Former Lady Bulldog is the best free-throw shooter in UM women's basketball history

By DAVID ERICKSON / Whitefish Pilot

After a two-year drought, former Lady Bulldog and current Lady Griz six-foot forward Johanna Closson is back in the thick of March Madness for her senior year.

The UM women's basketball team earned a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday night in Missoula by beating Montana State University-Bozeman 101-65.

This is Closson's first trip as a starter. The Lady Griz last made the tournament during her freshman year. This is the 17th such playoff berth for the Lady Griz program.

"I'm really excited," Closson said. "I think we'll do really well. (Going to the tournament) is a great way to end your career. Last year was disappointing, so I'm glad this team made it."

The Lady Griz will take on No. 4 Vanderbilt on Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M., in the opening round. The game will be broadcast to a world-wide audience on either ESPN or ESPN2 at about 9 p.m. MDT.

Closson was recently named an honorable-mention selection for the All-Big Sky Conference women's basketball team. Closson averages 10.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, which ranks third and second respectively on the team.

At 84.3 percent, she is the best career free-throw shooter in Montana women's basketball history. She also happens to be the best free-throw shooter in Whitefish High School history, with a similar 84.6 percent.

"As a kid I practiced (free-throws) a lot," she said. "I just try to relax my body, and block everything out. It's easier when it's noisy than when it's really quiet."

Closson became only the 25th Lady Griz to join the 1,000-point club this year in a game against the University of Northern Colorado. She was named the MVP of the Holiday Classic tournament this season as well.

Closson and her teammates needed two huge Big Sky tournament wins over the weekend to earn their NCAA tournament spot. On Friday night, the top-seeded UM women defeated No. 4 Portland State 94-80 to advance to the Big Sky Championship game. Closson led both teams with 11 rebounds in the game.

"Friday night was pretty intense," said Johanna's mother, Bonnie Closson. "Everybody was really nervous, and it was hard to eat. The coach, Robin Selvig, was extremely nervous."

UM's opponent for the conference title contest was their in-state rivals, the MSU Lady Bobcats. The Lady Griz had split their season series with MSU, with both teams winning on their home court.

On Saturday, the Lady Griz blew out the Bobcats 101-65 to earn their first trip to "The Big Dance" in three years. Closson had 15 points in the title game.

The victory gave UM a perfect 17-0 record at Dahlberg Arena for the season. It is the eighth perfect home-court record in program history, and the first since the 1995-96 season.

Needless to say, it has been an epic season for the Lady Griz, who have built a more rabid fan-base in Missoula than the men's team by far in recent years. Things couldn't have gone better this year for Closson, who is on track to graduate next fall with an art degree.

Closson, who has a crazy schedule of morning practices and film study this week, holds nine Whitefish High School girls basketball records.

"A lot of Whitefish fans have been following her career at UM," Bonnie Closson said.

For updates on the NCAA women's basketball tournament, visit online at http://www.espn.com.