From a Lady Bear to Lady Griz

The 2018 season was a dream come true for Joelnell Momberg and the Box Elder girls basketball team as the Bears captured the Class C state championship.

Just a few months after that historic moment, Momberg has seen another dream come true as the junior-to-be recently committed verbally to the University of Montana women's basketball team.

The news came out last Friday via Momberg, who announced the decision on her personal Facebook page.

"Very excited and blessed to announce my verbal commitment to be a Lady Griz!" Momberg wrote. "None of this would have been possible without my parents and the rest of my support system. I owe thanks to many people, but the greatest thanks is to the Creator for the moments I'm able to play basketball. Excited and can't wait to see what the future holds."

Momberg, a two-time Class C All-State performer, will be unable to sign an NCAA letter of intent because she is only a junior and until she is officially signed in the fall of 2019, college coaches are prohibited from speaking to the media.

"She has gotten a lot of interest," Box Elder head coach Joel Rosette said. "But there is something about the Lady Griz that I think speaks to a lot of Montana girls."

Rosette said that Momberg's play in AAU basketball is what first led to her getting noticed by the Lady Griz. Another trip to their camp only furthered that, especially after Momberg stood out.

"I think they could see her skills," Rosette said. "She has that quick release and she has a good handle. On our team, sometimes she defers a little too much. But she has worked really hard this summer and that has paid off. She can score in a multitude of ways and not a lot of girls can dribble the way that she can."

Momberg first burst onto the scene as a freshman for Box Elder during the 2016-17 season. The Bears rolled through the district 9C that season and won the District championship before being eliminated at the Northern C Divisional. Momberg, who averaged in double figures in scoring, earned All-State honors for her contributions.

As a sophomore, Momberg was even better. She averaged close to a double-double this past season for the Bears, who won the Class C state title after finishing second at both the districts and divisionals.

"She has been playing so much since she has been in the fourth grade, so I think this was always her goal," Rosette said. "She wanted to be able to compete and be a Division I player. I always knew that she had the capability and the strength. As a freshman, she came in right away and made plays. And her level has just continued to go up. She has gotten hungrier and has continued to improve. I knew she was going to have a big summer and a big year. I just saw the level of confidence in her and I think that is what they see, too."

Momberg will be a key part of the Bears' title defense next season. She will team with fellow All-State performer Lilly Gopher to try and win a second consecutive Class C state title after helping the program win its first in 20 years.