Saturday, February 2
Bozeman, Mont.
7:00 PM
Montana
at
Montana State
Now with series lead, Montana looks to extend recent success over Bobcats
1/30/2019 9:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana at Montana State / Saturday / 7 p.m. / Bozeman, Mont.
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The Grizzlies lost back-to-back games to Montana State, first by a score of 39-32, then by a blowout margin, 53-10. The two teams would play seven more times over the next six seasons, with Montana State winning each time.
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All told, those first several Montana basketball teams did the school few favors, in regards to its rivalry record, with Montana falling behind in the all-time series, 17-3.
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Fans of this era wouldn't know about that history, though. In recent memory, Montana has been dominant in the series, going 41-20 since the early 1990s and winning 15 of the past 16 meetings since 2010-11. Seven of the 15 wins have been by double digits, including last year, when Montana won by an average of 21 points. The most-recent win tipped the ledger in the Grizzlies' favor for the first time ever, 149-148.
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Not that it's a position unfamiliar to the program, which won regular-season and tournament championships a year ago and is the winningest Big Sky program over the past decade. Dating back even further, since winning its first Big Sky tournament title in 1991, no team has won as many championships as the Griz.
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"It's Montana vs. Montana State," head coach Travis DeCuire said. "Both teams are into it, the fans are into it. It's a fun environment, and anything can happen. We have to be ready to go from the start, because they're going to bring it, and if we're not ready we'll be exposed."
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Montana is expecting to play in front of a sold-out, standing-room-only crowd, and while Montana State has had some struggles overall – with an 8-11 record and losing three of its past four games – prior to its current stretch, the Bobcats were turning around a disappointing start to the year, winning five of seven, including a 4-1 start to league play.
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MSU also has Tyler Hall, the Big Sky's all-time scoring leader with more than 2,000 career points. Hall ranks second in the Big Sky this season with 21.8 points per game, and leads the league with 3.8 made three-pointers per game. His teammate, Harald Frey, ranks fourth for scoring (18.4), third for assists (5.2) and eighth for steals (1.4).
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It's a big reason why the Cats have the league's best scoring offense, averaging 84.2 points per game. Last week over two games against Idaho State and Weber State, they scored 90.0 per game, including 104 vs. the Bengals.
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"They're strong offensively and they play quick," DeCuire said. "We'll have to get back and defend quickly, and I think we can. I like the way we're headed defensively. "This is probably the longest stretch we've put together of defending the right way and playing with intensity. I think we're heading in the right direction, now we just need to keep it going."
SERIES VS. THE BOBCATS
For a series that has been played continuously for more than a century, it's remarkable how close the rivalry has been. Saturday will be the 298th all-time meeting between the Grizzlies and Bobcats, with the Grizzlies holding a 149-148 advantage. The series began in 1902-03 and has been played at least once in all but five seasons over the past 108 years, including every season since 1960.
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Overall, the Grizzlies have won 15 of the past 16 in the series, dating back to the 2010-11 season, but that one loss came two years ago on the road. The Grizzlies are 49-95 all-time in Bozeman.
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GRIZ TRACKS
PLAYING FROM IN FRONT
Kendal Manuel hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 10-10 with 15:24 to play in the first half at Idaho (Jan. 19). Montana has not played from behind since, going more than 115 minutes without trailing – nearly three entire games.
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GAME OF RUNS
During Montana's four-game winning streak, a run of consecutive points has been a major factor.
AKOH HONORED
A Montana played was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for the second time in a three-week period, with senior forward Jamar Akoh being an obvious pick.
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On offense, the senior averaged 23.5 points on .543 shooting. He was equally impressive on defense, though, averaging 13.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game. Akoh recorded double-doubles in both contests.
In the win over the Wildcats, Akoh scored 25 points, in addition to 10 rebounds and two steals. At one point during the second half, he scored 12 consecutive Griz points, turning a five-point lead into a 63-51 advantage with 9 minutes to play. In the first half, he was instrumental in Montana's 20-0 run, recording four points, one rebound, one assist and one steal.
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Two nights earlier, in a win over Idaho State, Akoh scored 22 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, also adding four steals. He was so dominant in the first half that he had already recorded a double-double by the 2-minute mark of the first half.
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The Grizzlies lost back-to-back games to Montana State, first by a score of 39-32, then by a blowout margin, 53-10. The two teams would play seven more times over the next six seasons, with Montana State winning each time.
Â
All told, those first several Montana basketball teams did the school few favors, in regards to its rivalry record, with Montana falling behind in the all-time series, 17-3.
Â
Fans of this era wouldn't know about that history, though. In recent memory, Montana has been dominant in the series, going 41-20 since the early 1990s and winning 15 of the past 16 meetings since 2010-11. Seven of the 15 wins have been by double digits, including last year, when Montana won by an average of 21 points. The most-recent win tipped the ledger in the Grizzlies' favor for the first time ever, 149-148.
The next chapter in the series, Volume 298, will be written Saturday night in Bozeman, and for the first time, the Griz will play from on top.#GrizCat week! pic.twitter.com/JMEUUmV5o4
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) January 28, 2019
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Not that it's a position unfamiliar to the program, which won regular-season and tournament championships a year ago and is the winningest Big Sky program over the past decade. Dating back even further, since winning its first Big Sky tournament title in 1991, no team has won as many championships as the Griz.
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"It's Montana vs. Montana State," head coach Travis DeCuire said. "Both teams are into it, the fans are into it. It's a fun environment, and anything can happen. We have to be ready to go from the start, because they're going to bring it, and if we're not ready we'll be exposed."
Â
Montana is expecting to play in front of a sold-out, standing-room-only crowd, and while Montana State has had some struggles overall – with an 8-11 record and losing three of its past four games – prior to its current stretch, the Bobcats were turning around a disappointing start to the year, winning five of seven, including a 4-1 start to league play.
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MSU also has Tyler Hall, the Big Sky's all-time scoring leader with more than 2,000 career points. Hall ranks second in the Big Sky this season with 21.8 points per game, and leads the league with 3.8 made three-pointers per game. His teammate, Harald Frey, ranks fourth for scoring (18.4), third for assists (5.2) and eighth for steals (1.4).
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It's a big reason why the Cats have the league's best scoring offense, averaging 84.2 points per game. Last week over two games against Idaho State and Weber State, they scored 90.0 per game, including 104 vs. the Bengals.
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"They're strong offensively and they play quick," DeCuire said. "We'll have to get back and defend quickly, and I think we can. I like the way we're headed defensively. "This is probably the longest stretch we've put together of defending the right way and playing with intensity. I think we're heading in the right direction, now we just need to keep it going."
SCOUTING MONTANA STATE🎥 The big plays and big moments from last night's big win! 🎥 #GrizHoops #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/6V8GB0VoP5
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) January 27, 2019
- Is 8-11 on the season, including 5-4 in Big Sky play and 5-3 at home.
- After beginning league play 4-1 with wins over Southern Utah, Portland State, Sacramento State and Idaho, the Bobcats have lost three of their past four.
- Last week, MSU averaged 90.0 points vs. Weber State and Idaho State, including scoring 104 points on the Bengals.
- The Bobcats lead Big Sky play with 84.2 points per game.
- While MSU has the best scoring offense, the Cats rank low on defense. Through 19 total games, they rank in the bottom 25 nationally for scoring defense, field-goal defense, three-point defense and blocks per game.
- MSU is the only school to have two players rank in the top five for scoring, with Tyler Hall (21.8, second) and Harald Frey (18.4) doing so. In its most-recent game, the duo combined for 57 points.
- Hall is the league's all-time career scoring leader. However, over the past three halves against Montana, the senior is 2-of-19 from the floor.
- Hall ranks 14th in the NCAA with 3.58 three-pointers made per game and 37th for scoring.
- In addition to his scoring average, Frey ranks third in Big Sky play for assists (5.2) and eighth for steals (1.4). His 3.17 assist-to-turnover ratio is the 19th-best in the nation.
- Ladan Ricketts makes nearly half of his three-point attempts (.474). He is one of three Bobcats to average at least 2.0 makes per game.
- The Cats are coached by Brian Fish, who is 58-86 in four-plus seasons in Bozeman.
SERIES VS. THE BOBCATS
For a series that has been played continuously for more than a century, it's remarkable how close the rivalry has been. Saturday will be the 298th all-time meeting between the Grizzlies and Bobcats, with the Grizzlies holding a 149-148 advantage. The series began in 1902-03 and has been played at least once in all but five seasons over the past 108 years, including every season since 1960.
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Overall, the Grizzlies have won 15 of the past 16 in the series, dating back to the 2010-11 season, but that one loss came two years ago on the road. The Grizzlies are 49-95 all-time in Bozeman.
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- Travis DeCuire is 13-3 all-time vs. Montana State, going 6-2 as a player and 7-1 as a coach.
- Senior Ahmaad Rorie has been in double figures all four games vs. MSU, averaging 18.25 points per game, including 28 in his first meeting vs. the Bobcats, in January 2017.
- Michael Oguine is averaging 16.3 points in six games vs. MSU, including 20-plus points on three occasions.
- In two games vs. the Cats a year ago, Bobby Moorehead averaged 10.0 points and 9.5 rebounds, also playing lock-down defense on the 2018 Preseason Player of the Year Tyler Hall.
- Timmy Falls led the Griz with 14 points, including nine during a 13-0 first-half run, during last year's meeting vs. MSU in Missoula.
GRIZ TRACKS
- Montana has not trailed in more than 115 consecutive minutes, nearly three entire games.
- During its four-game win streak, no opponent has reached the 70-point threshold against the Griz.
- Montana has held opponents under their season scoring average in 18 of 20 games this season.
- Ten of Montana's 14 wins have come by double digits, including five by at least 20 points.
- Montana is shooting .483 on the season (31st in NCAA, 1st in Big Sky), and has made at least half of its shots 10 times.
- Montana is the only Big Sky team to have four players rank in the top 25 for scoring. Five different Grizzlies have scored at least 20 points in a game this season.
- Montana has out-rebounded its opponent in nine of its past 10 games. During Big Sky play, the Grizzlies rank second for rebounding margin (+5.0) and rebounds per game (36.9). Through 10 games, largely without forward Jamar Akoh, they ranked last with 30.6 rebounds per game and a -2.5 margin.
- With a veteran group, four starters have played in 100 or more career games.
- Montana has made at least eight three-pointers 11 times this season. The Grizzlies hit that number just four times in 2017-18.
- The Grizzlies have recorded more assists than their opponent in all 14 wins. They have recorded fewer assists just three times (0-3).
- Over the past three games, Montana is averaging just 7.0 turnovers per game. On the flip side, the Griz are scoring 22.0 points per game off of opponent turnovers during that stretch.
- Jamar Akoh, the Big Sky Player of the Week, is the only player to rank in the top five of the Big Sky for scoring, rebounding and shooting. He also leads the league for steals. Over Montana's four-game win streak, the senior is averaging 17.8 points on .519 shooting, 11.8 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game.
- Senior Ahmaad Rorie ranks in the top 10 in the Big Sky for scoring, assists, three-pointers and minutes played. He has a 3.4 assist-to-turnover ratio during the Grizzlies' four-game win streak.
- Junior Kendal Manuel is averaging 15.7 points on .483 shooting over his past three home games.
- In addition to scoring at least eight points in 19 of 20 games this season, junior Sayeed Pridgett leads the Griz with 29 steals. He has at least one swipe in seven consecutive games.
- Senior Michael Oguine returned to the starting lineup vs. Weber State (Jan. 26), after missing the previous game with a back injury. He needs three steals to move into fifth place in UM history and 19 points to move into eight place for scoring.
- Bobby Moorehead has four blocks in the past two games. The senior ranks second on the team with 12 rejections on the season.
- Montana beat Weber State despite being out-shot from the floor, three-point range and the free-throw line. The Wildcats also out-rebounded the Griz, but Montana turned the ball over just six times and turned WSU over 14 times, leading to a 25-0 points-off-turnover advantage.
- Montana began Big Sky play 3-0 for the third time in five seasons under Travis DeCuire and 10th time ever.
- Montana's 7-4 non-conference record was its best since 2010-11, and came against the nation's 43rd-toughest schedule. More impressive, the Grizzlies had their full roster available just twice, most notably being without all-conference forward Jamar Akoh for seven games.
- After being one of two teams to use the same starting lineup for every game in 2017-18, the Grizzlies have used four different combinations in 2018-19. However, they have used the same lineup in 11 of their past 13 games.
- Montana's 4-0 start was its best since 1995-96.
- Seven players have made their collegiate or Grizzly debuts.
- Montana has won 22 of its past 23 home games dating back to February 2017.
ÂBeast mode. 😤 pic.twitter.com/YNUA47tke3
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) January 31, 2019
PLAYING FROM IN FRONT
Kendal Manuel hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 10-10 with 15:24 to play in the first half at Idaho (Jan. 19). Montana has not played from behind since, going more than 115 minutes without trailing – nearly three entire games.
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GAME OF RUNS
During Montana's four-game winning streak, a run of consecutive points has been a major factor.
- Northern Colorado (Jan. 12) led 14-12 with 13:15 to play in the opening half, before Montana went on a 9-0 run to take control of the game. The Grizzlies extended the spurt to 18-4 – receiving points from six different players –and led for the remainder of the contest, including by as many as 30 points.
- Montana held Idaho (Jan. 19) without a field goal for at least 5 minutes three separate times, including runs of 16-0 in the first half and 13-0 in the second. During the first run, the Vandals missed 12 consecutive shots and turned the ball over twice. During the 13-0 run late in the game, Idaho went 0-for-7 with three turnovers after it cut its deficit to just three points.
- Leading Idaho State (Jan. 24) by just three, 33-30, at halftime, the Grizzlies came out of the intermission on a roll, scoring 16 of the half's first 17 points. During the run, Kendal Manuel had 11 points, including back-to-back treys, plus a steal and an assist.
- Montana led Weber State (Jan. 26) 12-10 early in the game before the Grizzlies scored the next 20 points. During the run, Weber State shot 0-for-11 from the floor with five turnovers over a span of 8:29. Seven different Grizzlies scored during the run.
AKOH HONORED
A Montana played was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for the second time in a three-week period, with senior forward Jamar Akoh being an obvious pick.
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On offense, the senior averaged 23.5 points on .543 shooting. He was equally impressive on defense, though, averaging 13.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game. Akoh recorded double-doubles in both contests.
ÂWhat a week for Jamar Akoh! A well-deserved honor!
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) January 29, 2019
📰 https://t.co/2ACK1x68Do #GrizHoops #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/IpEkk7F1IV
In the win over the Wildcats, Akoh scored 25 points, in addition to 10 rebounds and two steals. At one point during the second half, he scored 12 consecutive Griz points, turning a five-point lead into a 63-51 advantage with 9 minutes to play. In the first half, he was instrumental in Montana's 20-0 run, recording four points, one rebound, one assist and one steal.
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Two nights earlier, in a win over Idaho State, Akoh scored 22 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, also adding four steals. He was so dominant in the first half that he had already recorded a double-double by the 2-minute mark of the first half.
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.@willcherry5's career-high 24 points highlight our #NextLevelGriz update. Several former #GrizHoops stars doing big-time things!
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) January 29, 2019
📰 https://t.co/tBG3zHbQPJ
📸 @GLeagueWarriors pic.twitter.com/OYGLTYQKZP
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