MISSOULA, Mont. – Celia Garcia Paunero scored a team-high 18 points and pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds on Wednesday night, but the University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team was unable to complete a fourth-quarter comeback and Montana came away with a 61-56 victory in the opening game of the Lady Griz Classic.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

The Cardinals (0-3) trailed by as many as 13 points in the final frame before orchestrating a furious comeback. Garcia Paunero scored nine of her 18 points in the fourth and Cheyenne Berry and Haley Frias each had key contributions down the stretch. After a jumper by Berry, three-ball from Frias and two-point basket by Imani Robinson, UIW trailed by just three points with 4:36 remaining in the contest. The Griz (2-2) responded with a shot from beyond the arc and pushed their lead to seven after a made free throw. With 24 seconds remaining, a Garcia Paunero three-ball pulled the Cardinals within three, but UIW came no closer as Montana held on for the win.
 
The Cardinals shot 36.2 percent (21-of-58) from the floor and 37.0 percent (10-of-27) from three-point range, compared to 41.8 percent (23-of-55) from the field and 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from beyond the arc for the Griz.
 
Montana earned a slight edge in both rebounding (+5) and turnover margin (+1), but picked up a significant advantage at the charity stripe, shooting 15 free throws compared to just six by UIW.
 
LEADERS
 
Garcia Paunero finished with four steals and two assists, to go along with her double-double performance. Berry contributed 13 points, two steals and a block, while leading the Cardinals with four assists. Frias found all 15 of her points from deep, going 5-of-10 from three-point range and adding two boards. Robinson tallied eight rebounds, six points, three assists and a block on the night.
 
Taylor Goligoski (27 points), Mekayla Isaak (13 boards) and McKenzie Johnston (four assists) paced Montana in the victory.
 
UP NEXT
 
UIW will conclude the Lady Griz Classic with a matchup against Utah State at 3 p.m. CT on Friday.

STAY TUNED
 
The Cardinals return to San Antonio for the team's home-opener against Eastern Michigan at the McDermott Convocation Center on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 5:30 p.m. UIW will host Rice at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3.
 
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