HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Veteran guard Marisa Snodgrass broke the Montevallo career three-pointers record en route to a 78-67 road win over in-state rival Alabama Huntsville to open the 2023 conference slate.
 
The Falcons were on fire from deep to start the Gulf South Conference season with a 4-for-7 mark from range before the first-quarter media. Freshman forward Cali Smallwood and veteran guard Marisa Snodgrass each knocked down a pair of threes to give the Falcons a 16-9 lead with 5:45 to go. Montevallo's offense continued to score in bunches to start the game with a Lia Edwards layup capping a 14-6 run to end the quarter and give the Falcons a 30-15 lead after 10 minutes.
 
Montevallo cooled off in the second quarter shooting just 33 percent from the field and 20 percent from deep. Following a three-pointer from Isabel Grimes, who finished the first quarter with three assists, the Falcons fell into a scoring slump with a scoreless 1:47. The Falcons struggled to find a bucket to end the half, going on a 3:10 scoreless stretch as the Chargers trimmed the lead down nine at the break.
 
With the Falcons leading 41-32 at the break, the Falcons ballooned the lead to 19 points at the media timeout with a 9-2 run highlighted by four points from Grimes who scored or assisted on all nine points. Montevallo broke the game open with a 3-of-4 mark from range and a Grimes coast-to-coast bucket that opened a 59-39 lead with 2:22 remaining in the quarter. A Steger three-pointer left the Falcons with a 62-44 lead heading into the final stanza.
 
Montevallo opened its largest lead of the day following a Snodgrass floater that lifted UM to a 67-44 advantage early in the fourth. UAH responded with a 9-0 run in the next two minutes and change to trim Montevallo's lead to 67-53 with 6:42 to go. The Falcons added four points before the Chargers went on an 11-0 run to slice UM's lead down to seven with 2:50 remaining. Snodgrass knocked down a three to end the run and tie the all-time Div. II Montevallo career three-pointers record before breaking the record moments later with a dagger inside the game's final minute. A final free throw from Snodgrass gave the Falcons a 78-67 victory to open the conference schedule.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 78 | UAH 67
Records: Montevallo 3-1 (1-0 GSC) | UAH 1-3 (0-1 GSC)
Location: Spragins Hall | Huntsville, Ala.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
1^st | Montevallo's offense exploded for 30 first-quarter points on 58 percent shooting from the field and 6-of-12 from behind the arc. An Edwards bucket inside the final minute capped a 14-6 Falcon run to end the quarter with a 30-15 lead.
2^nd | Montevallo struggled to find points in the second quarter with just a 1-for-5 mark from deep. With a scoreless 3:10 to end the half, UAH clawed back to trail by just nine, 41-32, at the break.
3^rd | Grimes led the Falcons on a 9-2 run to start the second half to balloon the Falcons lead to 19 points by the media timeout. Holding UAH to just 12 points in the quarter, the Falcons took a 62-44 lead into the final quarter.
4^th | Montevallo opened its largest lead of the game to start the fourth but an 11-0 run from the Chargers brought the game back to a single-digit deficit with 2:50 to go. A record-tying three from Snodgrass ended the run and a record-breaking three from Snodgrass moments later ended the Chargers hope for a comeback.
 
GAME NOTES

• Montevallo won the rebounding battle 41-32 while taking a 10-14 advantage in turnover margin.
• The Falcons knocked down the most three's in a game this season with 14 en route to the season's highest scoring outing at 78 points.
• Montevallo boasted five double-digit scorers with Smallwood (16), Snodgrass (15), Grimes (14), Steger (11) and Reid (10) all eclipsing the 10-point mark.
• Neither side was called for many fouls with just 23 fouls called during the game while both teams totaled just 18 free throws combined.
• Marisa Snodgrass set the Div. II Montevallo record with a total of 233 made threes in her career.

 
UP NEXT: Montevallo will stay in Alabama for another road matchup in Livingston, Ala. to take on West Alabama on Monday, Nov. 27 at 5:30 p.m.