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Joltin' Jo's
By RIAL CUMMINGS of the Missoulian
The Montana Lady Griz have yet to taste defeat halfway through the Big Sky Conference schedule. Meanwhile, Jody McLeod and Johanna Closson have put the "pow" back in power forward.
Coincidence? We think not.
The "Joltin' Jo's" were stuck in offensive slumps a month ago, shooting less than 40 percent from the field and wondering when the basket would stop looking like a thimble. In a two-week stretch, they combined to make just 3-of-23 shots.
Since then, they've been hotter than five-alarm chili, and Montana (7-0 Big Sky, 14-6 overall) holds a two-game lead heading into Saturday night's rivalry clash at seventh-place Montana State.
McLeod has averaged 13.5 points and shot 73 percent from the field in UM's past four games. She had not scored in double figures in 19 straight games, dating back to last season, before suddenly finding the range.
Always a strong rebounder, McLeod has scored on put-backs. But the 6-foot junior from Prospect, Ore., has also mined a rich vein of bankers, dribble drives and mid-range jumpers. She's drawn fouls, and made 84 percent of her free throws.
"I finally got out of the slump," McLeod said. "I was in it for a long time. I just tried to stay with it, and play hard, and it finally worked out for me."
McLeod has long been known as a tenacious defender and an explosive rebounder, blessed with serious hops. Now she's jumping over people and scoring.
It's the kind of potential she's showed flashes of throughout her career. As a freshman, in only her fourth game, McLeod scored 17 points at Maine. It remains her career high. McLeod averaged 5.2 points that season, 4.6 as a sophomore and 3.5 in her first 13 games this season.
"We've talked every offseason about expanding her offensive game," said Montana coach Robin Selvig. "She has a quick first step, and she's a good shooter. She wasn't that limited, and yet she had become limited to rebound put-backs."
McLeod said there's no pat answer to explain her sudden emergence.
"My teammates were always behind me, encouraging me," she said. "I think that has a lot to do with it. If you have good players around you, that makes you good too."
The 6-foot Closson, a true freshman from Whitefish, came off the bench last week and sparkled in a pair of second-half rallies. She scored all seven of her points after intermission at Weber State, including a baseline 3-pointer that put the Lady Griz ahead to stay. Closson followed that with 10 points at Idaho State, nine of them coming in a key stretch of the second half when UM erased a 38-30 deficit.
"Johanna had a huge trip," Selvig said. "She hit big shots at key times, and she played with a lot of composure."
Like McLeod, Closson is an excellent leaper who can grab tough rebounds in traffic. She also has a shooting form that is the envy of her teammates. Closson scored in double figures in six of UM's first 12 games, including a 21-point explosion against East Carolina.
She's cooled off since then, but still ranks third on the team with an 8.0 scoring average and first in free-throw shooting, at 86 percent.
"I think Jody and Johanna tend to get disappointed in themselves, but I haven't been disappointed in them," Selvig said. "You're not going to make every shot. What's more important is that you keep playing hard, keep contributing in other areas."
McLeod and Closson combined to go 2-of-11 from the field on Jan. 14 against Montana State, and the Bobcats took the Lady Griz to overtime in Missoula before falling 70-68. It'll be interesting to see what happens the second time around.
"It's great to go out and feel good about all parts of your game," McLeod said.
By RIAL CUMMINGS of the Missoulian
The Montana Lady Griz have yet to taste defeat halfway through the Big Sky Conference schedule. Meanwhile, Jody McLeod and Johanna Closson have put the "pow" back in power forward.
Coincidence? We think not.
The "Joltin' Jo's" were stuck in offensive slumps a month ago, shooting less than 40 percent from the field and wondering when the basket would stop looking like a thimble. In a two-week stretch, they combined to make just 3-of-23 shots.
Since then, they've been hotter than five-alarm chili, and Montana (7-0 Big Sky, 14-6 overall) holds a two-game lead heading into Saturday night's rivalry clash at seventh-place Montana State.
McLeod has averaged 13.5 points and shot 73 percent from the field in UM's past four games. She had not scored in double figures in 19 straight games, dating back to last season, before suddenly finding the range.
Always a strong rebounder, McLeod has scored on put-backs. But the 6-foot junior from Prospect, Ore., has also mined a rich vein of bankers, dribble drives and mid-range jumpers. She's drawn fouls, and made 84 percent of her free throws.
"I finally got out of the slump," McLeod said. "I was in it for a long time. I just tried to stay with it, and play hard, and it finally worked out for me."
McLeod has long been known as a tenacious defender and an explosive rebounder, blessed with serious hops. Now she's jumping over people and scoring.
It's the kind of potential she's showed flashes of throughout her career. As a freshman, in only her fourth game, McLeod scored 17 points at Maine. It remains her career high. McLeod averaged 5.2 points that season, 4.6 as a sophomore and 3.5 in her first 13 games this season.
"We've talked every offseason about expanding her offensive game," said Montana coach Robin Selvig. "She has a quick first step, and she's a good shooter. She wasn't that limited, and yet she had become limited to rebound put-backs."
McLeod said there's no pat answer to explain her sudden emergence.
"My teammates were always behind me, encouraging me," she said. "I think that has a lot to do with it. If you have good players around you, that makes you good too."
The 6-foot Closson, a true freshman from Whitefish, came off the bench last week and sparkled in a pair of second-half rallies. She scored all seven of her points after intermission at Weber State, including a baseline 3-pointer that put the Lady Griz ahead to stay. Closson followed that with 10 points at Idaho State, nine of them coming in a key stretch of the second half when UM erased a 38-30 deficit.
"Johanna had a huge trip," Selvig said. "She hit big shots at key times, and she played with a lot of composure."
Like McLeod, Closson is an excellent leaper who can grab tough rebounds in traffic. She also has a shooting form that is the envy of her teammates. Closson scored in double figures in six of UM's first 12 games, including a 21-point explosion against East Carolina.
She's cooled off since then, but still ranks third on the team with an 8.0 scoring average and first in free-throw shooting, at 86 percent.
"I think Jody and Johanna tend to get disappointed in themselves, but I haven't been disappointed in them," Selvig said. "You're not going to make every shot. What's more important is that you keep playing hard, keep contributing in other areas."
McLeod and Closson combined to go 2-of-11 from the field on Jan. 14 against Montana State, and the Bobcats took the Lady Griz to overtime in Missoula before falling 70-68. It'll be interesting to see what happens the second time around.
"It's great to go out and feel good about all parts of your game," McLeod said.
