CALDWELL, Idaho - The Montana Western Bulldog Women's Basketball team defeated (RV) Eastern Oregon University this afternoon 76-68 in an overtime showdown for the opening game of the Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Classic hosted by College of Idaho.

"Crazy game and unbelievable effort by our kids on the boards. I thought out ball movement the second half was really good. Really proud of our ability to hang in when we were down six points late, as well as when they forced overtime." Head Coach Lindsay Woolley said.

How it Happened
In the first quarter, the Bulldogs were tied up with the Mounties with 1:16 left. EOU hit a three pointer and back-to-back free throws to give them the edge going into the second quarter. Down 17-22 to start, the Bulldogs raked in an impressive 17 rebounds as a team. At the end of the half, the Bulldogs led the Mounties 32-29 behind Brynley Fitzgerald who had 15 points and five rebounds. The Bulldogs had 11 more shot opportunities from the field, but shot a 29.7 percent from the field in comparison to EOU's 38.5 percent shooting percentage. The Bulldogs also had just five turnovers as the Mounties doubled that number with a total of 10.

The third quarter got off to a great start as the Bulldogs were able to grab a six-point lead behind a jump shot from Jordan Sweeney and a free throw from Shainy Mack. Up 35-29, the Mounties jumped back in it with a jump shot that gave them a one-point lead and 3:30 left in the quarter. The two teams continued to duke it out through the fourth quarter with neither team being able to take more than a five-point lead in regulation time. Despite being up one point with seven seconds left in the game, the Mounties were able to draw a foul and make a free throw to send the game to overtime. Sweeney kicked off overtime play with a three-pointer to start and the Bulldogs stepped up to the plate to top the Mounties 76-68.

"We were excited to pull out that win in overtime! Our goal heading into overtime was just to stay composed, play solid defense, and get good shots on the other end. We played hard and did it together!" junior guard Sweeney said at the conclusion of the game.

Notables

• The Bulldogs as a team totaled 50 rebounds, a season high thus far and 15 more than that of Eastern Oregon.
• The Bulldogs capitalized off of turnovers as they recorded 17 points off of Mountie turnovers in the game. They also were able to pick up 26 points in the paint and 19 second chance points.
• Jordan Sweeney led the Bulldogs with 26 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. She also shot 55.5 percent from the three-point line and an overall 53 percent from the field.
• Brynley Fitzgerald had her first double-double of the season as she totaled 20 points and 10 rebounds in the game.
• Mesa King had nine boards, eight of which were offensive rebounds. She also added eight points, five assists, two blocks, and two steals.

 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will be back on the court tomorrow evening at 5PM MST where they will take on the hosts College of Idaho Yotes.

Follow us on:
Twitter: @UMWBulldogs
Instagram: @umw_bulldogs
#GOBULLDOGS