After long break, Montana returns to hardwood to face toughest challenge yet

Montana at No. 8 Oregon
Wednesday / 9 p.m. (MT) / Eugene, Oregon

TV: Pac-12 Network
Listen: KGVO (1290 AM, 98.3 FM) / Listen worldwide on TuneIn
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After playing nine games through the season's first month, including back-to-back games in the same city just once, Montana finally got a break. Since returning from Albuquerque, N.M., on Dec. 2, the Grizzlies have played just one game – a 77-70 home victory over North Dakota – including 11 straight days without a contest from Dec. 7-17.

Don't get the wrong idea, however. The light competition schedule did not mean a break from basketball. The Grizzlies took just one day off last week, but the lack of competition has been beneficial in a variety of ways.

First, the players and staff got to sleep in their own beds. Montana's first month included trips to California, Arkansas, Washington and New Mexico. Being in the same place for more than two weeks was much needed.

Secondly, it allowed the team to prepare for final exams. Academics have always been a priority for Travis DeCuire's teams, so the gap between games was intentional, allowing his student-athletes to take care of business in the classroom without having to study up on an opponent, as well.

Lastly, and perhaps the biggest benefit moving forward, was the team's ability to focus on itself. In the 28 days from Nov. 5 through Dec. 2, Montana played, traveled or was required to take off 20 of them. During that span, the team had just three practices in its own gym that weren't day-before preps for an opponent.

Between the travel, competition and prepping, that left very little time for the team – made up primarily of newcomers – to work on itself.

"I think last week was good for us, and something we needed," DeCuire said. "It was an opportunity for us to grind without having to worry about being fresh immediately, and an opportunity for us to tighten some things up.

"Now, with final exams out of the way, that's one less thing we have to worry about. For the next few weeks, we can really focus on taking the next step in our growth on the court."

Time will tell, but the hope is that the players walked away from the past two weeks a little more refreshed, in addition to having a better idea of each person's identity and role on the team.

The first nine games have been full of several ups and downs, but DeCuire believes his team is starting to find that identity – individually and collectively. Montana has won three of its past four games, with the lone exception being a narrow road loss to a solid New Mexico team. The stats back up Montana's improvement, not to mention the fact that Montana's four road losses have come to high-major teams with a combined record of 35-6.

The competition has been strong, and will only become more notable this week after the Grizzlies face their stiffest test yet: No. 8 Oregon.

The Ducks will present a challenge for Montana. Oregon (8-2) already owns three wins over top-15 teams this season, most-recently beating No. 5 Michigan on the road over the weekend. The team's two losses have come by a combined five points, both against top-10 teams (North Carolina and Gonzaga).

Senior Payton Pritchard, the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player who has only gotten better since March, is one of the nation's best players. He averages 19.2 points per game while making more than half of his shots and ranking in the top 30 nationally for assists.

But what makes Oregon so good isn't Pritchard alone. It's the fact that the Ducks are so much more than just one star player.

"That's a team that can beat anybody in the country, and they've shown that," DeCuire said. "They're talented at every position and their role players are better than your typical role player. That's the position they're in, but all could be go-to guys in different situations."

A win on Wednesday would be historic on many levels, but more than anything, DeCuire wants to walk away from Matthew Knight Arena on Wednesday night with his team continuing its trend of moving in an upward trajectory.

"I think we're headed in the right direction," DeCuire said. "I don't know that it's at the pace that I'd like, but it's hard to tell because of who we've played. Despite everything we've gone through, this is a confident team, and one that is working harder each day and has accepted the challenge we've put in front of them."

Tipoff is slated for 9 p.m. MT on the Pac-12 Network.

Gallery: (12/6/2019) MBB: vs. North Dakota (12.6.19)

SCOUTING OREGON

Enters Wednesday with an 8-2 record, including three victories over top-15 teams. Oregon's two losses have been by a combined five points, both against top-10 teams.
Oregon owns the nation's 11th-toughest non-conference strength of schedule, according to KenPom.
In the Ducks' 71-70 overtime win at then-No. 5 Michigan on Saturday, Oregon made more than half of its shots (.509) against a top-20 national defense. The Ducks were led by Payton Pritchard's 23 points, with 19 coming after halftime.
Oregon has five players averaging at least 8.8 points per game, including Pritchard (19.2), Anthony Mathis (11.6) and Chris Duarte (10.4). Mathis ranks sixth nationally with a .526 three-point shooting percentage. He averages 3.00 triples per game (40th), including six at Michigan. As a team, Oregon ranks 11th in the NCAA with a .412 three-point shooting percentage.
Pritchard ranks in the top 50 in the NCAA for both scoring and assists (28th). He is one of two players nationally to average 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. He has started an NCAA-leading 119 consecutive games.
Opponents are shooting just .381 against the Ducks, including .295 from three-point range.
A season after advancing to the Sweet 16, Oregon was picked to win the Pac-12 in the 2019-20 preseason media poll.
Dana Altman, Oregon's all-time wins leader with 250 victories, is one of six active head coaches in NCAA Division I who has posted a winning record for the last 22 consecutive seasons. The other five (Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, Bill Self and Jim Boeheim) are all in the Hall of Fame.
Oregon has played in six of the past seven NCAA tournaments, advancing to the Sweet 16 four times and the 2017 Final Four.
Oregon is 144-20 (.878) all-time inside Matthew Knight Arena, which opened in 2011. Even more impressive, the Ducks are 81-4 (.953) against non-conference competition.

SERIES VS. THE DUCKS
Montana is 3-23 all-time against Oregon, with most of the meetings happening prior to 1960. In fact, the two teams have met just three times since the turn of the century, with Montana coming away victorious in one of the matchups. The Grizzlies earned a 68-55 road win at Oregon during the 2009-10 season, a campaign that ended with 22 victories and a CBI berth. The Grizzlies and Ducks also met in the 2002 NCAA tournament, an 81-62 Oregon win in Salt Lake City.

The series dates back to the 1924-25 season, but the most-recent matchup came just three seasons ago in Eugene. Montana hung tough with the No. 22 Ducks, and led by as many as seven points in the first half, before Oregon went on to win 81-67 to extend its home win streak to 32 consecutive games at the time. Current Grizzlies Sayeed Pridgett and Jared Samuelson played in that contest. Pridgett finished with five points and a team-high six rebounds, while Samuelson chipped in with four points and four rebounds. Kendal Manuel has also played against the Ducks, when he suited up for Oregon State, tallying a career-high eight rebounds, plus 13 points, in a 2016 contest.

MONTANA VS. THE PAC-12
Montana has played at least one Pac-12 team every season since 2013-14, with three on its schedule for this season. The Grizzlies are looking for their first win over a Pac-12 team since beating both Oregon State and UCLA in 2010-11. Since then, the Grizzlies have lost 12 in a row. All-time, Montana is 56-220 against current members of the Pac-12.

LOOKING FOR A RANKED WIN
Montana is looking for its first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 20 Nevada, 87-79, during the 2006 NCAA tournament. The Grizzlies are 5-42 all-time against ranked teams, with their last top-25 true road win coming in December 2002 at No. 19 Stanford (70-68 win).

Montana is 1-21 vs. top-10 teams, with the lone win coming over No. 8 Idaho on Jan. 23, 1982 in Missoula. A win Wednesday would be Montana's first road win over a top-10 team, and would tie for the highest-ranked team the program has ever beat.

GRIZ BITS

Montana has won three of its past four games after beginning the season 1-4.
According to KenPom's respected rankings, which accounts for Division-I competition, Montana has played the nation's seventh-toughest schedule so far this season. The Grizzlies' four DI losses have come to opponents with a combined record of 35-6.
Montana has out-shot its opponent in each of the past four games.
The Grizzlies are 4-1 at home this season, but are still looking for their first road win. Montana is currently 0-4 away from Missoula, with all four losses coming to high-major teams.
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 in each of the past five 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 eight opponents to 74 points or fewer (66.7 average). Just one opponent (Washington) scored more points against the Griz than its season average.
The Griz defense has also forced opponents into .306 three-point shooting and 14.2 turnovers per game.
The Griz have not won a game (0-4) when opponents score more than 70 points.
Ironically, three of Montana's four wins have come when the Grizzlies make four or fewer three-pointers. Montana is 1-3 when making five or more triples.
Through Montana's first three games against DI competition, the Griz averaged 20.0 turnovers per game. In the past four the team is averaging just 10.8 per game. Montana turned the ball over just six times at New Mexico.
Montana is averaging 11.5 turnovers per game in victories (+4.2 margin) compared to 16.8 in losses (-4.2 margin).
Montana has forced at least five steals in every game this season.
The Grizzlies have recorded five or more blocks in three consecutive games.
After out-rebounding their opponent in each of the first four games, the Grizzlies have done so just once over the past five.
Montana did not lead at halftime in its first five contests, but has held the lead in three of its past four contests. Montana is 3-0 when leading at the intermission.
In its four high-major games, Montana has attempted just 12.0 free throws per game, compared to 30.0 for the Grizzlies' opponents.
Seniors Sayeed Pridgett and Kendal Manuel are the only two players to lead Montana for scoring in a game.
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).

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

You made it through finals week. ✅

You made it through a week with no #GrizHoops ✅

Next week, we're back for two games! 🙌 #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/d3E5cjpV7F
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) December 13, 2019

After long break, Montana returns to hardwood to face toughest challenge yet

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Players Mentioned

Kendal Manuel

Sayeed Pridgett

Jared Samuelson

University of Montana Athletics

After long break, Montana returns to hardwood to face toughest challenge yet

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kendal Manuel

Sayeed Pridgett

Jared Samuelson

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