Saturday, November 13
Starkville, Miss.
5 PM (MT)
Montana
at
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Mississippi State
Photo by: Derek Johnson
Griz travel to SEC Country to face Mississippi State
11/11/2021 9:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana at Mississippi State
Saturday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. (MT)
NOTES FROM TUESDAY'S WIN
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
Montana and Mississippi State are meeting on the hardwood for the first time in 27 years and just the second time ever. In the first meeting, MSU won, 90-85, in Missoula.
Saturday will also mark Montana's second-ever trip to the Magnolia State, with the first coming in 2016-17 (86-81 loss at Ole Miss).
SEC COUNTRY
Montana is looking for its first-ever win over an SEC school, holding an 0-10 record against current members of the conference. Saturday will mark just the eighth time the Grizzlies have ventured into SEC territory, but five of those instances will have happened in the past seven years under head coach Travis DeCuire. Montana played at Texas A&M in the 2015 NIT; at Ole Miss in November 2016; at Arkansas in November 2019; and at Georgia in December 2020.
While Montana hasn't had success against the SEC, the Grizzlies earned a Power-5 win last December, beating Washington, 66-58, in Seattle.
Montana will stay on the road, practicing on Sunday in Hoover, Alabama, before flying to Grand Forks, North Dakota, to take on former Big Sky foe North Dakota (Monday, 6 p.m. MT).
Complete Game Notes in PDF format, including additional notes, stats, charts and player pages
Gallery: (11-9-2021) MBB: vs. Dickinson State (11.9.21)
Saturday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. (MT)
- Watch: SEC+
- Listen: KGVO (1290 AM/98.3 FM) / The Varsity Network
- Live Stats: StatBroadcast
NOTES FROM TUESDAY'S WIN
- Montana opened its 2021-22 season on Tuesday with a 74-27 win over Dickinson State, scoring 12 seconds into the contest and never trailing.
- The 27 points allowed were the fewest by a Griz defense since 1977, the fewest at home since 1936 and the fewest ever inside Dahlberg Arena.
- DSU's first eight offensive possessions featured five missed shots and three turnovers, as the Blue Hawks were held scoreless until the game's fifth minute. Nearly 9 minutes into the contest, the Grizzlies led 16-2, a lead that extended to 41-13 by the intermission.
- In addition to the low point total, the Grizzlies held Dickinson State to 22.2 percent shooting (12-of-54), including a 1-for-20 mark from beyond the arc. They also forced the Blue Hawks into 18 turnovers (23 points off turnover).
- Offensively, Montana shot 60 percent in the opening half and nearly 50 percent for the game (28-of-57, 49.1 percent). The Grizzlies made 6-of-15 3-point attempts (40.0).
- Montana was led offensively by sophomore forward Josh Bannan, who scored 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, despite playing just 21 minutes. It was his fourth career double-double.
- Junior forward Kyle Owens (12 points) was also in double figures, as was junior forward Derrick Carter-Hollinger (10), who had a strong start to his junior campaign after battling injuries for most of his sophomore season.
- Senior forward Mack Anderson recorded three of Montana's nine blocked shots.
- The Grizzlies used a 10-man rotation for most of the game, before Freddy Brown III played the final 8 minutes, knocking down a 3-pointer immediately after getting onto the court, which tripled the score, 63-21.
- Tuesday marked Griz debuts for junior guard Lonnell Martin Jr., a transfer from Otero Junior College, and senior forward Scott Blakney, a graduate transfer from Idaho.
- Montana has now won 18 of its past 22 home openers.
The 27 points allowed last night were:
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) November 10, 2021
🏀 Fewest in a game since 1977
🏀 Fewest at home since 1936
🏀 Fewest ever in Dahlberg Arena
📰 https://t.co/H73C5rjboQ #GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/bGqq8hwTaC
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
- Mississippi State is also 1-0 on the young season, beating North Alabama, 75-49, on Tuesday in Starkville. In the win, North Carolina transfer Garrison Brooks led the Bulldogs with 18 points and five rebounds, while freshman Cam Carter scored 11 points. Cameron Matthews hauled in 14 rebounds, as the Bulldogs out-rebounded the Lions, 43-33, in addition to blocking seven shots and forcing 12 steals.
- MSU entered the season receiving top-25 votes in the preseason Associated Press top-25 poll. A season ago, MSU went 18-15 on its way to an NIT runner-up finish.
- Junior guard Iverson Molinar and junior forward Tolu Smith are MSU's top returnees from last season. Molinar ranked in the top 10 in the SEC for scoring (16.7 ppg) and shooting (.478) and has 684 points and 109 assists through two seasons. Earlier this month, he was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List (top 50 players). Smith led the SEC for rebounding in 2020-21 in addition to ranking first four double-doubles.
- MSU added a quartet of Power-5 transfers in Garrison Brooks (North Carolina), D.J. Jeffries (Memphis), Shakeel Moore (North Carolina State) and Rocket Watts (Michigan State). The four players amassed 2,388 career points at their previous stops.
- Molinar and Brooks were named All-SEC Preseason Team selections.
- A season ago, MSU ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally for free-throw shooting, turnovers and turnover margin, but was among the nation's best for rebounding margin (+7.0, 19th); rebounds per game (39.0, 30th); field-goal defense (.404, 28th) and blocked shots (4.6, 36th).
- Ben Howland is in his seventh season in Starkville, where he has compiled a 117-82 record and three consecutive postseason berths (two NIT Final Four appearances and an 2019 NCAA tournament berth). MSU's 86 wins since the start of 2017-18 is tied for fourth-highest in the SEC during that span, trailing only Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee.
- Howland started his head coaching career at Northern Arizona (1994-99) and has an overall record of 518-288 in 25-plus seasons, leading his teams to 11 NCAA tournament berths, five Sweet 16 appearances and the 2006 national championship game while at UCLA.
Montana and Mississippi State are meeting on the hardwood for the first time in 27 years and just the second time ever. In the first meeting, MSU won, 90-85, in Missoula.
Saturday will also mark Montana's second-ever trip to the Magnolia State, with the first coming in 2016-17 (86-81 loss at Ole Miss).
SEC COUNTRY
Montana is looking for its first-ever win over an SEC school, holding an 0-10 record against current members of the conference. Saturday will mark just the eighth time the Grizzlies have ventured into SEC territory, but five of those instances will have happened in the past seven years under head coach Travis DeCuire. Montana played at Texas A&M in the 2015 NIT; at Ole Miss in November 2016; at Arkansas in November 2019; and at Georgia in December 2020.
While Montana hasn't had success against the SEC, the Grizzlies earned a Power-5 win last December, beating Washington, 66-58, in Seattle.
LOOKING AHEAD1st road trip of the year!
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) November 12, 2021
🛬 Birmingham, Alabama
🚍 Starkville, Mississippi#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/IjP448Kph6
Montana will stay on the road, practicing on Sunday in Hoover, Alabama, before flying to Grand Forks, North Dakota, to take on former Big Sky foe North Dakota (Monday, 6 p.m. MT).
Complete Game Notes in PDF format, including additional notes, stats, charts and player pages
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Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballMonday, March 30
Monday, March 30
Monday, March 30
Monday, March 30
