Griz look to keep winning ways in Albuquerque

Montana at New Mexico
Sunday / 1 p.m. / Albuquerque, N.M.

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Eleven hours after the final horn sounded in Montana's 69-62 victory over Coppin State, the Grizzlies were back on the court preparing for their next opponent. Montana held a practice Saturday morning in Missoula before getting on a plane and traveling to Albuquerque, where the team will have another walk through Saturday night inside The Pit. It's been that type of week – and month – for the Grizzlies, who will be playing their third game of the week.

The two home games earlier this week marked the first time this season the Grizzlies have played consecutive games in the same city, traveling form Stanford (Nov. 6) to Missoula (Nov. 10), Arkansas (Nov. 16), Missoula (Nov. 18) and Washington (Nov. 22) before returning home for the pair of contests.

BUILDING A WINNING STREAK
Although at a modest two games, Montana has built its first winning streak of the season. The Grizzlies beat Texas Southern on Monday, before defeating Coppin State on Friday. The team's three-game losing skid earlier in November was the program's first since January 2017.

A LOOK BACK AT COPPIN STATE

Montana has now won back-to-back games for the first time this season.
For the second game in a row, the Grizzlies had at least four players in double figures for scoring. Sayeed Pridgett once again led the Grizzlies for a variety of statistical categories: scoring (19), rebounding (12) and assists (3).
Freshman Derrick-Carter Hollinger recorded his first career double-double, with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Four of his rebounds came on the offensive glass. Carter-Hollinger, who earned his third consecutive start, shot 5-of-7 from the floor.
Senior Kendal Manuel had a team-high three three-pointers and totaled 11 points on the night. Both of his triples in the second half pushed Montana's lead to a game-high 19 points.
Junior Timmy Falls had his best all-around game of the season, totaling 14 points, three assists and two blocked shots. During the first half, he scored seven consecutive Griz points to help Montana build an early lead. He then scored back-to-back baskets a few minutes later during a 12-2 run. Through 10 minutes, the junior already had 11 points, one steal and one assist.
Montana's only deficit came at 2-0 and lasted just 12 seconds.
The Grizzlies led by double digits for all but 4:44 over the final 28-plus minutes.
Montana had 18 assists compared to just 13 turnovers (season low against a Division-I opponent), including six assists and one turnover for Manuel.
Montana scored 42 points in the first half, a season high. It was also Montana's largest halftime lead of the season.
The Grizzlies shot 54.5 percent from the floor in the first half, knocking down 18 of 33 shot attempts, including 5 of 13 (38.5) from deep.
Coppin State entered the contest ranked fifth nationally for three-point attempts. The Eagles took 30 three-point attempts, but made just seven of them (23.3 percent).
Pridgett and Falls were named to the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow, presented by AtmosAir all-tournament team.

SCOUTING NEW MEXICO

New Mexico is 6-2 on the season and is coming off of a win over Wisconsin on Tuesday, on a neutral court in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the Legends Classic. The Badgers are receiving top-25 votes. The Lobos' two losses have come at UTEP, by three points at the buzzer, and to No. 18 Auburn.
UNM has one of the nation's top offenses through the first four weeks of the season, ranking 33rd with a .491 field-goal percentage and 66th for scoring (78.9 ppg). The Lobos scored 90-plus points in each of their first four victories.
Montana and UNM are both among the nation's elite for preventing three-pointers. The Grizzlies rank 47th, with opponents shooting just .277 from deep. The Lobos are 71st, with opponents hitting at a .286 clip.
While UNM connects on nearly half of its shot attempts, the Lobos also turn the ball over an average of 17.1 times per game (325th).
Senior guard JaQuan Lyle leads the Lobos in several statistical categories, including 16.9 points per game. He is one of four Lobos in double figures for scoring on the season, with all four shooting at least .467 from the floor.
Lyle was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week last week after averaging 24.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in wins over Green Bay and McNeese. Against Green Bay, he scored a career-high 31 points. Prior to this season, Lyle, an Ohio State transfer, had not played in two seasons due to NCAA transfer rules and injury.
Senior forward Calton Bragg, a transfer from Kansas, is nearly averaging a double-double with 10.9 points per game (second on the team) and 9.0 rebounds per game (first). He also has a team-high 10 blocks and 10 steals (second). Bragg's rebounding average ranks 61st nationally.
Junior guard JJ Caldwell, a transfer from Texas A&M, leads the Lobos for assists (41) and steals (18). Both figures rank in the top 62 nationally.
UNM has been to the NCAA tournament four times in the past decade, earning a No. 3 seed in 2013. The Lobos, though, went 14-18 in 2018-19, its worst record since going 10-18 in 2002-03.
The Lobos returned nine letterwinners and three starters from last year's team, including five of their top six scorers. The Lobos were picked to finish third in the Mountain West preseason poll.
Paul Weir is in his third season in Albuquerque. Previously, he was at nearby New Mexico State for 10 seasons, including the final year as head coach. The Aggies went to the NCAA tournament five times during that stretch.
The Pit, home to New Mexico basketball, is one of the top home-court advantages in the country, with the Lobos winning more than 80 percent of their games inside the venue. They have ranked in the top 30 for attendance each of the past 50 years. In 2013, the NCAA named The Pit as one of the top-five loudest basketball arenas, and Sports Illustrated named it one of the top-10 college basketball venues in the nation.

SERIES VS. THE LOBOS
Montana owns a 16-8 record over New Mexico, including a 6-6 mark in Albuquerque. In fact, the Grizzlies have won five of the past six meetings at New Mexico, but all of them came between 1956-57 and 1961-62. The only meeting in the series to take place since 1962 came in 2010, when the two teams met in the first round of the NCAA tournament. New Mexico, playing as a No. 3 seed, prevailed, 62-57, despite trailing at halftime.

SERIES VS. THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Montana owns 128 all-time wins over current members of the Mountain West (128-145, .469 winning percentage). The Grizzlies' last win came in 2015-16, over a Boise State team that won 20 games that season. The last four games against a Mountain West school have all been decided by five points or fewer.

No matter where he shoots it from, @DJ_Carter35 is going to knock it down! pic.twitter.com/1wC8B2O6vF
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) November 30, 2019

GRIZ BITS

The Grizzlies are on their first winning streak of the season.
According to KenPom's respected rankings, which accounts for Division-I competition, Montana has played the nation's sixth-toughest schedule so far this season. The Grizzlies' three DI losses have come to opponents with a combined record of 18-2.
Montana used just eight players through the first four games of the season, before adding senior Jared Samuelson to the rotation at Washington. Four of the team's main rotation players are freshmen.
Montana has used the same starting lineup each of the past three games. Overall, the Grizzlies have started two true freshmen in every game.
While Montana's offense has started to hit more consistently, the defense has held its own all season, limiting all seven opponents to 74 points or fewer (65.4 average). The Grizzlies have also forced opponents into .277 three-point shooting and 14.4 turnovers per game.
Montana's last two opponents have both been held to 62 points scored and under .400 shooting.
The Grizzlies are 3-0 when turning the ball over 15 times or fewer and 0-4 when doing so more than 15 times. In the Grizzlies' four losses, they are averaging 19.3 turnovers per loss (22.8 points off turnover per defeat).
Through four games, Montana averaged just 3.8 made three-pointers per game and was shooting 25.0 from beyond the arc, before connecting on nine triples at Washington (40.9 percent shooting). Montana has made eight or more three-pointers in two of its past three contests.
While the Grizzlies made nine three-pointers against the Huskies, Washington went 0-for-11, marking the first time in 20 years that the Huskies had failed to make a three-pointer.
Montana has out-rebounded its opponent in five of seven game
Montana did not lead at halftime in its first five contests, but has held the lead in each of its past two games.
Montana already has five scoring runs of more than eight points (14-0 vs. Stanford; 13-0 vs. MSU Northern; 11-0 vs. MSU Northern; 9-0 vs. Washington; 8-0 vs. Washington).

INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING

#0 Kyle Owens – Has started six contests... Ranked second on team with 14 points vs. Montana Tech, including perfect 10-for-10 from free-throw line... Reached double figures for first time with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting vs. MSU Northern... Made collegiate debut at Stanford, scoring three points.
#1 Timmy Falls – Has started last three contests... Has been in double figures in three of past four games after averaging 2.0 ppg through three contests... Totaled season-high 14 points vs. Coppin State, in addition to leading UM with two blocked shots... Scored seven straight points against the Eagles to help UM jump out to early lead; scored 11 points through game's first 10 minutes... Earned first start of season at Washington, leading UM with four assists and two steals... Played career-high 38 minutes vs. Montana Tech, scoring 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, in addition to three steals... Through two games was averaging 15.5 mpg, 2.0 ppg, 1.5 apg, 0.5 spg; over past five games is averaging 32.8 mpg, 8.4 ppg, 3.0 apg, 1.2 spg.
#2 Kendal Manuel – Has been in double figures for scoring in five straight games... Has made 12 consecutive free throws after leading Big Sky in 2019... Connected on three three-pointers vs. Coppin State, leading to 11 points and career-high six assists compared to one turnover (previous high was three)... Has made at least two three-pointers in five contests... Led UM for scoring and minutes in two consecutive games (Nov. 18-22)... Scored 15 points at Washington and career-high 25 vs. Montana Tech, making 10 shots... Began season shooting 6-of-27 (.222) before recent surge.
#3 Josh Vazquez – Ranks third on team with 28.4 mpg... Has started four games... Has made two or more three-pointers in three straight games... Shot 3-of-5 from deep at Washington, totaling nine points... Prior to that performance, had missed 10 consecutive shots over three games... Had at least one steal in first five games... Scored 11 points in collegiate debut at Stanford.
#4 Sayeed Pridgett – Leads UM for minutes, scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks... Has also turned the ball over team-high 27 times, but just four times over past two games... Has led UM for scoring, rebounding and steals five times, and assists four times... Has scored at least 13 points in every contest, including career-high 30 vs. MSU Northern... Has twice (vs. MSU Northern, at Washington) scored 13 consecutive UM points; both instances turned a Griz deficit into a lead... Was limited to 28 minutes at Washington after fouling out... Has recorded two double-doubles, including 19 points and 12 rebounds vs. Coppin State and 17 points and 10 rebounds, plus six assists and three steals, in season opener at Stanford.
#10 Eddy Egun – Recorded team-high six rebounds at Washington (career best)... Shot 2-of-3 from deep vs. the Huskies, making back-to-back three-pointers during 14-3 UM run to tie game... Made collegiate debut at Stanford, shooting 2-of-3 from deep for six points.
#23 Mack Anderson – Started first four games, the first starts of his career... Had team-high seven rebounds at Stanford (career best), also scoring nine points and blocking two shots... Has led UM for rebounding and blocked shots twice... Has played just 5 total minutes over past two games and has not attempted a shot.
#33 Jared Samuelson – In 14 minutes of action, scored three points and pulled down three rebounds vs. Texas Southern... Played eight minutes at Washington (one rebound), his first game action with UM since March 7, 2017... Missed first four games with preseason knee injury.
#35 Derrick Carter-Hollinger – Has started past four games... Recorded double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) vs. Coppin State, including four offensive rebounds... Tied for team lead with six rebounds at Washington... Has been in double figures for scoring in two straight games and three times this season... Has made 10 of last 14 shots and is shooting .615 on the season... Has at least five rebounds in fix games... Made collegiate debut at Stanford, ranking second on team with 15 points (5-of-6 shooting)... Scored five consecutive Griz points to get UM within a possession in second half.

Complete Game Notes in PDF format, including additional notes, stats, charts and player pages

Have yourself a night, @TF1000_!

11 points, 3 rebounds a steal and a block, and we're just 8 minutes in! pic.twitter.com/NRonIrywh5
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) November 30, 2019

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Players Mentioned

Mack Anderson

Derrick Carter-Hollinger

Eddy Egun

Timmy Falls

Kendal Manuel

Kyle Owens

Sayeed Pridgett

Jared Samuelson

Josh Vazquez

University of Montana Athletics