BOISE, Idaho — On the court Tuesday during day four of the Big Sky Basketball Championships in Downtown Boise, there were exciting semi-finals comebacks and heartbreaking ends to seasons.
The first women’s semifinal game featured Idaho State against the #1 seeded Montana State… The Bobcats started off strong. Guard Esme Morales, 12, collected 14 points for her team. Isobel Bunyan, 15, the sophomore from Wales hitting multiple three pointers leading her team to a dominant 75-42 win over the Bengals.
A close matchup between Northern Arizona and Montana determined who will face the Bobcats in Wednesday’s Championship game.
In the first quarter, The Lady Griz offered a challenge but the Lumberjacks responded in the second quarter with strong defensive plays… leading by 9 points at halftime.
But the Griz chipped away at the Jacks lead. Flipping the game on its head in the final quarter by narrowing the point margin and scoring 30 points. Ultimately, the Griz secured a 71-67 win.
Montana State will now see a championship matchup against their cross-state rivals.
For the Men’s bracket, the semifinal matchup between Northern Colorado and the three time reigning champions Montana State… ending in heartbreak for the Bobcats… erasing their “four-peat” dreams.
The Bears proved to be worthy of a spot in the championship, by shutting out the Bobcats for the first 8 minutes of the game, the final score 72-45.
The Montana Griz ultimately won the last semi final game, ending the Vandals season with a strong 78-55 win. They’ll play in the Starch Madness Championship game Wednesday night against the Northern Colorado Bears.
