UM Lady Griz Basketball Documentary Wins Regional Emmy Award

Okay, so maybe the statue of the winged woman isn't holding a basketball over her head, about to put in jump shot (supposedly it's an atom).

But please indulge us and let our imaginations get a little out of control as we salute the latest lofty recognition that was earned over the weekend for "The House That Rob Built," the amazing documentary chronicling the rise of University of Montana Lady Griz basketball.

The movie was voted Best Cultural/Historical Documentary at the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards. The award ceremony was held Saturday evening in Seattle, recognizing broadcast excellence in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. 

"The House That Rob Built" was co-directed by former Lady Griz Megan Harrington, from Missoula. Megan takes us on a powerful journey through the Montana women's basketball program under former coach Robin Selvig, who along with his wife Janie, was in attendance to accept the award Saturday.

The film highlights Coach Selvig's remarkable 38-year coaching career at Montana. The "House" began to lay its foundation in 1978. With Title IX and the notion of young women competing in college basketball at a high level was hardly being given a second thought, Rob took the job at Montana, his alma mater, and made the Lady Griz his life's work.

That 38-year coaching career included 865 victories, 24 conference championships and 21 trips to the NCAA tournament. It became rare when Montana Lady Griz basketball attendance wasn't typically in the top 30 nationwide.

The regional Emmy is the latest entry for an already impressive two-year-old resume.  Megan Harrington and co-director Jonathan Cipiti also had the film nominated for the Big Sky Award at the 2020 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, where it played to three sold-out houses. It tied with the Academy Award-winning "Summer of Soul" in the Best Documentary category at the 2021 International Catholic Film Critics Association Awards. And it was a 2022 Christopher Awards winner in the TV, Cable & Streaming category. "The House That Rob Built" is currently available on DVD/Blu-Ray and numerous digital platforms.

I guess it's time for me to watch my copy again after work tonight.