Saturday, February 1
Missoula, Mont.
7 PM
Montana
12-10, 8-3BSC
78
vs
64
Montana State
11-10, 5-5BSC
1
2
F
Montana State
39
25
64
Montana
54
24
78
Photo by: Tommy Martino
Griz out-shoot Cats in 300th meeting
2/1/2020 10:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MISSOULA, Mont. – With a near-capacity crowd of more than 7,000 fans on its feet, Montana gave the fans plenty to cheer about Saturday night. The Grizzlies connected on their first five shots to jump out to an early lead, and led for all but 14 seconds in a 78-64 victory.
Montana has now beaten rival Montana State 18 times in 19 tries over the past decade. Saturday marked the historic 300th meeting between the two state universities, the fifth-longest rivalry in NCAA basketball history.
Montana State entered the contest having won three straight road games, its best stretch in 15 years. Montana made sure the streak wouldn't continue, but did so in an unlikely way.
The Bobcats ranked ninth nationally for three-point defense. Teams were making just 28 percent of their attempts from long range against MSU, and no Big Sky team had made more than nine makes in a game all year.
The Grizzlies, though, noticed an opportunity with the zone defense the Bobcats presented, and boy did they take advantage.
Montana made 10 three-pointers in the first half alone – the team's previous season high for a full game was nine – and scored 54 points in the opening half to jump out to a 15-point lead.
"We hadn't seen that much zone this year," DeCuire said. "We got quick starts against the 2-3 zone, but it's not very often our guys get shots with both feet set, and we got a lot of those tonight."
Gallery: (2/1/2020) MBB: vs. Montana State (2.1.20
Overall, Montana made 11 of 19 three-point attempts (.579), getting contributions from six different players.
Kendal Manuel hit four, while Sayeed Pridgett and Josh Vazquez each connected on two. Derrick Carter-Hollinger, Kyle Owens and Jared Samuelson each drained one three-pointer.
Montana shot .633 in the first half, including 10-of-14 from long range.
Montana State took its only lead at 18-17, but 14 seconds later, Owens responded with a dunk from Pridgett to put the Griz on top for good. Over the next 7 minutes, Montana out-scored the visitors 27-10 to bring the Dahlberg Arena crowd to life.
Coming out of the break, Montana State's defense clamped down and held the Grizzlies to just one made basket in the first 7 minutes. That allowed the Bobcats to get within six, 57-51. Montana State would hang around, being within five points twice and six points, 66-60, with 7:14 to play.
At that point, though, Pridgett – the senior leader who is now 4-0 against the Cats in Missoula – took over. The senior's layup extended the lead to eight, and two possessions later he scored again to push the advantage to double digits. On the next trip up the court, it was Pridgett once more, who gave Montana a 72-60 lead with 4:16 to play, forcing a Bobcat timeout.
That bucket, Pridgett's final of the night, moved him into 10th place and past Will Cherry on Montana's all-time scoring list.
"It means a lot because Will is a big reason why I came here, along with Coach DeCuire," Pridgett said about passing Cherry, a fellow Bay Area hooper, on the all-time scoring list. "It means a lot to me because I watched Will growing up and looked up to him."
Montana State would score just four total points over the final 7 minutes, allowing the Grizzlies to close the game on a 12-4 run.
"I'm proud of this state, and as a former player I just always remembered how the community responded to a win against the Cats, but I also remember how they responded to a loss, and I didn't want any part of that."
Game Notables
"I think that was probably the most fun game I've ever played in. The arena, the whole atmosphere, everybody cheering loudly… That's as good as it gets." – Owens on his first Griz-Cat rivalry game
"I love playing in big games, in front of big crowds. I feel like I feed off of that and it just gives me more energy." – Owens on the environment
"People kept asking me about it before the game. I didn't want to think about it, because I didn't want it to be done. I tried to keep my mind off of it, to be honest." – Pridgett on his final home Griz-Cat game
"We made a point of playing as hard as we possibly could and let the rest take care of itself. That's been a struggle for us. We spent a lot of time yesterday and today on their mix defenses – man, and two different zones – and I think it showed." – DeCuire on Montana's strong start
"We've been getting off to slow starts; our scrap hasn't been great. He's our best scrapper, so I figured why not have him in there those first 4 minutes? We liked his offense and his energy off the bench, but I just felt like we needed to start some games better." – DeCuire on inserting Carter-Hollinger into the starting lineup
"It was a pleasure to have this many people in the building. Because contact was being called, it was a slow game the first half, so it was hard to get them going at times. They picked their moments, though, and it helped. Their energy was huge." – DeCuire on the crowd
"We put so much pressure on him to do a lot of things, and the most difficult thing is to lead a team with a mixture of seniors and freshmen. We 've put a lot of pressure on him, and it's hard, and I think he's handled it as well as any senior could. It feels good to see him come out and perform this well in front of this crowd tonight." – DeCuire on Pridgett
"Thirty-eight percent from the floor is huge, and that's how you win games. Offense keeps you in the game, but you don't win if you don't defend." – DeCuire on Montana's defense
Saturday was big, but Thursday is bigger. Montana (8-3) hosts Eastern Washington (7-2) in a battle for first place. The game is a rematch of the past two title games and will no doubt have major implications once again. Tipoff on Thursday is slated for 7 p.m.
Montana has now beaten rival Montana State 18 times in 19 tries over the past decade. Saturday marked the historic 300th meeting between the two state universities, the fifth-longest rivalry in NCAA basketball history.
Montana State entered the contest having won three straight road games, its best stretch in 15 years. Montana made sure the streak wouldn't continue, but did so in an unlikely way.
The Bobcats ranked ninth nationally for three-point defense. Teams were making just 28 percent of their attempts from long range against MSU, and no Big Sky team had made more than nine makes in a game all year.
The Grizzlies, though, noticed an opportunity with the zone defense the Bobcats presented, and boy did they take advantage.
Montana made 10 three-pointers in the first half alone – the team's previous season high for a full game was nine – and scored 54 points in the opening half to jump out to a 15-point lead.
"We hadn't seen that much zone this year," DeCuire said. "We got quick starts against the 2-3 zone, but it's not very often our guys get shots with both feet set, and we got a lot of those tonight."
Overall, Montana made 11 of 19 three-point attempts (.579), getting contributions from six different players.
Kendal Manuel hit four, while Sayeed Pridgett and Josh Vazquez each connected on two. Derrick Carter-Hollinger, Kyle Owens and Jared Samuelson each drained one three-pointer.
Montana shot .633 in the first half, including 10-of-14 from long range.
Montana State took its only lead at 18-17, but 14 seconds later, Owens responded with a dunk from Pridgett to put the Griz on top for good. Over the next 7 minutes, Montana out-scored the visitors 27-10 to bring the Dahlberg Arena crowd to life.
Coming out of the break, Montana State's defense clamped down and held the Grizzlies to just one made basket in the first 7 minutes. That allowed the Bobcats to get within six, 57-51. Montana State would hang around, being within five points twice and six points, 66-60, with 7:14 to play.
At that point, though, Pridgett – the senior leader who is now 4-0 against the Cats in Missoula – took over. The senior's layup extended the lead to eight, and two possessions later he scored again to push the advantage to double digits. On the next trip up the court, it was Pridgett once more, who gave Montana a 72-60 lead with 4:16 to play, forcing a Bobcat timeout.
That bucket, Pridgett's final of the night, moved him into 10th place and past Will Cherry on Montana's all-time scoring list.
"It means a lot because Will is a big reason why I came here, along with Coach DeCuire," Pridgett said about passing Cherry, a fellow Bay Area hooper, on the all-time scoring list. "It means a lot to me because I watched Will growing up and looked up to him."
Welcome to the top 10, @SP4THABOY!
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) February 2, 2020
With that bucket, Pridgett passes fellow Bay Area legend Will Cherry on the #GrizHoops scoring list! pic.twitter.com/SVvNfSDZDV
Montana State would score just four total points over the final 7 minutes, allowing the Grizzlies to close the game on a 12-4 run.
"I'm proud of this state, and as a former player I just always remembered how the community responded to a win against the Cats, but I also remember how they responded to a loss, and I didn't want any part of that."
Game Notables
- Montana beat rival Montana State for the 18th time in the past 19 tries dating back to the 2010-11 season. The Grizzlies have won 10 straight at home, the best stretch in series history.
- Saturday marked the 300th meeting between Montana and Montana State. In NCAA history, only four series have been played more frequently (Oregon-Oregon State; Oregon-Washington; Oregon State-Washington; Oregon State-Washington State).
- MSU entered Saturday ranked ninth nationally, allowing opponents to shoot just .282 from three-point range. The Grizzlies shot .579, connecting on a season-high 11 three-pointers.
- Montana's .579 shooting percentage was the best by an MSU opponent this season. The previous high came from Green Bay (.455).
- The 11 made three-pointers were a season high for Montana; the total was also tied for the most MSU has allowed this season.
- Montana made 10 three-pointers in the first half, shooting 10-of-14.
- Six different Grizzlies made a three-pointer, led by Kendal Manuel (4-of-6).
- The 78 points are the most Montana State has allowed in a Big Sky game this season.
- Montana shot .500 from the floor, becoming the first Big Sky school to make half of its shots against MSU's stingy defense. On the flip side, Montana held MSU to .383 shooting, the fourth-lowest total by the Bobcats this season.
- Montana scored a season-high 54 first-half points, shooting .633 from the floor and .714 from three-point range.
- Montana won the rebounding battle (34 to 28, including seven offense boards) for just the second time in the past 10 games. Freshman Derrick Carter-Hollinger led all players with nine boards.
- Senior Sayeed Pridgett led Montana with 24 points, including six straight late in the game to push the Grizzlies' lead back to double figures.
- Pridgett also added five assists, five rebounds, a block and a steal while playing 39 minutes.
- Saturday marked Pridgett's 36th straight game in double figures, a streak which ranks sixth among all active players nationally.
- Late in the game, Pridgett picked up his 1,485th career point, which moved him past fellow Bay Area legend Will Cherry and into 10th place on Montana's all-time scoring list.
- Carter-Hollinger, who earned the start, scored seven points (3-of-4 shooting) and pulled down a team-best nine rebounds, but the freshman also dished out a career-high five assists, including two in the final 5 minutes to help Montana pull away.
- Freshman Kyle Owens tied a career high with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting. He also ranked second on the team with six rebounds and led the Grizzlies with five fouls drawn.
- Junior Timmy Falls was in double figures for the fourth consecutive game, scoring 10 points. He also dished out four assists and stole two passes.
- Falls scored his first basket just 25 seconds into the game. Through the game's first 6 minutes, he had six points, two steals and an assist.
- Senior Kendal Manuel scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep, connecting on three triples in the first half, including one in the closing seconds of the period.
- Sophomore Peter Jones made his season debut in the closing seconds. Jones hadn't played since December 2018 due to a foot injury.
- The Grizzlies' only deficit came at 18-17. Montana trailed for a total of 14 seconds.
- Montana made its first five shot attempts and jumped out to 13-5 lead just 3:14 into the game.
- Montana used a 13-3 run late in the first half to build a 41-26 advantage. During the run, the Grizzlies made five consecutive shots.
- MSU held Montana to one made field goal over the first 7 minutes of the second half, allowing the Bobcats to get within six, 57-51. The stretched included an 8-0 run by the Bobcats.
- Montana closed the game on a 12-4 run, holding MSU to just four points (one made field goal) over the game's final 7 minutes.
- MSU's Harald Frey scored 37 of his team's 64 points (58 percent). The senior shot 9-of-17 from the field, knocking down seven three-pointers. He was also aided by 12 made free throws.
- The game was played in front of a near-capacity crowd of 7,040.
Quoting the GrizIf you're just joining us, here's what you missed in the opening half...
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) February 2, 2020
3️⃣ 3️⃣ 3️⃣ 3️⃣ 3️⃣ 3️⃣ 3️⃣ 3️⃣ 3️⃣ 3️⃣#GrizCat #GrizHoops #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/oR2iXhnzaZ
"I think that was probably the most fun game I've ever played in. The arena, the whole atmosphere, everybody cheering loudly… That's as good as it gets." – Owens on his first Griz-Cat rivalry game
"I love playing in big games, in front of big crowds. I feel like I feed off of that and it just gives me more energy." – Owens on the environment
"People kept asking me about it before the game. I didn't want to think about it, because I didn't want it to be done. I tried to keep my mind off of it, to be honest." – Pridgett on his final home Griz-Cat game
"We made a point of playing as hard as we possibly could and let the rest take care of itself. That's been a struggle for us. We spent a lot of time yesterday and today on their mix defenses – man, and two different zones – and I think it showed." – DeCuire on Montana's strong start
"We've been getting off to slow starts; our scrap hasn't been great. He's our best scrapper, so I figured why not have him in there those first 4 minutes? We liked his offense and his energy off the bench, but I just felt like we needed to start some games better." – DeCuire on inserting Carter-Hollinger into the starting lineup
"It was a pleasure to have this many people in the building. Because contact was being called, it was a slow game the first half, so it was hard to get them going at times. They picked their moments, though, and it helped. Their energy was huge." – DeCuire on the crowd
"We put so much pressure on him to do a lot of things, and the most difficult thing is to lead a team with a mixture of seniors and freshmen. We 've put a lot of pressure on him, and it's hard, and I think he's handled it as well as any senior could. It feels good to see him come out and perform this well in front of this crowd tonight." – DeCuire on Pridgett
"Thirty-eight percent from the floor is huge, and that's how you win games. Offense keeps you in the game, but you don't win if you don't defend." – DeCuire on Montana's defense
Looking AheadPostgame press conference with the winning team!#GrizCat #GrizHoops #GoGriz https://t.co/AI6rEc3ofl
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) February 2, 2020
Saturday was big, but Thursday is bigger. Montana (8-3) hosts Eastern Washington (7-2) in a battle for first place. The game is a rematch of the past two title games and will no doubt have major implications once again. Tipoff on Thursday is slated for 7 p.m.
For those counting at home, that's 3️⃣ 3️⃣-pointers in the first 3️⃣ minutes.
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) February 2, 2020
Montana hasn't missed a shot. #GrizCat #GrizHoops #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/UVWzTSRIAM
Team Stats
MSU
UM
FG%
.383
.500
3FG%
.421
.579
FT%
.690
.813
RB
28
34
TO
10
10
STL
2
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
24
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
6
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
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