for the first time, beating the Aggies (23-9) in the Western Athletic Conference tournament championship at Las Cruces, N.M.

Tierre Wilson scored 17 points and Bailey Amundsen added 11 for the Bulldogs, who have won four straight and 20 of their last 22 games.

New Mexico State lost in the WAC tournament championship game for the third consecutive year.

Other championships

Big 12: No. 11 Texas A&M 64, No. 18 Oklahoma State 59; Big West: UC Santa Barbara 74, UC Davis 59; Mid-American: Miami of Ohio 67, Ohio 56; MEAC: Coppin State 72, North Carolina A&T 70; Mountain West: New Mexico 62, San Diego State 59; Southland: Texas-San Antonio 65, Lamar 56; SWAC: Jackson State 63, Prairie View A&M 61.

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Montana advances to NCAAs

Other championships

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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