Montana meets Northern Colorado in Friday's semifinal round

MONTANA VS. NORTHERN COLORADO - SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 9 / 6:35 p.m. MT / Reno, Nev.
Eleven Sports Network / Pluto TV / Watch / Listen (1290 AM, 98.3 FM) / Live Stats

RENO, Nev. – Montana found a way to grind out a win over North Dakota on Thursday, earning a date with Northern Colorado on Friday at 6:35 p.m. MT. The winner will advance to Saturday's championship game and will earn the Big Sky Conference's automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.

Recent history is on Montana's side. Not only do the Grizzlies the winningest team remaining in the tournament – the Grizzlies own 39 all-time victories in the Big Sky Championship – but they've had incredible success in the semifinal round.

Montana is 18-7 all-time in the semis, winning six in a row dating back to 2010. Twice during that span, Montana played Northern Colorado in the semis, defeating the Bears by five in 2010 and 16 in 2013. Playing as the No. 1 seed, the Grizzlies are 6-1 all-time in the semifinal round.

Tipoff on Friday is slated for 6:35 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast nationally on the Eleven Sports Network and can be watched worldwide on Pluto TV (channel 231) and WatchBigSky.com. On the other side of the bracket, No. 3 seed Eastern Washington will face No. 10 Southern Utah. After shocking seventh-seeded Idaho State on Tuesday, Southern Utah routed No. 2 Idaho, 92-78, to advance to the semis. Eastern Washington defeated Portland State, 78-72, in the nightcap.

One down, two to go!

Highlights from today's win over North Dakota ???????? pic.twitter.com/DwsRsxYPzH
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) March 9, 2018

SERIES VS. THE BEARS
Montana owns a 22-8 record against Northern Colorado, not including a 1976-77 victory that was vacated. The Grizzlies have won 11 of the last 14 and are 6-1 under Travis DeCuire.

In January, Montana beat the Bears in Missoula behind 34 points and eight rebounds from Jamar Akoh. The Grizzlies shot 51 percent in the win, scoring 46 points in the paint and out-rebounding UNC 40-25. A month later in Greeley, Montana again had four players in double figures and shot 55 percent overall. Fabijan Krslovic had 21 points and eight rebounds in the win, while Bobby Moorehead scored 18 and Ahmaad Rorie added 17.

Rorie has scored in double figures in all three games he has played against UNC, while Michael Oguine has done it in four of five, with the exception coming in February when he was limited to 21 minutes due to a knee injury. UNC's Andre Spight scored a combined 58 points in the two games vs. Montana.

Montana and Northern Colorado have met three times in the Big Sky Championship. The Grizzlies beat the Bears in the 2010 and 2013 semifinals while UNC beat Montana in the 2012 championship game, played in Greeley.

SCOUTING NORTHERN COLORADO

Northern Colorado enters Friday's game with a 22-11 record overall, winning eight of its last 10 games. The Bears are 5-0 this season on neutral courts, beating Northern Arizona and Weber State this week by an average of 24.0 points.
During Big Sky play, UNC had the second-highest scoring offense, averaging 81.6 points per game.
The Bears allowed Big Sky schools to shoot just .322 from three-point range (first in conference).
Montana and Northern Colorado have two of the top-three rebounding averages in the Big Sky.
2018 Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year Andre Spight, a transfer from Arizona State, ranks 15th nationally with a 21.8 points-per-game average. He averaged 25.2 points per game during conference. The first-team all-conference player also ranked in the top 12 in the league for steals and assists.
Spight ranks 27th with 3.09 three-pointers made per game, and is in the top 20 nationally for field goals attempted and made.
Junior Jordan Davis averaged 15.5 points per game in Big Sky play (13th).
Sophomore Jonah Radebaugh averaged 6.6 rebounds per game (10th). As a team, UNC had three players rank in the top 20.
Freshman Jalen Sanders shot .606 from the floor during conference play (fourth) and led the Bears with 22 blocked shots (sixth).
Spight, Sanders and Radebaugh were all in double figures during Thursday's 25-point win over No. 4 seed Weber State as UNC shot better than 50 percent from the floor.
Jeff Linder is in his second season leading the Bears. UNC went 11-18 (7-11 BSC) a year ago.

ADDITIONAL NOTES FROM THURSDAY'S WIN

Montana advanced to the semifinals for the 26th time in school history with its win over North Dakota. Montana owns an 18-7 record in the semifinal round, winning six in a row dating back to 2010.
Montana is 6-1 in the semifinals while playing as the No. 1 seed.
The Grizzlies have advanced to the semifinals in three of head coach Travis DeCuire's four seasons at Montana (2-0).
Montana improved to 7-0 vs. North Dakota under DeCuire.
Junior guard Ahmaad Rorie scored a career-high 30 points in Montana's win over North Dakota on Thursday. Twenty-three of the points came in the second half.
Senior Fabijan Krslovic recorded his second double-double in the past eight days, totaling 12 points and a career-high-tying 13 rebounds.
Sophomore Sayeed Pridgett also tallied his second double-double of the season (14 points, 11 rebounds).
Montana began the game just 2-for-7 from the free-throw line before making 14 of its final 19 (including a stretch of 13 out of 16).
Montana dominated the glass, totaling 43 rebounds compared to North Dakota's 28. Ten of the Grizzlies' boards came on the offensive end, leading to 13 second-chance points.
Montana's eight three-pointers were tied for the second-most this season, while its .667 shooting percentage from deep was a season best.
The game had seven ties and 12 lead changes, but none in the final 12 minutes.
After North Dakota's Dale Jones made 6-of-11 three-point shots in the first half, he was held to 0-for-2 shooting in the second.

RECAP: Montana pulls away from North Dakota, advances to semifinals https://t.co/17WQWCsorI pic.twitter.com/QndklG17iN
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) March 9, 2018

GRIZ BITS

Montana won its 11th regular-season championship last week, including the second in four seasons under head coach Travis DeCuire.
Montana's 24 victories are tied for the fifth-most in school history, and the most since 2012-13.
The Grizzlies are led by a trio of all-conference performers – Ahmaad Rorie (first team), Michael Oguine (defensive player of the year/second team) and Jamar Akoh (third team). Montana is the only Big Sky team to have three players rank in the top 15 for scoring.
Montana is ranked No. 14 in this week's College Insider Mid-Major Top 25.
The Grizzlies won their first 13 conference games. The winning streak was one game shy of tying a school record.
Montana set a school record with seven consecutive true road wins (Dec. 28-Feb. 3).
Montana finished its home slate undefeated (14-0). It marked the first time in 26 seasons, and the fifth time ever, that the Grizzlies have posted a perfect home record.
Earlier this season, both Michael Oguine (32nd member) and Ahmaad Rorie (33rd) joined Montana's 1,000-point scoring club.
The Grizzlies are one of two NCAA Division I basketball teams to use the same starting lineup every game this season.
Montana's defense is forcing nearly 16 turnovers per game, a figure with ranks 16th nationally.
Fourth-year head coach Travis DeCuire is the fastest coach in Big Sky history to win 50 conference wins (55-17). He has led Montana to three 20-plus-win seasons.
Montana posted its first winning non-conference record since 2011-12, including a win at Pitt – its first over a Power-5 program since 2010 and first over an ACC team since 1966.
The Grizzlies, who were coming off of a 16-16 season, were picked to finish third in the preseason coaches' poll.

Montana meets Northern Colorado in Friday's semifinal round

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jamar Akoh

Fabijan Krslovic

Bobby Moorehead

Michael Oguine

Sayeed Pridgett

Ahmaad Rorie

University of Montana Athletics

Montana meets Northern Colorado in Friday's semifinal round

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jamar Akoh

Fabijan Krslovic

Bobby Moorehead

Michael Oguine

Sayeed Pridgett

Ahmaad Rorie

Related Videos