Griz close winning non-conference slate at Santa Clara

Montana at Santa Clara
Sunday, Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. (MT)

Watch: WCC Network
Listen: KGVO (1290 AM/98.3 FM) / The Varsity Network
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast

Riding a season-high-tying three-game winning streak – all by at least 18 points, no less – Montana will now face its next challenge on the road, traveling to Santa Clara (Sunday at 3 p.m. MT on the WCC Network).

The Grizzlies are a perfect 7-0 at home this season but are looking for just their second win away from Missoula, and will do so against a Santa Clara squad that already owns wins over Nevada, Stanford and TCU.

For Montana, it is the Grizzlies' non-conference finale, and their only game until Dec. 30, when Big Sky Conference play begins in full. Montana is 8-4 on the season, its best non-conference record since 2011-12. A win on Sunday would give the Grizzlies nine non-conference wins for the first time since 2009-10.

Overall, after having zero winning non-conference seasons from 2012-13 through 2016-17, Montana has posted four winning records in the past five seasons.

This month has already been historic for Montana, which beat up on NCCAA competition in wins over Yellowstone Christian (61-point victory) and SAGU American Indian College (69-point win). In Monday's win over SAGU AIC, the Grizzlies set school records for points scored (118), margin of victory (69, tie), assists (38) and 3-pointers made (19). Individually, senior Cameron Parker set school and Big Sky records with 20 assists – and doing so in just 19 minutes on the floor. Parker was named the Big Sky Player of the Week after scoring 20 points vs. Air Force, recording the third triple-double in school history vs. Yellowstone Christian, and setting the assists record vs. SAGU AIC.

Gallery: (12-10-2021) MBB: vs. Yellowstone Christian (12.10.21)

SERIES VS. THE BRONCOS
Montana and Santa Clara will meet for the ninth time ever on Sunday and first time in more than a decade. The Broncos hold a 6-2 series advantage over the Grizzlies, including a 2-1 mark in Santa Clara.

The series dates back to the 1946-47 season, when Santa Clara beat Montana on back-to-back nights in Missoula. The two teams didn't play again until 1986-87 (Santa Clara win in California). The Grizzlies got their first win in the series the following year in Missoula, before the two teams played in four consecutive season from 2004-05 through 2008-09. Montana won the 2005-06 meeting, a 67-56 win on the road, before losing the next two.

SCOUTING SANTA CLARA

Santa Clara is 8-5 on the season, beating Florida A&M on Friday night ahead of Sunday's meeting with Montana.
The Broncos started the season 5-0, including wins over Nevada, Stanford and TCU.
SCU ranks 17th nationally, nearly shooting .500 from the floor this season. The Broncos are efficient from all areas of the court, ranking 25th for free-throw shooting (.777) and 37th for 3-point accuracy (.377).
Four Broncos are averaging at least 11.0 points per game, led by junior guard Jalen Williams, who ranks third in the WCC with 18.9 points per game (41st in NCAA). He has been in double figures for scoring in every game this season.
Williams, All-WCC honorable mention in 2020-21, and senior forward Josip Vrankic (first-team selection, three-time All-WCC pick) were named to the WCC preseason all-conference team. Vrankic led the WCC in 2020-21 for both rebounding and double-doubles.
Senior forward Keshawn Justice leads SCU for rebounding and 3-point shooting, in addition to ranking first in the WCC with four double-doubles. He ranks 17th nationally with 7.2 defensive rebounds per game.
SCU went 12-8 in 2020-21, advancing to the quarterfinals of the WCC tournament.
Herb Sendek, a longtime college basketball coach (497 career wins) with previous head coaching stops at Arizona State, NC State and Miami (Ohio), is in his sixth season at Santa Clara. He has led SCU to four winning seasons in his first five years; for comparison, SCU had three winning seasons in the previous 15 seasons prior to Sendek's arrival.

GRIZ BITS

Montana is on a season-high-tying three-game winning streak, winning all three games by at least 18 points (49.3 average).
Montana has secured a winning non-conference record for the fourth time in the past five seasons, after going five straight years without one prior to that.
- Montana is guaranteed its best non-conference record since 2011-12 (8-5) and a win Sunday would give the team its best non-conference finish since 2009-10 (9-3), a year the Grizzlies advanced to the NCAA tournament.
In Monday's win over SAGU AIC, Montana set school records for points scored (118), scoring margin (+69, tie), assists (38) and 3-pointers made (19).
A season after setting a school-record from the free-throw line in 2020-21 (7.782, 15^th in the NCAA), Montana ranks ninth nationally with an .805 free-throw percentage.
- Montana has shot a better percentage than its opponent from the free-throw line in all but one game this season.
The Grizzlies are also one of the nation's best at protecting the ball. They rank 11^th for turnovers per game (9.8), 19^th for turnover margin (+5.1) and ninth for assist-to-turnover ratio (ninth).
- The Grizzlies have won the turnover battle in 10 of 12 games this season (7-3).
- Montana has recorded single-digit turnovers seven times this season.
Taking advantage of three non-Division-I victories by an average of 59.0 points per game, Montana has a +13.6 scoring margin on the season (46^th in the NCAA).
The Grizzlies rank 38^th nationally, surrendering just 60.4 points per game.
- Montana is 8-0 this season when holding opponents to 77 or fewer points.
- Just four of 12 opponents have eclipsed 70 points against the Griz this season, and Montana has held five opponents below 50 points (three in a row).
Montana has had nine different players lead the team in scoring this season, with no player leading the Grizzlies more than twice.
- While no individual will appear on the Big Sky Conference scoring lists, Montana runs a balanced offense that features four players averaging between 8.2 and 12.1 points per game. In fact, every rotation player is averaging at least 4.0 points per contest.
Montana has made at least half of its shots in three of its past five games.
- The Grizzlies are 8-0 this season when opponents shoot below .490.
- Additionally, the Grizzlies have out-shot their opponents in all eight wins this season (and have been out-shot in all four of their losses).
After averaging 6.4 made 3-pointers per game through the first 10 games of the season, the Grizzlies skyrocketed in the national rankings last week, making a combined 31 3-pointers in back-to-back wins over lower-level competition. The 19 made 3-pointers over SAGU AIC (.442 shooting) was a school record.
- Montana is 7-0 when opponents make seven or fewer 3-pointers, but is just 1-4 when they make at least eight. On the season, the Grizzlies rank 346^th out of 350 teams with opponents shooting .405 from distance against the Griz.
Montana has struggled to crash the glass, winning the rebounding battle just four times this season and just once against Division-I competition (+21 vs. Air Force).
- The Grizzlies rank 282^nd nationally for rebounding (33.6 per game) and ranked dead last (350^th) a week ago.
Montana has led at halftime in all eight of its wins this year, and conversely, has trailed at the intermission in all four of its losses.
Montana has seven wins by double figures but is 0-2 in games decided by six points or fewer.
Montana is 7-0 on its home floor, winning nine consecutive home games dating back to last season. The Grizzlies, however, are looking for just their second win away from Missoula (1-4, with their lone win coming at Sacramento State).
Santa Clara will mark Montana's first Sunday game of the season and just its second afternoon tip (1-0).

"𝑇𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 & 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑎𝑖𝑟. 𝘈𝑠 𝑎 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ."

📰 https://t.co/72gjHN4U9U pic.twitter.com/bWP5JiAWmM
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 15, 2021

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

After scoring in double figures just once through the first eight games, junior Kyle Owens has done so three times in the past four contests, including 12 (5-of-8 shooting) in a win at Sacramento State. He also averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 11-of-17 in back-to-back wins over NCCAA competition last week.
- Owens enters Sunday needing two points to eclipse 500 for his career and one rebound to reach 250 boards.
Junior Lonnell Martin Jr. broke out of a 0-for-19 slump with 10 points vs. SAGU AIC on Monday. Despite some hot-and-cold moments this season, he has started every game (averaging 20.7 points per contest), ranks second on the team for 3-pointers made (16) and ranks second for steals (12, including six vs. Yellowstone Christian). He has been in double figures for scoring four times, including three games in a row from (Nov. 26-Dec. 2), including 20 points vs. Southern Miss.
Junior Josh Vazquez is coming off a season-best performance vs. SAGU AIC on Monday, making seven shots, including five 3-pointesr, to total 19 points and four assists (all season highs).
- Vazquez ranks second in Montana history for single-season free-throw shooting (.929 in 2020-21) and has missed just six free throws during his career. He has made 20 in a row dating back to Feb. 27, 2021.
Sophomore Robby Beasley III has been in double figures for scoring in five of the past eight games, including an 18.0 points-per-game average in the Zootown Classic (Nov. 24-26), being named to the all-tournament team. He has made multiple 3-pointers in seven different games this season and leads the team with 21 made triples on the season.
- After setting a school record from the free-throw line in 2020-21 (.929), Beasley has again been dangerous from the charity stripe this season (20-of-24, .833).
Senior Cameron Parker had a record-setting week, culminating with Big Sky Conference Player-of-the-Week honors. He scored a team-high 20 points in a win over Air Force, before recording the third triple-double in school history vs. Yellowstone Christian and setting Montana and Big Sky records with 20 assists (in just 19 minutes) vs. SAGU AIC.
- From Dec. 2-10, Parker was in double figures for scoring in four straight games, averaging 13.8 points per game (plus 6.0 assists per game).
- Parker ranks ninth in the NCAA this season with 6.5 assists per game and 15^th with a 3.55 assist-to-turnover ratio.
- His current career average of 6.34 assists per game ranks third nationally among all active NCAA Division-I players. His career assists total ranks ninth among active players and his career assist-to-turnover average of 2.02 ranks 18^th.
- Parker already owns the NCAA's all-time single-game assists record, when he recorded 24 in a win over Pine Manor in December 2019 while playing for Sacred Heart.
Sophomore Brandon Whitney leads the Grizzlies with 28.8 minutes per game, but has missed the past two games (and three of the past six) with a foot injury. He also ranks second on the team for scoring (9.9) and assists (22).
- He has been in double figures for scoring three times this season, including a 30-point performance at North Dakota (Nov. 15), scoring 14 of Montana's final 16 points and being the only player to make a field goal over the game's final 11 minutes.
- After playing the 10^th-most minutes of any freshman in college basketball in 2020-21, Whitney reached 1,000 career minutes played earlier this month, in just his 35^th collegiate game.
Sophomore Josh Bannan leads Montana for scoring (12.1 points per game) and rebounding (7.5). He has four double-doubles on the season, including a career-high 24 points (10-of-14 shooting) and 12 rebounds in a win over Omaha (Nov. 20).
- Bannan was named the Zootown Classic MVP (Nov. 26) after nearly averaging a double-double in a pair of Griz wins (15.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.0 spg, 1.5 apg, 0.5 bpg). He scored 15 points vs. Southern Miss, with 13 of them coming in the game's final 9 minutes as Montana overcame deficit.
Senior Mack Anderson has started all 12 games at forward. During Montana's three-game winning streak, he averaged 6.7 points per game on 10-of-17 shooting, in addition to 6.0 rebounds per game. Additionally, he has fouled out of just two games this year, after doing so nine times last year and averaging a foul for every 4 minutes on the court.
- In a win over Southern Miss (Nov. 26), Anderson played a career-high 32 minutes while totaling six points, six rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist.
- Anderson played his 1,000th career minute vs. Southern Miss (Nov. 26) and later that week, at Oregon (Nov. 29), recorded his 200th career rebound.
During the month of December (five games), senior Scott Blakney has made 17 of his 22 shot attempts, scoring in double figures in Montana's two most-recent games. He surpassed 800 career points last week and is two rebounds away from reaching 400.
- For his career, Blakney's .587 career field-goal percentage ranks 25^th among active Division-I players.
Junior Derrick Carter-Hollinger has scored in double figures in each of the past two games and five times on the season. Against SAGU AIC, he totaled 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a career-most three made 3-poitners. He also added eight rebounds.
- Carter-Hollinger is doing all of this despite scoring in double figures just once in 2020-21. After battling injuries most of last season, he looks very much like the player who earned Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors in 2019-20.
With last week's win over SAGU AIC, head coach Travis DeCuire earned his 150^th career win at Montana (150-88, fourth all-time). He is six wins away from passing his mentor, College Basketball Hall of Famer Mike Montgomery, and nine wins away from passing his predecessor, Wayne Tinkle, on Montana's all-time wins list.

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

It was great to see these guys on the court this week!

🏀 11 rebounds, 5 assists vs. SAGU AIC for Trey Lawrence
🏀 Career-high 13 points vs. YCC for Freddy Brown
🏀 9 points vs. SAGU AIC for Jack Wetzel#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/Q51KNBPySS
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 17, 2021

Griz close winning non-conference slate at Santa Clara

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mack Anderson

Josh Bannan

Robby Beasley III

Scott Blakney

Derrick Carter-Hollinger

Trey Lawrence

Kyle Owens

Cameron Parker

Josh Vazquez

Jack Wetzel

Brandon Whitney

University of Montana Athletics

Griz close winning non-conference slate at Santa Clara

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mack Anderson

Josh Bannan

Robby Beasley III

Scott Blakney

Derrick Carter-Hollinger

Trey Lawrence

Kyle Owens

Cameron Parker

Josh Vazquez

Jack Wetzel

Brandon Whitney

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