Stuckey, Eagles hold off Montana to win 74-71
12/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The University of Montana men??s basketball team lost, 74-71, at Eastern Washington Saturday night in Big Sky Conference action at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. The loss dropped the Grizzlies to 7-8 overall and 1-1 in league action. The Eagles improved to 7-7 on the year, 1-1 in conference play.
Junior guard Matt Martin led the Griz offensively recording a season-best 16 points, all in the first half. The Spearfish, S.D., native made 5-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-8 on 3-pointers, while tallying five assists and four rebounds for UM.
Fellow junior Andrew Strait added 15 points, making 6-of-9 from the field while grabbing eight rebounds in the losing cause. Strait became the 22nd player in school history to eclipse the 1,000 point mark, now with 1,013 career points.
Sophomore forward Jordan Hasquet joined Martin and Strait to score in double figures. Hasquet went 6-of-12 from the field for 14 points, while totaling eight rebounds, two steals and a block.
Eastern Washington opened the game with a 4-0 lead, but Montana responded by scoring 11 unanswered points to take an 11-4 advantage with 16:53 remaining in the first half. Martin had five of UM??s points while also assisting on a pair of made baskets during the early run.
Martin continued to spearhead Montana??s attack over the next seven minutes, burying two of his four first-half 3-pointers to help the Griz extend their lead to 13 points, 27-14, with 9:06 left in the half.
Eastern Washington sophomore guard Rodney Stuckey, last year??s Big Sky MVP, scored seven of the Eagles?? next 10 points to pull EWU within four, 30-26, at the 6:23 mark. A 3-pointer by junior forward Kellen Williams with 4:51 remaining cut Montana??s lead to three points, 32-29. Williams again pulled EWU within three points after a dunk with just over a minute remaining in the half.
The Grizzlies shot 56.0 percent from the field (14-of-25) and 62.5 percent on 3-pointers (5-of-8) in the first half, taking a 37-33 lead into the intermission. Eastern Washington, led by Stuckey??s 11 first-half points, shot 44.8 percent on field goals (13-of-29) and 33.3 percent on 3-pointers (3-of-9).
Montana struggled from the field in the second half, but still managed to lead for the first 10 minutes of the stanza. The Grizzlies hit just 12-of-31 field goals (38.7 percent) and 1-of-11 on 3-pointers (9.1 percent) over the final 20 minutes.
A layup by Hasquet, two of his 10 second-half points, gave the Grizzlies a 41-35 lead with 17:07 remaining. Strait scored four of UM??s next six points, capped by a layup at the 15:06 mark, to give the Griz a 47-40 advantage.
A 3-pointer by senior guard Stuart Mayes at the 10:52 mark ended a 6-0 run by Eastern Washington, putting the Griz up four points, 50-46.
The game was tied on seven different occasions over the next seven minutes of the second half. A 3-pointer by senior guard Rhett Humphrey at the 7:39 mark gave Eastern a 55-54 lead, its first since holding a 4-2 advantage early in the game.
Montana retook the lead, 64-62, on a pair of made free throws by senior guard Bryan Ellis with 3:27 left. EWU responded by scoring eight of the game??s next nine points to hold a 72-65 advantage with 44 seconds on the clock.
A pair of steals by Mayes and another by Hasquet helped the Grizzlies stay in the game, pulling UM within three points at 72-69 with 25 seconds left. Freshman guard Cameron Rundles missed a 3-pointer and Martin missed a layup on the pivotal possession which ended in the hands of the Eagles.
Montana finished the game 46.4 percent from the field (26-of-56), 31.6 percent on 3-pointers (6-of-19). The Grizzlies hit 13-of-19 free throws for 68.4 percent. UM had 16 assists, led by Martin who tallied a team-best five, while recording just 13 turnovers.
The Eagles out-rebounded Montana, 35-32, while being limited to 44.2 percent shooting from the field (23-of-52). EWU made just 5-of-16 from 3-point land (31.3 percent), but converted 23-of-29 free throws (79.3 percent). The Eagles?? point total from the free throw line accounted for 31 percent of their team??s scoring.
Stuckey led EWU with a game-high 28 points in 39 minutes of action. Stuckey, who contributed seven assists, three boards and two steals, finished 7-of-16 from the field and 12-of-13 from the charity stripe.
Williams added 13 points and freshman forward Brandon Moore finished with 12 points, the only other Eagle players to record double figures in scoring. Williams had a game-high nine rebounds to lead EWU.
Montana (7-8, 1-1 BSC) returns to action Thursday, Jan. 4, with a road game at Sacramento State (6-8, 1-1 BSC). Tip-time for the Griz-Hornets contest is scheduled for 8:35 p.m (MST) at the Hornets Nest in Sacramento, Calif.
Junior guard Matt Martin led the Griz offensively recording a season-best 16 points, all in the first half. The Spearfish, S.D., native made 5-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-8 on 3-pointers, while tallying five assists and four rebounds for UM.
Fellow junior Andrew Strait added 15 points, making 6-of-9 from the field while grabbing eight rebounds in the losing cause. Strait became the 22nd player in school history to eclipse the 1,000 point mark, now with 1,013 career points.
Sophomore forward Jordan Hasquet joined Martin and Strait to score in double figures. Hasquet went 6-of-12 from the field for 14 points, while totaling eight rebounds, two steals and a block.
Eastern Washington opened the game with a 4-0 lead, but Montana responded by scoring 11 unanswered points to take an 11-4 advantage with 16:53 remaining in the first half. Martin had five of UM??s points while also assisting on a pair of made baskets during the early run.
Martin continued to spearhead Montana??s attack over the next seven minutes, burying two of his four first-half 3-pointers to help the Griz extend their lead to 13 points, 27-14, with 9:06 left in the half.
Eastern Washington sophomore guard Rodney Stuckey, last year??s Big Sky MVP, scored seven of the Eagles?? next 10 points to pull EWU within four, 30-26, at the 6:23 mark. A 3-pointer by junior forward Kellen Williams with 4:51 remaining cut Montana??s lead to three points, 32-29. Williams again pulled EWU within three points after a dunk with just over a minute remaining in the half.
The Grizzlies shot 56.0 percent from the field (14-of-25) and 62.5 percent on 3-pointers (5-of-8) in the first half, taking a 37-33 lead into the intermission. Eastern Washington, led by Stuckey??s 11 first-half points, shot 44.8 percent on field goals (13-of-29) and 33.3 percent on 3-pointers (3-of-9).
Montana struggled from the field in the second half, but still managed to lead for the first 10 minutes of the stanza. The Grizzlies hit just 12-of-31 field goals (38.7 percent) and 1-of-11 on 3-pointers (9.1 percent) over the final 20 minutes.
A layup by Hasquet, two of his 10 second-half points, gave the Grizzlies a 41-35 lead with 17:07 remaining. Strait scored four of UM??s next six points, capped by a layup at the 15:06 mark, to give the Griz a 47-40 advantage.
A 3-pointer by senior guard Stuart Mayes at the 10:52 mark ended a 6-0 run by Eastern Washington, putting the Griz up four points, 50-46.
The game was tied on seven different occasions over the next seven minutes of the second half. A 3-pointer by senior guard Rhett Humphrey at the 7:39 mark gave Eastern a 55-54 lead, its first since holding a 4-2 advantage early in the game.
Montana retook the lead, 64-62, on a pair of made free throws by senior guard Bryan Ellis with 3:27 left. EWU responded by scoring eight of the game??s next nine points to hold a 72-65 advantage with 44 seconds on the clock.
A pair of steals by Mayes and another by Hasquet helped the Grizzlies stay in the game, pulling UM within three points at 72-69 with 25 seconds left. Freshman guard Cameron Rundles missed a 3-pointer and Martin missed a layup on the pivotal possession which ended in the hands of the Eagles.
Montana finished the game 46.4 percent from the field (26-of-56), 31.6 percent on 3-pointers (6-of-19). The Grizzlies hit 13-of-19 free throws for 68.4 percent. UM had 16 assists, led by Martin who tallied a team-best five, while recording just 13 turnovers.
The Eagles out-rebounded Montana, 35-32, while being limited to 44.2 percent shooting from the field (23-of-52). EWU made just 5-of-16 from 3-point land (31.3 percent), but converted 23-of-29 free throws (79.3 percent). The Eagles?? point total from the free throw line accounted for 31 percent of their team??s scoring.
Stuckey led EWU with a game-high 28 points in 39 minutes of action. Stuckey, who contributed seven assists, three boards and two steals, finished 7-of-16 from the field and 12-of-13 from the charity stripe.
Williams added 13 points and freshman forward Brandon Moore finished with 12 points, the only other Eagle players to record double figures in scoring. Williams had a game-high nine rebounds to lead EWU.
Montana (7-8, 1-1 BSC) returns to action Thursday, Jan. 4, with a road game at Sacramento State (6-8, 1-1 BSC). Tip-time for the Griz-Hornets contest is scheduled for 8:35 p.m (MST) at the Hornets Nest in Sacramento, Calif.
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