We’ve been inspired by “Grizzly” Bill Schwanke’s latest blog post, so we want to know: What’s your best Griz or Lady Griz b-ball moment?
Tell us about it in the comments below now through Jan. 20 to enter the contest. Then, come back Jan. 21-24 to vote for your favorite moment. The winner will get a University of Montana print by Monte Dolack! (Shown here).
It’s easy. To enter, scroll down to “Leave a Reply”. We can’t wait to hear your top favorite Griz or Lady Griz b-ball moment.
[...] What about you? Got some UM basketball favorite memories of your own? Want to win a GREAT PRIZE? Enter our Griz/Lady Griz Contest HERE. [...]
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This is a hard question…. best LG or Griz moment. For me there are so many moments and so I picked one very memorable game. My “moment” is being a part of the 2000 conference championship game against Cal State Northridge in Dahlberg Arena. We won 66-53 in front of a large loyal crowd. So many emotions played into that game and night for me. First off, the year prior we were plagued by injuries (two of those injuries being my ACL – twice torn) and had the first ever losing record for the Lady Griz. Secondly, it was our first year back in the newly renovated Adams Center – we spent the year previous playing in Sentinel High School. We proved to ourselves, the fans, and all of the teams that pounded on us the year before (one being Northridge) that we belonged back on top and in the NCAA tournament.
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I have two. First is Kieth Crawfords dunk over Nevada Reno’s Thomas in the 91-92 Big Sky championship game. Second watching my future wife dominate the Big Sky Women’s Tourney to win the league championship and tournament MVP.
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Wow–hard to pick one or two. My favorite memories would have to include the Lady Griz/MSU W.A.R. (Women’s Attendance Record Game) of 1988??? It was a sell-out crowd of nearly 9,000, the whole arena was decorated in camouflage, ROTC members repelled from the then false ceiling to bring in the game ball. Both teams were undefeated coming into the contest–with 20+ games under their belts. I don’t remember the final score, but the Lady Griz won–and we set the Women’s attendance record west of the Mississippi. For men, early games with Eric Hayes and of course ANY game that involved Larry Krystokowiak. He’s my ABSOLUTE hero!!!!
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Montana Grizzly Basketball’s best memories are all about the energy, excitement and the people you meet. I have met some great people over the years. The atmosphere is so electric and it really lit up last night when Marc Mariani was at center court and then addressed the crowd…how cool was that? GO GRIZ!
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As a kid I remember watching Micheal Ray Richardson 1.0 (yea before the other version) play for the Griz. They used to call him “Sugar” Ray Richardson
Somehow, we local kids would sneak down to the floor level and watch the excitement unfold. I have no idea how we’d get so close to the floor… it was either great ingenuity on our part… or a compassionate usher (probably the latter). He was truly awesome to see- a dominator!
He was later drafted by the NY Knicks and immediately became an impact player. Incredibly, he was drafted 2 picks AHEAD of the great Larry Bird. His eventual banishment from the NBA couldn’t erase all of the great memories collected by anyone that saw him play ball (either in college OR in the NBA).
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What about Eric Hayes in the playoff game against UCLA? HELLO!
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I have quite a few favorite memories starting as a young kid. Going to Lady Griz games with my dad (Nick McEnaney) to watch a couple of his former players. Mens Griz games have a lot of memories, my dad did the shot clock so my brother and I went to every game and were allowed after the games to shoot around while they cleared the scorers table. We use to shoot from half court and even made a few so my dad talked me into signing up for the “shoot from center court contest”, I finally got picked and just knew I was going to make it. The first 2 contestants air-balled really bad, I got lined up and let fly a ball that was right on line, the only problem was it landed about 12 rows in the bleachers after clearing the shot clock, needless to say I still catch grief. I would have to say that my ‘favorite’ memory was one game I was allowed to sit at the scorers table with dad, I can’t recall the opponent but remember it was a really tight and intense game and my dad being a former coach was really into the game but still doing good at keeping the shot clock correct, but again dad was very into the game. Dad was so into the game that at one point coach Stew Morrill came to the table and said, Nick, you have to get off the officials, they said if you don’t they are going to give us a technical. Thankfully the Griz didn’t get a technical and dad and Stew were able to laugh about it later but I was also jokingly appointed by Stew to keep dad out of trouble.
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One of my favorite Lady Griz moments happened in Los Angeles. It was 1984 and we were playing USC, the eventual national champions that year, in the first game of the Sweet Sixteen, . People on their team included future broadcaster Cheryl Miller and 6’4″ twins, the McGee sisters. The game was dubbed “the asphalt vs the jungle” or something similar.
Highlights included a cartwheel during the game by Cheryl Miller (I didn’t appreciate the cockiness she exhibited) and a broken nose for Natalie Streeter, who was on the receiving end of getting her head smashed to the floor by, yes you guessed it, Cheryl Miller.
We ended up losing by approximately 20 points, but I was soo proud to be on a Robin Selvig coached team. He took a team of mostly homegrown Montana girls and got us to the Big Dance.
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So, so many great Griz and Lady Griz games over the years. Best individual performances have to be Eric Hays v. UCLA, in sold out Portland Coliseum, scoring 36 points against eventual NCAA National Champion UCLA; and, Shannon Cate scoring 34 at Wisconson with 8,000+ screaming Badger fans in the Big Dance, advancing Montana to to play USC.
Best shot has to be Doug Selvig’s 1982 put-back at the buzzer against #8 Ranked Idaho (16-0 at the time) at Adams Field House in front of 9,300 wild Griz Fans. The roar at the buzzer blew the roof off! Idaho was beat only two times during the regular season by Doug Selvig and Montana and Notre Dame.
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My favorite memory was a game I attended in 2000. I don’t remember who we played, or if we won. I was working for the School of Journalism at the time, and was a big sister (Big Brothers/Big Sisters) to a delightful little girl named Jamie. Jamie was 9 years old, and was thrilled when I told her that the President of the University had given me 2 tickets to the men’s basketball game. She had never been to the arena, and all I remember of that game was her awe and excitement. She noticed everything. When the dancers came out at halftime her eyes sparkled and she said, “I want to be one of them”. All the way home that night, all she said over and over was “wow”.
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My most memorable game was the Montana versus Idaho game in 1991. It was nationally televised on ESPN. The Gulf War was taking place and protesters were loud and proud on campus in those days. As it turns out, they also had a plan to stage a protest at the Griz game that evening. Of course, The Zoo, as the former raucous student section was affectionately called, got the crowd in a frenzy by rolling potatoes on the floor as the Vandals starting lineups were introduced.
Then all hell broke loose…..a dozen protesters stormed the court and laid down in the shape of a peace sign. The Missoula Police Department was all over it, and “removed” them from the floor. One guy, named Duminda DeZoysa was drug off the playing floor by his hair! It happended right next to me. Needless to say, the crowd went wild, loving every minute of it. Of course, the ESPN Announcers were all over it. The next day it was all over ABC, CBS, and NBC news. I will never forget that game.
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Wow. Where to begin…I would have to say I have a few…My junior year we averaged over 6000 fans per game and went on to the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament at USC, beating Wisconsin was awesome!!! I would also say that year we had a joint hosting w/the men for the Big Sky Tourney. We both won and the old fieldhouse was packed to the rafters for 2 straight days!!! More so, Robin loved my defense and always felt everyone should’ve paid attention to all of the charges I took and my ability to dominate the middle w/my rebounding…Such a winning traditon, respected coaching and such great fans will always be a part of Montana history and I feel so fortunate to have been a part of that family!
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YOUR OL, FAT DAD………TIME AND TIME AGAIN………….FROM THE BOTTOM OF ADAMS FIELD HOUSE…….YOU WOULD HERE IT………..LADIES AND GENTLEMEN………”YOUR MONTANA GRIZZLIES”……………ALL THE WAY BACK TO OL BILL SCHWENKE @KYLT DAYS; GREAT RADIO AND PUBLIC PERSONA………MY FAMILY HAD TICKETS DOWN ON THE SOUTHWSET CORNER OF THE ADAMS FIELD HOUSE…….ELECTRIFIED THE CROWD……I THINK NASEBY RHINEHEART WAS THERE AS WELL……..FREAKING ROCKED THE “ZOO’……….HOLLA………..
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DRANK TEQUILA HERE IN IOWA SO TECHNICALLY; I AM IN IOWA, BUT A RESIDENT OF ALASKA; SO UNDER THE WIRE BY……….A COUPLE OF MINUTES……….’BUT……..”I CAN SEE RUSSIA FROM HERE”……….WILL GET ME A HALL PASS……..
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Soo many memories – I’d have to say my top was playing #1 ranked Tennessee in Dahlberg – standing room only – a very, very close game at one point it was so loud i was screaming to a teammate who couldn’t hear me though she was only an arms length away – such an incredible atmosphere… second- a big ‘get Noise for Boise’ game. I was a red-shirt on the bench – Ann was on the freethrow line near the end of the game, the score was tied… Rob was pacing – then he turned around and yelled at the bench “Every Body Pray!”…lowered his head… then yelled back at the bench “Never mind, not even God could help her!”… She made the free-throw, we won!
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I wish I could say I have the memory to follow through with this post, so I am going with what I actually recall. Krista did have a great one and I would have to say that the same rings true for me. But for my biggest memory is was before the Fieldhouse got remodeled. I remember the fans (even me, when we could watch the men) come hours before the game to get that seat right down on the floor. The fans could sit wherever which made the experience for those playing more intense and pretty amazing. The good old boys would sit in the same spot they had been sitting for 30 years, heckling the poor refs and players. The band, the old colors, the “noisy for Boise” night, the paper sacks over everyone’s faces when the Cats got introduced.The atmosphere was how it should be. I loved those days. I even got to wear the old Griz colors for one year, that is a great memory. The shorts I still have. I have many memories of after the Fieldhouse got remodeled but most fond were the days before.
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Narrowing down my experience as a Lady Griz to one moment is near impossible. However I will never forget the experience of winning the Big Sky Conference two of my four years and advancing to the NCAA tournament. The 2004 NCAA 1st round game hosted in Missoula against Louisiana Tech was a moment I will always remember. Running onto the court in Dalberg areana that night made all the hardwork, sweat, practice and years of playing ball well worth it. Adrenaline overflowed like the noise from the crowd flowed out the rafters, a band who played with such enthusiasm, teammates who played their hearts out, coaches who were so supportive, and a game that almost ended in an upset left this athlete overwhelmed with emotion and thanking the Lord above for such an opportunity…The Lady Griz Tradition, fans, coaching staff, teammates, rivalries, competition…my cherished memories in GRIZ country!
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I agree with Mark Mesenko–awesome game!
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My favorite Lady Griz moment is soon to come. I am eagerly anticipating going to the game on February 5th to see my son and a bunch of other kids I have come to know and love perform during halftime as the 6th grade Red Wave Marching Band!
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Hey all-
But I do second the memory of beating Northridge for the conference championship in the new arena after we had a rough previous year. That rough year I also have a vivid memory of being in Sentinel’s locker room at halftime right after Harrington had just torn her knee. I think I was also not supposed to play b/c it was either that game or the day before that I had sublexed my shoulder several times. We were plagued with injuries and it was devastating to have yet another one, especially our starting point guard. Jenn Mason was our trainer and I recall having a screaming match with the usually ever calm Mason, about whether I was going to play or not. I think she probably had the last say, being the one in charge of these things but I was wicked mad at her. But the next day I was so sore I realized she had been right. There are so many stories of victories we all had, but what I really hold dear through all of that is how our team stayed together when everything was falling apart and came back the next year on top again.
When I first heard about this best memories idea I have to say that the ones that keep coming back to me most vividly are pranks- esp with Harrington. I’ll get to those later.
And of course what always got me through those long road trips were the pranks- both that Harrington played and we tried to play on her. Specifically when she called my dad and pretended to be a librarian accosting him about a book that had been overdue for 20 years. And at 10 cents a week that fine was really adding up. And the look on her face when my dad lost his cool and got so mad that a librarian was calling about a book he never checked out, and doing so during dinner. They ended amicably though.
There are so many more, but alas this is too long already. Thanks everyone- so many good memories!
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