Four Lady Griz collect Big Sky honors

Four Lady Griz | The University of Montana Athletics

By Press release submission

Mar 7, 2023

Four players from the Montana women's basketball team were honored by the Big Sky Conference on Thursday as the league announced the All-Big Sky teams and individual award winners.

In voting by the league's coaches, Mack Konig was named the Freshman of the Year, while Carmen Gfeller was named second team All-Big Sky, Sammy Fatkin third team and Gina Marxen honorable mention.

"Those are well deserved honors. Anytime we can have Lady Griz honored, it's a big deal," said second-year coach Brian Holsinger.

Sacramento State's Kahlaijah Dean, who led the Hornets to a share of the regular-season championship with Northern Arizona and Montana State, was voted both the Most Valuable Player and Newcomer of the Year.

Eastern Washington's Jamie Loera was named Defensive Player of the Year, Montana State's Leia Beattie the Top Reserve.

Dean, Idaho's Beyonce Bea and Montana State's Darian White were unanimous first-team selections. Northern Arizona's Regan Schenck and Sacramento State's Isnelle Natabou rounded out the five-player first team.

Konig becomes the sixth Montana player to be voted Freshman of the Year, the first for the program since Mandy Morales was the co-winner in 2005-06.

Konig was inserted into the starting lineup at point guard in late January. She had 21 points and six assists in that game, a home victory over Sacramento State.

In 10 games with Konig at the point, Montana has four times scored 80 or more points, seven times scored 72 or more.

Konig averaged 10.2 points and 2.9 assists in 18 league games. She shot 41.2 percent from the 3-point line, 90.3 percent from the free throw line.

"Mack was a huge reason we were successful after we made the switch to put her in the starting lineup," said Holsinger. "She played really well all year, but she really stepped it up.

"She's had some huge games and has been a real threat for us. She's a good player with a gigantic future. It's well deserved in terms of numbers and impact and in every way."

Gfeller was named All-Big Sky for the third time in three seasons. She was third team in 2020-21, first team a year ago.

She is Montana's first three-time All-Big Sky selection since Katie Baker. She'll have a chance to make it four next season after it was announced last week that she'll return for one more year.

Gfeller took a number of months off over the summer and fall to allow a longtime foot injury to heal. She didn't play her first game this season until after Thanksgiving.

She scored 17 points at Washington State in her second game back and 22 at Gonzaga right before Christmas.

In league she averaged 14.6 points on 51.1 percent shooting and 4.7 rebounds.

Her overall scoring and rebounding numbers are below what they were the previous two seasons, and that's a good thing.

Gfeller is surrounded by more talent, particularly on the offensive end, than she has been previously, which lessens the need for her to carry so much of the scoring load.

"All these awards are team awards. You don't get to be all-conference without the rest of the team," said Holsinger.

"Carmen has had great numbers in her career and has been a consistent offensive threat. She missed some games, so she started a little bit slower, but she's come on really strong."

Fatkin gets recognized for the first time in her career after averaging 12.0 points and a career-best 6.0 rebounds.

She had games of 20 or more points seven times this season, including a career-high 28 in Montana's road win at Idaho State, 27 in its overtime road win at Northern Arizona and 21 on Monday night against Idaho that snapped a three-game losing streak.

Fatkin was averaging more than 13 points per game last season when she suffered an injury in early February that kept her out a month and impacted her play in March.

She is the lone Montana player this season to start all 29 games.

"I'm excited for Sammy. Last year she was on pace to be one of the top 15 players, then she got injured and didn't have that opportunity," said Holsinger.

"This year she stayed healthy and stepped up in some big games when we needed her to be big."

Marxen adds to her collection of Big Sky honors. She was the Big Sky Freshman of the Year in 2018-19, first-team All-Big Sky as a sophomore, second team as a junior, all at Idaho.

She scored 21 points against North Dakota State in the season opener in her Lady Griz debut, then was up and down as she adapted to new teammates and a new system and a year away from the game.

By mid-January she returned to being the Marxen of old.

She closed the season with seven consecutive double-figure scoring games and over the final 10 games went 25 for 46 (.543) from 3-point range.

Her 49 made 3-pointers this season are the most for a Montana player since 2013-14.

Marxen was one of five Montana players, three of whom were newcomers this season, who averaged between 9.7 and 14.6 points during league.

"We've had five players in double figures for most of the year. We have more people who can score," said Holsinger.

"You want to be in that situation because the hardest you are to guard is when everybody on the floor can score. One team is much more balanced this year, and that's what leads to championships."

No. 5 Montana will begin the chase for a Big Sky tournament title, something the Lady Griz have not won since 2015, when it plays No. 4 Eastern Washington on Monday at noon in a quarterfinal game in Boise.

2022-23 Big Sky Conference Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player: Kahlaijah Dean, Sacramento State

Defensive Player of the Year: Jamie Loera, Eastern Washington

Newcomer of the Year: Kahlaijah Dean, Sacramento State

Top Reserve: Leia Beattie, Montana State

Freshman of the Year: Mack Konig, Montana

2022-23 All-Big Sky Conference Teams

First Team:

Beyonce Bea, Idaho *

Kahlaijah Dean, Sacramento State *

Darian White, Montana State *

Regan Schenck, Northern Arizona