Silver shines in annual intrasquad hoops scrimmage

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A balanced attack on both sides of the ball at the annual Maroon and Silver scrimmage gave Griz fans a taste of an exciting season to come for Montana men's basketball, with the Silver team taking a 52-48 victory thanks to nearly 60 percent shooting from the field in the second half.

The Sliver squad rallied from a six-point halftime deficit, trailing 22-28 at the half, and outscoring the Maroon 30-20 in the second half leading to the four-point victory. Five players scored in double figures on the night.

Roughly 500-600 fans turned out at Dahlberg Arena for the third scrimmage of Coach DeCuire's sophomore season at the helm of the Griz. Improved shooting from his returners and aggression from his new faces gave the former Grizzly plenty to be optimistic about.

"We've had a few scrimmages now, and at each one I think or team has progressed into a better basketball team," Said Coach DeCuire.

"We're not quite a finished product yet, we're near that, but we're headed in the right direction and I'm optimistic about where we'll be when the lights come on."

Big Sky preseason all-conference selection Martin Breunig didn't disappoint, splitting his time between the Maroon & Silver and putting up 10 points for each, totaling 20 on the night, along with seven rebounds.

Breunig went 5-7 with the Maroon team, and 4-4 from the field for the Silver, showing his signature aggression in the paint and taking advantage of space when it opened up in the Grizzlies transition play.

"We got off to a little bit of a slow start as a team in the first couple scrimmages offensively and getting the shots we wanted," added DeCuire.

(10/27/2015) MBB: Maroon & Silver Scrimmage 10/27/15

"Now we're starting to come together and see some chemistry. As the chemistry comes together it will make Martin a better player because he needs the space to operate in. Tonight we saw signs of that."

Brandon Gfeller was Montana's second leading scorer on the night, leading the Maroon squad with 18 points, 12 of which came from behind the arc.

Gfeller also led all players defensively with three steals, and added a pair of assists to his night as well.

Junior College transfer Walter Wright proved he was ready to play division one basketball netting 14 points, six for the Maroon, and eight for the Silver.

Wright also had the third most rebounds on the Maroon team with four, and added another with the Silver team for five total. Not bad for the shortest player on the court at 5-10.

Coach DeCuire will be looking to Wright to make an immediate impact and lead the team from the backcourt in the absence of Mario Dunn, who will miss the first few weeks of the season due to injury.

"Walt is progressing quickly for us," said DeCuire. "He's a guy who is built to score the ball, and is being asked to run a club and make sure other guys are getting the ball in the right areas at the right time. It's been a major adjustment for him, but he's handled it very well.

"Tonight was the second time we've really had the chance to see his aggressiveness come back. As long as he continues to progress with that, I think he'll be a solid player for us."

Zachary Camel was another new face that stood out of the crowd for the Silver team. Camel, the transfer from Salish Kootenai College, netted 11 points for the Grizzlies on a nearly perfect shooting performance. Camel went 3-3 from behind the three-point line, and 2-3 from the charity stripe.

True freshman Michael Oguine showed his ability to attack the basket, pulling down a rebound at the three-point line and driving for a monster dunk that would have likely been thrown down if not for a Breunig foul.

Also having a solid outing for the Griz was junior Jack Lopez, who made a physical presence hauling down five rebounds, but looked crisp with his ball control, dishing out four assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

The Griz will get their first look against an unfamiliar opponent next week when DIII Whitworth College comes to Missoula for an exhibition game on November 3. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

UM opens the regular season 10 days later when defending Mountain West Conference champion Boise State comes to Dahlberg Arena on Nov. 13.

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Players Mentioned

Martin Breunig

Zachary Camel

Mario Dunn

Brandon Gfeller

Jack Lopez

Michael Oguine

Walter Wright

University of Montana Athletics