Thursday, March 5
Missoula, Mont.
7 PM
Montana
vs
Northern Colorado
Photo by: Todd Goodrich
Griz battle for Big Sky title this week in Missoula
3/4/2020 11:40:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Montana vs. Northern Colorado
Thursday / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Mont.
Saturday / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Mont.
ON THE CUSP OF A TITLE
Montana is two wins – or one win and one Eastern Washington loss – away from making history. The Grizzlies have the chance this week to lock up a third consecutive Big Sky Conference title, which has never before happened in school history. In fact, one would have to go back nearly 50 years to find the only time it has happened in Big Sky history, when Weber State won six straight regular-season championships from 1968-73. If Montana can hang another banner, it would be the fourth in six seasons under head coach Travis DeCuire.
TALKING TIES
With two games to play, Montana and Eastern Washington are tied for first place at 14-4. One game back, at 13-5, is Northern Colorado. Those three teams will be the top three seeds at next week's conference tournament, but the order has yet to be decided.
Montana currently holds a potential tiebreaker over Eastern Washington – thanks to a head-to-head season sweep over the Eagles – so the Grizzlies are in complete control of their positioning, needing any combination of Griz wins or Eagles losses to add up to two in order to lock up the No. 1 seed.
Northern Colorado still has an outside chance to be the No. 1 seed, but would need to knock off the Grizzlies on Thursday before having additional matchups – and tiebreakers that can't be decided until the fourth-place team is determined – go its way.
POLL POSITIONING
With a current record of 18-11, Montana is guaranteed to finish at least .500 for the 12th consecutive season.
LOOKING FOR NO. 20
Montana, which has already secured a winning record, is on the cusp of reaching 20 wins for the fifth time in six seasons under Travis DeCuire and the ninth time in the past 11 seasons overall.
PEAKING IN FEBRUARY
During the month of February, Montana found its rhythm, going 7-1 with five double-digit victories.
Dating back to Jan. 9 at Eastern Washington – a span of 14 games – Montana is averaging 77.2 points per game and a +9.8 scoring margin. Even more impressive, the Grizzlies are shooting .529 during that span, including .427 from 3-point range. Extracted over an entire season, Montana's shooting percentage would lead the entire nation – just ahead of Dayton (.527), as would its 3-point percentage – just ahead of BYU (.423).
Through non-conference play, Montana was averaging 64.8 points per game (10th out of 11 teams in the Big Sky) on .429 shooting (10th). The Grizzlies were shooting .296 from deep (11th) and .686 from the free-throw line (sixth). Nearly through the entirety of Big Sky play, the Grizzlies are averaging 74.3 points per Big Sky game (third). Montana is shooting .505 overall (first), .408 from deep (first) and .751 from the free-throw line (third). The Grizzlies also have a +7.8 scoring margin (second).
NOTABLE TRENDS
PREVIEWING THE BEARS
Montana owns a 24-10 record against Northern Colorado, not including a 1976-77 victory that was vacated. The Grizzlies have won 13 of the last 18 and are 8-3 under Travis DeCuire. However, Montana has lost back-to-back games against UNC, including last March in Missoula and earlier this season in Greeley.
Over the past three seasons, Montana (46 Big Sky wins) and Northern Colorado (39) have been the two of winningest teams in the conference (Eastern Washington also has 39 wins during that span). The two teams have had several epic battles, including an overtime thriller in the 2018 semifinals. Last year was no different, as the two teams entered the final day of the regular season tied, before the Grizzlies beat Sacramento State to earn the No. 1 seed. The two teams split their two meetings last spring, but it was their trip to Greeley that was a turning point in their championship season. Entering that game in mid-January, Montana was trying to find its footing, having lost back-to-back games and sitting at 3-2 in league play. Northern Colorado was unbeaten and in first place. Montana left no doubt, though, leading by as many as 30 points and winning 88-64. Sayeed Pridgett scored Montana's first 12 points and 26 overall.
This past January in Greeley, UNC used a 13-0 scoring run early in the game to build a double-digit lead. Montana would take a brief 33-32 lead early in the second half and tied the game at 45-45 with 11:32 to play, before the Bears scored 13 of the next 15 points to take control. Kendal Manuel scored a season-high 30 points, as Montana scored more points than any other opponent had up to that point inside Bank of Colorado Arena.
SERIES VS. THE THUNDERBIRDS
Montana owns plenty of success against Southern Utah, including a current 15-game winning streak in the series. Montana is 18-5 all-time against the Thunderbirds, going 3-5 from 1982-83 through 2000-01 before rattling off 15 consecutive wins, beginning in 2002-03. The two teams have played at least one time each season since 2012-13, when the Thunderbirds joined the Big Sky Conference.
Travis DeCuire is 9-0 against Southern Utah, including a tight win on Jan. 2 in Cedar City. Last March in Missoula, Sayeed Pridgett scored a game-high 20 points – all in the second half – including seven points during a 93-second span. Seven of Montana's past eight wins over Southern Utah have been by double digits.
Complete Game Notes in PDF format, including additional notes, stats, charts and player pages
Thursday / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Mont.
- TV: SWX Montana
- Stream: Pluto TV (ch. 537)
- Listen: KGVO (1290 AM, 98.3 FM) / Worldwide on TuneIn
- Live Stats
- Tickets
Saturday / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Mont.
- Stream: Pluto TV (ch. 537)
- Listen: KGVO (1290 AM, 98.3 FM) / Worldwide on TuneIn
- Live Stats
- Tickets
ON THE CUSP OF A TITLE
Montana is two wins – or one win and one Eastern Washington loss – away from making history. The Grizzlies have the chance this week to lock up a third consecutive Big Sky Conference title, which has never before happened in school history. In fact, one would have to go back nearly 50 years to find the only time it has happened in Big Sky history, when Weber State won six straight regular-season championships from 1968-73. If Montana can hang another banner, it would be the fourth in six seasons under head coach Travis DeCuire.
TALKING TIES
With two games to play, Montana and Eastern Washington are tied for first place at 14-4. One game back, at 13-5, is Northern Colorado. Those three teams will be the top three seeds at next week's conference tournament, but the order has yet to be decided.
Montana currently holds a potential tiebreaker over Eastern Washington – thanks to a head-to-head season sweep over the Eagles – so the Grizzlies are in complete control of their positioning, needing any combination of Griz wins or Eagles losses to add up to two in order to lock up the No. 1 seed.
Northern Colorado still has an outside chance to be the No. 1 seed, but would need to knock off the Grizzlies on Thursday before having additional matchups – and tiebreakers that can't be decided until the fourth-place team is determined – go its way.
POLL POSITIONING
- Montana, Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado will be the league's top three seeds at next week's conference tournaments, but the final two byes are still up for grabs. Right now, Portland State (10-8) and Northern Arizona (10-9) have the inside track, but Montana State (9-9) could work its way into the conversation as well. In fact, the Bobcats could finish anywhere from fourth to eighth depending on what happens this week.
- As of today, the 8/9 game, which the No. 1 seed would play in the quarterfinals, would be between Sacramento State and Weber State.
- Of the 100 Big Sky games entering Thursday, 54 have been decided by single digits, including 24 by a single possession.
- By Jan. 4 every team had at least one win and one loss. It marked the first time in 12 seasons that every team had a loss by the third week of league play.
With a current record of 18-11, Montana is guaranteed to finish at least .500 for the 12th consecutive season.
LOOKING FOR NO. 20
Montana, which has already secured a winning record, is on the cusp of reaching 20 wins for the fifth time in six seasons under Travis DeCuire and the ninth time in the past 11 seasons overall.
PEAKING IN FEBRUARY
During the month of February, Montana found its rhythm, going 7-1 with five double-digit victories.
- The Grizzlies averaged 74.5 points per game with a +12.1 margin of victory.
- Montana shot .537 from the field, including .444 from 3-point range.
- The Grizzlies turned the ball over just 10.4 times per game, for a +4.0 turnover margin.
- Montana had a positive rebounding margin.
Dating back to Jan. 9 at Eastern Washington – a span of 14 games – Montana is averaging 77.2 points per game and a +9.8 scoring margin. Even more impressive, the Grizzlies are shooting .529 during that span, including .427 from 3-point range. Extracted over an entire season, Montana's shooting percentage would lead the entire nation – just ahead of Dayton (.527), as would its 3-point percentage – just ahead of BYU (.423).
Through non-conference play, Montana was averaging 64.8 points per game (10th out of 11 teams in the Big Sky) on .429 shooting (10th). The Grizzlies were shooting .296 from deep (11th) and .686 from the free-throw line (sixth). Nearly through the entirety of Big Sky play, the Grizzlies are averaging 74.3 points per Big Sky game (third). Montana is shooting .505 overall (first), .408 from deep (first) and .751 from the free-throw line (third). The Grizzlies also have a +7.8 scoring margin (second).
NOTABLE TRENDS
- Montana is the only school to rank in the top three in Big Sky play for both scoring offense and scoring defense.
- Dating back to Jan. 9 at Eastern Washington – a span of 14 games – Montana is averaging 77.2 points per game and a +9.8 scoring margin. Even more impressive, the Grizzlies are shooting .529 during that span, including .427 from 3-point range. Extracted over an entire season, Montana's shooting percentage would lead the entire nation – just ahead of Dayton (.527), as would its 3-point percentage – just ahead of BYU (.423).
- Overall, Montana's .476 shooting percentage on the season ranks 18th, while its .364 3-point shooting percentage ranks 43rd.
- Montana has made at least half of its shots in nine of its past 10 games, and 14 times overall this season.
- Montana has out-shot its opponent in 16 consecutive games, and has been out-shot just once during Big Sky play (vs. Sacramento State on Dec. 30).
- Both Montana and Northern Colorado are efficient from the floor, with the Bears and Grizzlies both shooting .466 or better – and both ranking in the top 40 nationally.
- Montana hasn't surrendered more than 71 points once in the past six games, with opponents averaging just 58.8 points per game during that span.
- Despite using seven different starting lineup combinations this season, Montana has used the same lineup each of the past eight games. The Grizzlies have started at least one true fresh-man in all but one game this season.
- One of Montana's three seniors has led the Grizzlies in scoring in all but one game this season.
- After turning the ball over double-digit totals in three consecutive games, the Grizzlies got back to single digits at Sacramento State, with eight. Overall, Montana ranks 45th nationally with a +2.3 turnover margin.
- Last week at Sacramento State marked the second time in the past 20 games that the Grizzlies were called for fewer fouls than their opponent. Montana hasn't shot more free throws than its opponent since the Big Sky opener vs. Northern Arizona (Dec. 28).
- Last week at Sacramento State marked the first time this season the Grizzlies lost while giving up fewer than 63 points.
- Sayeed Pridgett is the Big Sky's only player to rank in the top five for scoring, shooting, rebounding and assists.
- Sayeed Pridgett has led Montana for rebounding in six of the past seven games.
- Both Sayeed Pridgett and Timmy Falls have recorded five assists in each of the past two games.
- Freshman Kyle Owens went a perfect 3-for-3 from deep at Sacramento State, including a big triple to break a late 59-59 tie. Entering the night, he had just six made 3-pointers on the sea-son and had made just 3 of his past 14 attempts during Big Sky play.
- Playing near his hometown, Timmy Falls once again had a career performance in Sacramento: His 38 minutes played tied a career high, while his three made triples were a season best. He also had five assists and a career-high-tying four steals (with the other time coming at Sacramento State in 2019).
- Falls has a 10:3 assist-to-turnover ratio over the past two games, and during Big Sky play has had a negative ratio just twice. His 2.5 ratio ranks second in Big Sky play, also ranking in the top 10 for both assists and steals.
- Since the start of February, Kendal Manuel is averaging nearly three made 3-pointers per game, and is doing so at a .487 clip.
- Manuel has been in double figures for scoring in all 18 league games and ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 17.1 points per game. He also ranks third for made 3-pointers, 3rd for minutes played and fifth for shooting. Nationally, he ranks eighth with a .899 free-throw percentage.
- Manuel has not come out of the game in either of the past two contests. The senior ranks 50th nationally for minutes per game.
- Freshman Josh Vazquez ranks sixth in Big Sky play with 1.6 steals per game, including at least one in 10 of the past 12 contests.
- Vazquez is a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe during league play.
- The freshman has attempted just three shots from the field in the past three games, missing all three.
- While he doesn't register due to just 2.7 attempts per game, sophomore Mack Anderson had connected on two-thirds of his shot attempts during Big Sky play.
- After playing double digits in eight consecutive games (16.3 average), Anderson has done so just once over the past three contests, averaging 9.3.
- Peter Jones recorded his fifth career rebound at Sacramento State. According to his box score, he recorded one rebound in 3 seconds of action, which in 40 minutes of action would be an NCAA-record 800 boards.
- After playing 20+ minutes just five times through his first 21 contests, Jared Samuelson has logged 20+ minutes in four straight games. He has been in double figures for scoring in all four games.
- Interestingly, when Samuelson reaches 20 minutes of on-court action, he has scored in double figures eight of nine times.
- When he doesn't play 20 minutes, he has yet to reach double figures for scoring.
PREVIEWING THE BEARS
- It has been 61 days since the two teams last met on the hardwood.
- Prior to its loss to Eastern Washington on Saturday, the Bears had won five consecutive games. They enter the week riding a four-game road winning streak, with their last loss coming at Eastern Washington, 89-84 in overtime, on Jan. 27.
- The Bears have two road losses during Big Sky play, with both being decided by five points or fewer: Dec. 28 at Portland State (69-65) and Jan. 27 at Eastern Washington (89-84 in OT).
- Montana and Northern Colorado have the league's top two scoring margins, field-goal percentages and 3-point field-goal percentages.
- Additionally, both teams rank in the top four for both scoring offense and scoring defense, and in the top three for assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Northern Colorado ranks 24th nationally allowing just 62.8 points per game. Montana surpassed that total in the January meeting, scoring more points than the Bears had allowed on their home court all season up to that point.
- In addition to one of the nation's top scoring defenses, UNC is one of the top 3-point teams nationally – both on offense and defense.
- The Bears rank 15th nationally with a .379 3-point field-goal percentage. Conversely, they rank 11th while limiting opponents to just a .289 clip from behind the arc.
- UNC ranks sixth nationally with 10.2 3-point makes per game.
- During league play, Montana is actually out-shooting UNC from deep (the two teams rank No. 1 and 2 in the conference). However, the Grizzlies don't rely on the long ball nearly as much as the Bears do. Montana averages around 6.0 made 3-pointers per game, or roughly 22 percent of its made field goals. On the other hand, nearly 40 percent of UNC's made field goals are 3-pointers.
SERIES VS. THE BEARSThis is March.
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) March 4, 2020
📰 https://t.co/KIKeNDJxT2
🎟️ https://t.co/xcnscqxbxv#GoGriz #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/c97zSxfCOC
Montana owns a 24-10 record against Northern Colorado, not including a 1976-77 victory that was vacated. The Grizzlies have won 13 of the last 18 and are 8-3 under Travis DeCuire. However, Montana has lost back-to-back games against UNC, including last March in Missoula and earlier this season in Greeley.
Over the past three seasons, Montana (46 Big Sky wins) and Northern Colorado (39) have been the two of winningest teams in the conference (Eastern Washington also has 39 wins during that span). The two teams have had several epic battles, including an overtime thriller in the 2018 semifinals. Last year was no different, as the two teams entered the final day of the regular season tied, before the Grizzlies beat Sacramento State to earn the No. 1 seed. The two teams split their two meetings last spring, but it was their trip to Greeley that was a turning point in their championship season. Entering that game in mid-January, Montana was trying to find its footing, having lost back-to-back games and sitting at 3-2 in league play. Northern Colorado was unbeaten and in first place. Montana left no doubt, though, leading by as many as 30 points and winning 88-64. Sayeed Pridgett scored Montana's first 12 points and 26 overall.
This past January in Greeley, UNC used a 13-0 scoring run early in the game to build a double-digit lead. Montana would take a brief 33-32 lead early in the second half and tied the game at 45-45 with 11:32 to play, before the Bears scored 13 of the next 15 points to take control. Kendal Manuel scored a season-high 30 points, as Montana scored more points than any other opponent had up to that point inside Bank of Colorado Arena.
SERIES VS. THE THUNDERBIRDS
Montana owns plenty of success against Southern Utah, including a current 15-game winning streak in the series. Montana is 18-5 all-time against the Thunderbirds, going 3-5 from 1982-83 through 2000-01 before rattling off 15 consecutive wins, beginning in 2002-03. The two teams have played at least one time each season since 2012-13, when the Thunderbirds joined the Big Sky Conference.
Travis DeCuire is 9-0 against Southern Utah, including a tight win on Jan. 2 in Cedar City. Last March in Missoula, Sayeed Pridgett scored a game-high 20 points – all in the second half – including seven points during a 93-second span. Seven of Montana's past eight wins over Southern Utah have been by double digits.
Complete Game Notes in PDF format, including additional notes, stats, charts and player pages
Players Mentioned
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