Congrats to the Montana WBB on another gutsy win, this one 59-56 in OT! I listened post-game and coach Holsinger lauded the team for stepping up in overtime, but was definitely NOT pleased with several aspects of his team's play.
Holsinger at one point paused & said something like: (a very rough paraphrase) The GrizWBB first half complacency allowed Houston Baptist -- a team he believed Montana should have beaten more convincingly -- to climb back into the game... but was proud of how they stepped up in the fourth quarter and OT. He was particularly complimentary of junior pg Katerina Tsineke's hustle and intensity. But, he emphasized, that full-team intensity was missing earlier in the game.
Of course it's an important part of a coach's job to note where a team needs to "build its winning culture," as he put it. My response is that this team -- because of the past four-year history of losing games like this -- is in uncharted territory. I'm going to celebrate this team's three-straight wins on the road, and cheer them on to make the necessary adjustments to make it a fourth-straight road win tomorrow. Love this. I'm pretty impressed at what this team and their coaches -- the competitive team culture especially --have already accomplished this young season. Congrats, Montana GrizWBB!