The Montana women’s basketball team, which has won five of the last six regular-season Big Sky Conference championships, was picked for a second-place finish in the 2009-10 preseason coaches’ poll the league announced Thursday. It marks the first time since 1999-2000 that Montana hasn’t entered the season as the outright choice or co-favorite in voting by the league’s coaches.

The Lady Griz received two first-place votes and 56 points in this season’s poll to finish second behind Portland State, which got the other seven first-place votes and 63 points.

Montana, which lost a pair of first team All-Big Sky Conference players in Mandy Morales and Sonya Rogers and second team selection Britney Lohman, won the regular-season title in 2008-09 with a 15-1 league mark.

Portland State, which returns first team All-Big Sky pick Claire Faucher, finished second last year at 14-2.

The two teams met for the regular season finale last March in Missoula when both teams were 14-1. Montana won 70-60 to win the outright league title and host the Big Sky Conference tournament, which the Lady Griz won with a 69-62 victory over the Vikings in the title game to go to their 18th NCAA tournament.

PSU advanced to the second round of the WNIT.

The two teams were also picked first and second in the media poll, with a much tighter gap. The Vikings, who return three of five starters from last year’s 23-10 team, received 15 first-place votes and 204 points. The Lady Griz, who return two of five starters from last year’s 28-5 squad, earned nine first-place votes and 201 points.

The Bobcats received 50 points, and trailed league favorite Portland State (63) and Montana (56). PSU received seven first place votes, while the Lady Griz garnered two votes at the top spot. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own program.

“We don’t put too much emphasis on preseason polls,” said MSU fifth-year head coach Tricia Binford. “We have so many new faces that our focus right now is to get better everyday.”

MSU returns five letterwinners from last winter, including three starters- Erica Perry, Sarah Strand and Katie Bussey. In addition, Binford welcomes eight newcomers to the program.

“The learning curve is pretty steep,” Binford said. “However, this is a very competitive group with a lot of energy and I think we’ll be a factor in the Big Sky Conference race.”

“The poll does show the parity in the Big Sky Conference,” Binford said. “It goes to show that every conference game is more important than the next.”

Montana State will open its season with an exhibition game against MSU-Billings on Nov. 1 at 2:05 p.m. in Worthington Arena.

Weber State (30 points) was picked fourth, Idaho State (29) fifth, Northern Colorado (28) sixth, Eastern Washington (25) seventh, Sacramento State (22) eighth and Northern Arizona (21) ninth.

Weber State returns five starters, as does Eastern Washington. Northern Colorado and Sacramento State return four each. Idaho State and Northern Arizona return two each.

“We lost a lot of good players and that’s going to be a challenge to our kids this season, but polls aren’t something we ever talk about or use as motivation,” 32nd-year coach Robin Selvig said. “They really have nothing to do with what we’re trying to accomplish.

“Portland State returns a very good basketball team with good experience, and that’s basically all you can look at when you vote. You can’t predict how anyone’s new players and returners are going to fit in and develop.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if any team in the league gets in the hunt.”

Last season Idaho State (11-20 overall) and Sacramento State (9-21) tied for fourth at 7-9 behind Montana, Portland State and Montana State. Northern Arizona (9-21) was the final Big Sky Conference tournament entry, finishing sixth at 6-10.

Northern Colorado (12-18), Eastern Washington (10-19) and Weber State (10-19) all finished a game out of the tournament with 5-11 records.

At the 2009 Big Sky tournament, No. 3 Montana State defeated No. 6 Northern Arizona, 74-64, and No. 4 Idaho State topped No. 5 Sacramento State, 78-76 in overtime, in the quarterfinal round.

No. 1 Montana and No. 2 Portland State both struggled to pull out semifinal victories. The Lady Griz led the No. 4 Bengals by just two with less than three minutes to play in their 70-56 win, while the Bobcats had the ball down just three with under a minute to go against the Vikings in PSU’s 71-64 win.

Faucher and Perry are the only first team All-Big Sky picks (of six) returning in 2009-10, while Sacramento State’s Charday Hunt and Northern Colorado’s Courtney Stoermer are the only two (of six) second team selections returning.

2009-10 Big Sky Conference Coaches’ Poll
1. Portland State (7) 63
2. Montana (2) 56
3. Montana State 50
4. Weber State 30
5. Idaho State 29
6. Northern Colorado 28
7. Eastern Washington 25
8. Sacramento State 22
9. Northern Arizona 21