The Missoulian from Missoula, Montana • 21

UCLA upsets second-ranked USC Page C3 Missoulian Sentinel rolls I The Spartan boys' and girls' basketball teams both beat Whitefish. PAGE C4 Sunday, December 3, 2006 Sports DIVISION l-AA QUARTERFINALS 3 NO. 2 MONTANA 20 0. 2 IVlOtJTAfiA 20. rJO.

10 Morales lights up Portland nnnn 1 irZr TS a i ft FS 1 i l'n 1 vC- Montana defenders Loren Utterback (37) and Salukis to 129 yards. Colt Anderson (19) bring down Southern KURT WILSON Missoulian Illinois running back Arkee Whitlock Saturday. The Griz defense held the 0 i Whitlock and the SIU running game to win their 12th straight. They take a 12-1 record into a home game against No. 3 Massachusetts (12-1), which downed New Hampshire 24-17.

The semifinal could be Friday evening; a conference call on Sunday will let UM officials know. Either way a raucous crowd 18,883 shook up the Salukis Saturday and the Griz defense will be ready. See GRIZ, Page C7 Whitlock only three field goals in two playoff victories, and allowed only one opponent in the last six weeks to score more than 10 points. The Gateway Conference visitors, second in the country in scoring and third in rushing, managed seven first downs one the entire first half and 129 yards of total offense. They didn't cross the 50-yard line until deep into the third quarter, and See HANDCUFFS, Page C7 CHUCK BURTON Assoculed Press Defense, Swogger put muzzles on Salukis By MICHAEL HEINBACH of the Missoulian The Montana Lady Griz helped 29th-year head coach Robin Sclvig to yet another milestone victory Saturday evening at Dahlberg Arena.

But as far as Selvig was concerned, it was just business as usual. Ho hum. The Lady Griz received a career night from sophomore guard Mandy Morales and Selvig picked up career win No. 650 in Montana's 74-54 defeat of roruana oeiore appreciative fans. Morales netted a career-high 29 points as UM moved to 5-1 and won its second straight following last Sunday's 40-point loss at sixth-ranked Ohio State.

See MORALES, Page CU Rnttnm linp Montana 74, Portland 54 Stars: Sophomore guard Mandy Morales poured in a career-high 29 points and led UM in 3-pointers (5), assists (5) and steals (4) while shooting 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Lady Griz junior forward Dana Conway posted a double-double with 1 5 points and 1 0 rebounds. Significance: Montana moved to 5-1 on the season. Robin Selvig picked up his 650th win and remains 10th among active Division I coaches in career victories. Up next: The Lady Griz wrap up a three-game homestand Monday evenina at Dahlbera Arena when thev face Utah State.

Grizzlies clash with Boise State By BOB MESEROLL Missoulian sports editor The last time Broncos from Boise State were seen around these parts, guys like Shawn Samuelson, Kirk Walker and Chris Spoja were wearing the Copper Gold ni yil tyep, onver I Maroon was just a I gleam in the eye of I II President George Dennison). hj, Missoula was awash in the glow of Montana's first Division I-AA national football championship. Samuelson and the boys were tied for first place in the Big Sky with rival Montana State, which went on to win the league title behind Danny Sprinkle, Nico Harrison and Quadre Lollis. That was Feb. 24, 1996, and the See BOISE STATE, Page CU Boise State at Montana Griz Sunday, 2:05 p.m., Dahlberg Arena (7,321) Tickets: Range from $6-11.

Radio: KGVO 1 290 AM TV: None Video: bigskytv.org Web: montanagri2zlies.com Records: Boise State of the Western Athletic Conference is 2-3. Montana is 2-4. Last outing: Boise State trimmed BYU 72-68 last Wednesday in Boise. Montana downed Minnesota 72-65 last Sunday in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando. Fla Series: Montana leads 29-26.

Last meeting: Boise State won 90-69 on Nov. 18, 2005, in Boise. Up next: Montana hosts Western Kentucky on Wednesday. Probabl starters Bolss Stat 20-Tyler Tiedoman, 67, 6 8 ppg 24-Rngqio Larry. 6-6, jr 10 8 ppg Nelson, 6-9, jr 14 1 ppg 3-EncUno, 6-1, 9r 9 8 ppg 5-Coby Karl.

6-5. sr 136ppg Montana Hasquet 6-9. so ppg 1 l-Matt Dlouhy. 6-6. sr.

11 8 ppg 15 3 ppg 10-Bryan Ellis. 5-8, sr 3 5 ppg 5-Austin Swift 6-5, so 27 ppg Bottom line Crowd: 18,883. Conditions: 32 degrees, overcast. Elapsed time of game: 2:50. Records: Montana is 12-1 Southern Illinois ends up 9-4.

Next up: The second-ranked Grizzlies play host to No. 3 Massachusetts in a l-AA semifinal game. On Sunday they'll find out whether the game is Friday at 5:30 p.m. or Saturday at 2 p.m. (Mountain) Key stat: Southern Illinois managed just seven first downs, one in the first half.

Key moment: With eight minutes remaining and UM holding a 13-3 lead, quarterback Josh Swogger fired a 26-yard pass to Ryan Bagley to convert a third-and-3. Five plays later the Griz scored their clinching TD. Quotable: "Credit our defensive coaches and our defensive players. They did a really nice job today. These guys were averaging 37 (points) a game, 400 yards, 250 rushing.

It's really something." -Griz coach Bobby Hauck By FRITZ NEIGHBOR of the Missoulian They couldn't hear, they couldn't get their defense off the field and most importantly, the Southern Illinois Salukis couldn't run. Montana rode another dominating defensive performance and two Josh Swogger touchdown passes to Craig Chambers into the Division I-AA semifinals Saturday, downing the Salukis 20-3 in a straight victory by a count of 20-3, Payton Award finalist Arkee Whitlock had been locked down and SIU coach Jerry Kill hey, is there a better football name in America? could only admit the honest, brutal truth: "We got our butts kicked." Did they ever. "It's top on the list," said senior defensive end Dustin Dlouhy after UM reached the national semifinals for the eighth Inside Game Day notebook, stats. Page C6 quarterfinal matchup at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Swogger came out hot and ended with 230 passing yards, including scoring strikes of 4 and 8 yards to Chambers.

The latter put the game out of reach with 6:05 remaining. The second-ranked Grizzlies bottled up Arkee handcuffs time, setting up a home date next weekend against third-ranked Massachusetts. "The teams we're playing against are so good. I mean, you're not in the playoffs unless you're a quality team. So to go out and do that blows my mind." No.

10 Southern Illinois, which prides itself on a physical, no-frills attack, never got untracked against a ferocious Griz defense that has given up Mind-blowing defense I he Southern Illinois Salukis executed their game plan to perfection i Saturday afternoon for one play. Then it all came unglued in the quarterfinals of the Division I-AA playoffs, discombobulated by a dominant Montana Grizzly defense and 18,883 leather-lunged fans at frozen Washington-Grizzly Stadium. When it was done, the No. 2-ranked Grizzlies had their 12th RIAL CUMMINGS Appalachian State ends Bobcats' run the Division I-AA playoffs. Quarterback Armanti Edwards rushed for 105 yards and a score -the second straight week he and Richardson both went over 100 yards on the ground and Omarr See BOBCATS, Page CU Appalachian State's Marcus Murrell knocks the ball from Montana State QB Jack Rolovich during the Division l-AA quarterfinals in Boone, N.C, on Saturday.

By MIKE CRANSTON Associated Press BOONE, N.C. Appalachian State won its last five games by a combined 101 points. So when the Mountaineers entered the fourth quarter against Montana State only seven points ahead Saturday night, coach Jerry Moore was concerned. "That's one thing I worry about as a coach," Moore said. "We've had some cushiony ball games in the third and fourth quarter and you Inside UMass beats New Hampshire; Youngstown St.

tops Illinois St. -PageC11 wonder how your team will react." The answer: Just fine. Kevin Richardson rushed for 131 yards and four touchdowns and defending national champion Appalachian State scored the final 14 points to beat Montana State 38-17 and reach the semifinals of I 7.