BUTTE, Mont. – Defending national champion Montana Western jumped out to a 19-11 lead after a quarter of play and never looked back to win their season opener 85-56 on Friday afternoon over The College of Idaho.
Despite replacing four of five starters from the championship team of a year ago, the Bulldogs (1-0) looked strong throughout, shooting 35-of-62 from the field and 4-of-8 on 3-pointers.
Four players scored in double-figures for Montana Western, including Mesa King (14), Jenni Weber (14), Shannon Worster (13) and Paige Holmes (12).
The Bulldogs capitalized on 17 turnovers by the Yotes (0-2), which led to 21 points.
C of I was led in the scoring department for the second day in a row by
Mackenzie Royce-Radford, who scored 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
Emily Harwood had a strong first quarter and was the second-leading scorer with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor.
Montana Western found success on the interior throughout the contest, winning the points in the paint battle 44-18. The Bulldogs also held a 36-32 edge in rebounds, however
Tayla Sayer battled her way to seven boards for the Yotes.
It was an off-shooting day for C of I from the perimeter, as the squad shot just 4-of-21 from outside.
The Yotes conclude a tough Montana road stretch with a game against Montana Tech tomorrow evening at 5 p.m.
