
The Spokane Duo of Bruno & McLiment-Call Get To Finish Basketball Careers Together
The Montana Lady Griz are preparing for the Montana State Bobcats, undefeated in conference play, to town in the season's biggest home game this Saturday, January 25.
During Griz-Cat week, I caught up with Lady Griz seniors MJ Bruno and Tyler McCliment-Call (TMC) on the Grizzly Coaches Show. Bruno and TMC have been tied to one another since their early days playing basketball.
Growing up in Spokane
Both Bruno and TMC grew up in Spokane, or as Bruno calls it Spoki-Vegas, playing basketball together on a club team and against each other in high school basketball.
"I was a part of a team and they came in midyear," said Bruno of Tyler and her sister Jacksen. "That was the first time I probably met Tyler and Jackson was 6th or 7th grade."
TMC left a lasting impression on Bruno.
"I remember very vividly too, Tyler with her spoggle (sport goggles) classes... That's pretty engrained in my brain of, like, the first time meeting Tyler."
"I just remember MJ sitting there staring at me. I felt so embarrassed cuz they were fogging up," TMC laughed.
Bruno VS TMC. Central Valley High VS University High.
Teammates at first, Bruno and TMC would soon be facing off on opposing teams. TMC is a University High grad and Bruno is a product of Central Velly High. The two teams had squared up every year in the "Stinky Sneaker" game and unfortunately for TMC, she doesn't carry many pleasant memories during the two's rivalry.
"Oh my gosh, she cuffed me so bad. I was getting so annoyed. I felt like going to punch her but she was my friend," TMC explained Bruno locking her down. "That was one time where I was really like 'I would never want to play against her."
Bruno remembers it from a different light.
"I just remember never losing to them. That was my biggest flex... and they were the more talented team," Bruno said.
Behind Bruno's answer, you can hear TMC saying "And it really pissed me off."
One Last ride at UM
Now the two Spokane natives come together to finish their careers together. Fitting, right?
"I'm just excited to play with MJ," began McCliment-Call. "I want to play with her. We grew up together, there's a reason why this is coming full circle and I feel like this is how it's supposed to be."
"I was really excited too that we'd get to spend our last year together. Especially because we were supposed to play together [at Portland] and we never got that chance, so it was like what she said. It was really a really sweet, full-circle moment."
Awesome stuff.
Listen to the full conversation with Bruno and TMC on this week's Coaches Show.
Montana Lady Griz 2024-2025 Schedule
Gallery Credit: Ace Sauerwein
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