BOISE, Idaho — As the confetti poured down from the rafters of Idaho Central Arena and Montana State celebrated hysterically after beating their rivals in an instant classic with an unforgettable finish, Montana interim head coach Nate Harris walked alone behind the opposite basket.
After a few moments of contemplative lingering, Harris was met by his wife, Elise, and their four daughters. For a moment, the emotion of the moment overcame them.
And who could blame them? The Lady Griz had just come a few seconds away from one of the most shocking wins in the history of the Big Sky Tournament.
Dani Bartsch’s 3-pointer with 7.8 seconds left seemed like the moment that solidified the former Montana Gatorade Player of the Year from Helena as a Lady Griz legend. And while Bartsch’s exploits on the court will not soon be forgotten, the glory again belonged to the Bobcats.
Marah Dykstra missed her initial go-ahead attempt only to rebound the ball and kiss it off the glass as time expired, lifting Montana State to a 58-57 win and an NCAA Tournament.
Many thought Wednesday’s championship game between old rivals would be a coronation. The Lady Griz played their starters for almost the duration of their upset wins over third-seeded Idaho and second-seeded Northern Arizona. They couldn’t possibly have any legs left.
Could they?
Instead, Harris had his team prepared to compete with the best team in the conference for the third day in a row. Montana started the game on a 15-3 run to set the tone. Then when Montana State flipped the momentum and built a 10-point lead early in the third quarter, the Lady Griz refused to go away.
Montana fought until the bitter end, putting an exclamation point on the ending of a tumultuous season that included two uncustomary conference losing streaks and more than a few high points after Harris took over following the resignation of former head coach Brian Holsinger.
For all the ups and downs, Montana certainly finished on an upswing here in Idaho’s capital city. The Lady Griz transformed into a tough, hard-nosed team that out-rebounded its opponent for three straight tournament games, held three straight opponents under 40 percent shooting and almost completely busted the bracket in one of the most memorable runs this tournament in this town has ever seen.
And the stinging irony combined with the sharp reality for Harris and his staff is that this week’s run actually muddles the future for the Lady Griz. If Montana would’ve bowed out of the tournament after a single game, or even two, it’s likely Montana’s athletic administration would’ve moved on, opening a national search that will likely garner familiar names.
Instead, Harris submitted a stronger than strong resume this week, earning the praise of his players and an endorsement for the job.
“I’m going to be honest, the start of senior year was really hard,” said Lady Griz senior MJ Bruno. “Wasn’t really sure what way it was going to go. And when things kind of hit the fan, Nate was the one that stepped up for us, brought a positive attitude every day, fought for us every day even when things didn’t go our way.
“He never gave up on us. He stood by us. He believed in us even when other people didn’t believe in us. And that is why we (were) here, playing in this game. It’s because of him and because of our other (coaches).
“Nate is really humble. He doesn’t like to take any credit. But we are this good, and we fought so much because of him and his belief in us, and the way that he backed us every day made us better every day.
“I personally am so blessed Nate let me have a good end to my senior year that I didn’t think I was going to have. We’re super lucky to have him. Whatever happens next, (the) program is blessed to have Nate as a coach.”
Bartsch showed a warrior mentality all season playing through a myriad of injuries and ailments. She was able to save her best for last, finding a way to play 35+ minutes three days in a row. Her game-changing defensive play in the second half against Idaho and Northern Arizona helped boost the Lady Griz. And her 3-point shot was just eight seconds short of being one of the most iconic shots in the history UM women’s hoops.
The Helena Capital alumn also gave Harris a strong endorsement.
“I thought he did a tremendous job and he was a big reason that we stayed together this week,” Bartsch said. “He let us feel what we were going to feel but he was also about finding us motivation to move on. He didn’t let us get stuck in the past. The whole goal was to make it to Wednesday and win it. I’m really proud of what he did and the way he got us ready all week.”
Harris hails from Ronan and has worked much of his adult life in pursuit of getting the job he’s currently held for the last two months. He started his coaching career as an assistant for the men’s basketball team at Montana Tech, his alma mater. After a stint at a small school in California, he returned to Montana and worked for Kevin Woodin at Montana State-Billings, a Division II women’s hoops power.
He got a job on Tricia Binford’s staff at Montana State in 2014 and helped the Bobcats build a pair of Big Sky champions before he left at a chance to become a head coach for the first time. He spent a year at Angelo State as an assistant with the knowledge he would become the heir apparent, then when he earned the job, he helped guide the Rams to the Division II national tournament.
Harris has been trying to get back to Western Montana ever since leaving the Treasure State. His wife is from Missoula and their four daughters are fixtures at Lady Griz games. Watching the family share in the emotion and the heartbreak of the gut-wrenching loss is enough to bring emotion to anyone that took in the scene.
On Wednesday, Montana athletic director Kent Haslam confirmed to Greg Rachac of MTN Sports that Harris is “absolutely a candidate for this head coaching job. You can’t dismiss what he’s done and what he stepped into.”
Harris was understandably emotional during every phase of the realization that his team had come up literally one point short against one of the greatest teams in the history of the Big Sky. His post-game handshake with Binford was emotional. He was emotional during the press conference. And of course, he was emotional when he found his family.
“I truly think this is one of the best mid-major programs in the country, and I’d love to lead it if that’s the decision that’s made,” he said. “I don’t know. I’m exceptionally thankful for the time I got with this team and the time I got with these young women, and it’s not up to me to make any of those decisions.
“But I love the state of Montana, I love the city of Missoula, I love these kids, I love this program, and I would love to keep leading it. But again, those are decisions above my pay grade, but it’s a proud program. It’s a program that deserves to be playing in these games every single year, and yeah, I’d love to be a part of that.”
