Battle of top teams in Bozeman

MONTANA AT MONTANA STATE
Saturday, Jan. 20 / 7 p.m. MT / Bozeman, Mont.
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Travis DeCuire has owned the Bobcats during his career, going 7-1 as a player and winning the first five times as a head coach. Despite unprecedented success, the one game that stands out to DeCuire is the most recent one.

Last year's loss in Bozeman snapped Montana's 13-game winning streak over the Cats and left a bitter taste.

"I only remember one, and that's the loss," DeCuire said.

Playing in front of a sold-out arena, DeCuire said his team didn't rise to the occasion, which has to be different on Saturday.

"It meant more to them than it did to us," he recalls. "You would have thought they were playing for a Big Sky championship with how their fans were cheering and how emotional they were playing. We didn't match that."

UM's Trever Spoja will be the only player on either team's bench who hails from the Treasure State, but DeCuire believes last year's loss opened his team's eyes as to what the rivalry means.

"We won at home earlier in the month, and I still don't think our guys fully understood how emotional it was going to be when we went to Bozeman," DeCuire said. "The ones that played last year know how much it means now, I guarantee you that. They want revenge."

Griz vs. Cats is an in-state rivalry that has been playing for more than a century and has been filled with countless memorable moments for both sides. Saturday is sure to be another one as the Grizzlies put their unbeaten record on the line. Montana is a perfect 6-0 and atop the Big Sky Conference standings, while Montana State enters the week in second place.

The Big Sky Preseason Player of the Year Tyler Hall gets all of the attention for MSU, and deservedly so given his 19.3 points-per-game average. The junior ranks fifth in the country with 69 three-pointers made, and does so at a 39.9 percent clip. As good as Hall has been, though, MSU is far from a one-man show.

"He's their best scorer, but I think Harald Frey might be their most valuable player because he creates for others," DeCuire said.

Frey ranks sixth in the Big Sky for assists, sixth for free-throw percentage and fifth for three-pointers made. Between the two, they create 43 percent of the team's shots.

On offense, DeCuire wants his team to be able to adapt.

"They do tricky stuff, and we're going to have to recognize that during the course of the game," he said.

As for defense, he knows that Hall and Frey might have big games, and that's OK if they do. The big part is making them earn their points – with contested shots and by limiting the three-pointers – and more importantly, making sure their other players don't go off and have career nights.

"When we started playing well at the end of December, my thought was, 'If we keep playing like this we can get off to a really good start.' Now we need to tighten up some things and not lose sight of what we're doing right. We're going to continue to fight one game at a time."

BEYOND THE ARC: @SuziMellano takes a look at the Montana Grizzlies who are once again on top in the Big Sky.

??? Check out the Entire Feature: https://t.co/0JNXT7H7iP @MontanaGrizBB @BigSkyMBB

?? "Beyond the Arc" is also available all season long via @CBSi @SportsLive pic.twitter.com/fi9jXEj2NE
— Angela Lento (@collegeinsider) January 17, 2018

SERIES VS. THE BOBCATS
For a series that has been played continuously for more than a century, it's remarkable how close the series history is. Saturday will be the 296th all-time meeting between the Grizzlies and Bobcats, and should the visitors win, the series will be even at 148 wins apiece.

MSU is 95-48 all-time at home, but prior to last year's defeat, Montana had won six in a row in Bozeman. In fact, Montana had won 13 in a row in the series dating back to the 2010-11 season.

The series began in 1902-03 and has been played at least once in all but five seasons over the past 107 years, including every season since 1960.

In his first game against the Bobcats, in 2014-15, Fabijan Krslovic scored eight points and tallied nine boards in a UM home win. He had 12 points in last year's loss.
Michael Oguine is averaging 19.5 points in four games vs. MSU, including 20-plus points on three occasions.
Ahmaad Rorie went for 28 points on 8-of-12 shooting in last year's home victory, followed by 19 points in Bozeman.

STARTING STRONG
Montana is off to a 6-0 start to begin Big Sky Conference play, marking the fourth time in the Grizzlies' 55-year history in the league. Travis DeCuire has been a part of three of those, twice as a coach and once as a player.

The Grizzlies have begun Big Sky play with six consecutive victories in 2017-18, 2015-16 (six), 2012-13 (12) and 1991-92 (seven).

LEADING THE BIG SKY
Through six games, Montana holds a two-game lead in the Big Sky standings. The Grizzlies, though, also are atop the conference for many offensive and defensive statistical categories. The Grizzlies rank first for:

Scoring offense (89.0)
Scoring margin (+17.0)
Field-goal defense (.391)
Three-point percentage (.436)
Rebounding (38.8)
Steals (9.7)

Additionally, the Grizzlies rank second in the league for field-goal percentage (.511), rebounding margin (+7.2), turnover margin (+4.0) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2), and third for free-throw percentage (.882) and assists (14.3).

WINNING STREAK
Montana is not only 6-0 to begin Big Sky play, but its six-game winning streak is its largest of the season. The Grizzlies have won six in a row and eight of their last nine, and a win Saturday at Montana State would match the longest win streak of Travis DeCuire's career (also December 2015-January 2016).

After winning back-to-back games to open the season (Nov. 10 and 13), Montana alternated wins and losses over its next nine games before winning back-to-back contests vs. UC Riverside and UC Irvine (Dec. 17 and 19). The Grizzlies narrowly lost at Washington (Dec. 22) before rattling off six wins in a row.

ROAD STREAK
After losing four consecutive road games throughout November and December, Montana has strung together four consecutive road wins, defeating Northern Arizona (Dec. 28), Southern Utah (Dec. 30), Sacramento State (Jan. 11) and Portland State (Jan. 13). It marks the team's first four-game road winning streak since winning five in a row to begin conference play in 2015-16.

NATIONAL RANKING
Montana cracked the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll for the first time this season on Monday. The Mid-Major Poll ranks the top 25 teams from the America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast and Western Athletic conferences, in addition to independents.

The Grizzlies earned 87 points in this week's poll, good for a No. 24 national ranking. The poll, now in its 19th season, is voted on by 31 head coaches.

A certain team from the Treasure State made it into this week's @collegeinsider Mid-Major Top 25! https://t.co/TwmLPMo802 pic.twitter.com/dbNHZJAikO
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) January 15, 2018

OGUINE'S CAREER NIGHT
For the second consecutive week, a Montana Grizzly was named the Big Sky Conference Ready Nutrition Player of the Week. Junior Michael Oguine earned his first accolade after leading the Grizzlies to a pair of road victories.

Oguine averaged 27.5 points per game on 68 percent shooting, also adding 12 total rebounds, six steals, five assists and a blocked shot on the week. It was highlighted by a 39-point performance at Portland State that got him and the Griz featured on SportsCenter. The 39 points scored were the most by a Grizzly since Anthony Johnson scored 42 vs. Weber State in the 2010 Big Sky Conference championship game.

Twenty-four of Oguine's career-high 39 points came in the second half, helping Montana overcome a six-point halftime deficit. The Grizzlies had runs of 11-0 and 13-2 in the second half, with Oguine scoring 11 points during those two stretches, including a huge three-pointer in the corner that gave Montana a game-high 13-point lead. Oguine also added a season-high eight rebounds vs. the Vikings. On Thursday at Sacrament State, he scored 16 points and had a team-most four steals.

PULLING THROUGH
Although Montana led Portland State (Jan. 13) by as many as 13 points in the second half, its lead was trimmed to a single point with 1:12 remaining in regulation. The Grizzlies hit their free throws down the stretch, though, to pull out their narrowest win of the season (92-89). Montana was previously 0-2 in games decided by a single possession.

PLAYING IN FRONT
Of Montana's five Big Sky games, the Grizzlies have trailed for just 19 minutes, 6 seconds out of 240 total minutes. Montana never trailed against Northern Arizona or North Dakota, and has never trailed by more than two possessions.

Griz fans may be familiar with this play. It originated in MIssoula and has made its way to the NBA champs!

Read more ???? https://t.co/7Rq636gfyt
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) January 17, 2018

TRENDING

Montana is undefeated at home this season (7-0).
The Grizzlies are a perfect 11-0 when leading at halftime, compared to 2-5 when trailing. Last week marked Montana's first wins after trailing at the intermission, doing so at both Sacramento State and Portland State.
UM is 9-2 in games decided by double digits.
The Grizzlies are 8-0 when scoring 80 or more points.
Montana is 8-1 when opponents score fewer than 70 points, with the exception coming in a three-point loss at Washington.
Montana is 10-0 when shooting above .450.
Montana is 4-0 when opponents shoot .400 or worse.
Ironically, the Grizzlies are 4-0 when opponents make eight or more three-pointers.
Montana is 11-2 when turning the ball over less than its opponent.
Montana is 8-1 when shooting more free throws.

ALL-AROUND RORIE
Ahmaad Rorie played in all 40 minutes vs. UC Santa Barbara and ranks 65th for minutes played per game (35:16). He also ranks highly, however, for scoring (18.8 per game) and steals (27). In fact, Rorie is one of 14 NCAA Division I players to average at least 18.0 points and 1.5 steals per game.

He is the only Big Sky player to rank in the top 10 for scoring (sixth), assists (seventh) and steals (seventh).

He is also ranked for free-throw percentage (second), assist-to-turnover ratio (second), three-point percentage (third) and field-goal percentage (12th).

NEARLY PERFECT FROM THE LINE
Ahmaad Rorie made his first 24 free-throw attempts to begin Big Sky action. He is now 26-of-27 and ranks second in the league with a .963 free-throw percentage. On the season, he is making a team-best 83.6 percent of his free-throw attempts (68-of-81).

BE LIKE MIKE
Junior guard Michael Oguine, a third-team All-Big Sky selection in 2016-17, scored in double figures in the first 11 games of the season, including 29 in a win at Pitt (Nov. 13) and 39 at Portland State (Jan. 13).

Oguine does it all for the Griz, averaging 15.6 points per game and ranking second on the team for assists (38), steals (27) and blocked shots (12). Despite standing at just 6-2, he also ranks second for rebounding, averaging 4.9 boards per game.

During Big Sky play, Oguine ranks 11th in the league for scoring (17.8 points per game) and second for steals (1.8). Oguine ranks second for field-goal percentage (60.3 percent), 13th for free-throw shooting (82.9 percent) and 15th for three-point shooting (42.1 percent). He and teammate Ahmaad Rorie are the only two Big Sky players to rank in the top 15 in all three shooting categories.

AKOH TAKING OVER
The Grizzlies had high hopes for Jamar Akoh, a transfer from Cal State Fullerton who redshirted a year ago. In his first two games, however, he combined for just four points and two rebounds, being limited to 28 total minutes due to foul trouble.

Over the next 16 games, Akoh has taken over down low, averaging 15.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, and shooting 57.6 percent. He has 13 double-figure scoring games during that 16-game span, including 10 of the past 11 games

During conference play, Akoh ranks ninth in the league for scoring (18.5 points per game), second for rebounding (8.3) and 15th for steals (1.3). He is one of three players to rank in the top 15 for all three categories.

AKOH EARNS WEEKLY HONORS
Junior forward Jamar Akoh was named player of the week by the Big Sky Conference and College Sports Madness on Jan. 8. It was the first weekly honor of his career.

Akoh averaged 28.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Against the Fighting Hawks, he had a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds – both team highs – in addition to three assists and a steal. Two nights later, he scored 34 points, the most by a Grizzly in eight seasons (Anthony Johnson scored 42 in the 2010 Big Sky title game vs. Weber State).

The highlight of Akoh's double-double vs. North Dakota came in the second half when he scored four points in a four-second span. He took advantage of a Griz steal for a breakaway dunk, before stealing the in-bounds pass and laying it in. Montana scored 109 points vs. North Dakota, its highest total against a Division-I opponent since 1992. The Grizzlies trailed for just 1:52 vs. Northern Colorado, in large part due to Akoh's strong start. He scored 10 points in the first 10 minutes, scoring 10 of the team's first 18 points.

STOUT DEFENSE
Montana ranks in the top third nationally for the majority of defensive statistical categories:

16.9 turnovers forced per game: 15th in NCAA (2nd in BSC)
8.3 steals per game: 29th (2nd)
+3.5 turnover margin: 30th (2rd)
+5.3 rebounding margin: 51st (2nd)
69.1 points allowed per game: 126th (3rd)
3.8 blocked shots per game: 127th (3rd)

FORCING TURNOVERS
Montana has forced at least 13 turnovers in every game this season and ranks among the nation's best, forcing 16.94 turnovers per game (15th in NCAA). The Grizzlies have turned the ball over more times than their opponent just four times in 18 games and hold a +3.5 turnover margin (30th in NCAA).

On three occasions, Montana has forced 20 or more turnovers in a game, and in a win at Pitt (Nov. 13), the Grizzlies forced the Panthers into 19 turnovers, converting them into 30 points – an average of 1.58 points per turnover.

CRASHING THE GLASS
Montana has out-rebounded its opponents in 15 of its last 17 games, which is particularly impressive considering four of those contests have come against Power-5 teams and another came against a UC Irvine team that ranked No. 2 nationally for total rebounds at the time.

Nearly 40 percent of Montana's rebounds have come from the offensive end (39.3 percent); that number was 28.6 percent a year ago. The Grizzlies are currently averaging 13.00 offensive rebounds per game this season (24th in NCAA). Nearly one-sixth of Montana's points have been second-chance opportunities (234 points; 16.6 percent).

PRIDGETT PERFORMING
Sophomore Sayeed Pridgett is Montana's first player off the bench, and he's quietly and consistently putting up strong performances for the Griz. In addition to 7.8 points per game, Pridgett is shooting at a 44-percent clip and ranks third on the team for steals (23) and fourth for assists (24) and blocked shots (10). His nine steals during Big Sky play are tied for seventh in the league.

MORE MOOREHEAD
Bobby Moorehead struggled offensively for much of his sophomore season in 2016-17, averaging 3.9 points per game on .320 shooting. The junior has turned things around in 2017-18, averaging 8.1 points per game and ranking second on the team for minutes played (32:20) and three-pointers (31). His 11 blocked shots rank third, while his 19 steals rank fourth. Earlier this week, Travis DeCuire called Moorehead his team's 'toughest' player.

In last month's win over UC Riverside (Dec. 17), he scored six points in a 10-second span to spark a 17-0 Griz scoring run. In the previous game, at Georgia State (Dec. 9), Moorehead hit back-to-back three-pointers to get the Griz within a single possession. At Stanford (Nov. 29), he scored 11 consecutive UM points in the second half to give the Griz a 40-37 advantage.

FRESHMAN FALLS
Timmy Falls scored 12 points through Montana's first 10 games of the season before breaking out vs. UC Irvine (Dec. 19). The freshman played 22 minutes off the bench and scored 14 points, including 4-for-4 shooting from three-point range. Falls also had several no-look passes and took a charge on defense.

Since his breakout performance vs. UC Irvine, Falls has played at least 18 minutes in each game and is averaging 6.5 points. He's also added 21 assists and 10 steals during the eight-game stretch. During Big Sky play, Falls ranks seventh for steals (1.5 per game) and 14th with a 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.

TERRIFIC TRIO
Montana is the only school in the Big Sky to have three players rank in the top 15 for scoring, with juniors Ahmaad Rorie (20.2; sixth), Jamar Akoh (18.5; ninth) and Michael Oguine (17.8; 11th) accomplishing the feat. Entering the week, Montana was one of 20 teams nationally to have three players average at least 14.0 points per game.

Rorie has been in double figures 16 times – including 20-plus on 10 occasions. Oguine has been in double figures in all but one contest, while Akoh has accomplished the feat in 10 of his past 11 contests, including four double-doubles.

LOOKING AHEAD
After three consecutive games on the road, Montana will play seven of its final 11 regular-season contests at home, including a pair next week vs. Southern Utah (Thursday) and Northern Arizona (Saturday).

Additional game notes, including statistics, tables and more..

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Players Mentioned

Jamar Akoh

Timmy Falls

Fabijan Krslovic

Bobby Moorehead

Michael Oguine

Sayeed Pridgett

Ahmaad Rorie

Trever Spoja

University of Montana Athletics