Thursday, January 20
Portland, Ore.
8 PM (MT)
Montana
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66
at
64
Portland State
4-10, 2-4BSC
1
2
F
Montana
26
40
66
Portland State
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36
64
Grizzlies grow ‘tough skin’ with far-from-perfect road win
1/20/2022 10:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PORTLAND, Ore. – Montana didn't take its first lead until more than 32 minutes into Thursday's game, but the Grizzlies rallied late and did just enough to hold on for a 66-64 win over Portland State.
Portland State shot 52 percent from the floor in the first half, compared to just 31-percent shooting for the Grizzlies, but Montana trailed by just two points at the break. The Grizzlies, who trailed by more than two possessions (seven points) for just 20 total seconds, were always within striking distance.
"You can keep yourself in striking distance if you're not making shots if you defend and rebound," head coach Travis DeCuire said. "These guys scrap on the defensive side and that's always going to give us a chance. They trust each other and guys took turns making shots."
But every time Montana closed, Portland State had the answer.
That changed with 7 minutes, 34 seconds to play, when sophomore forward Josh Bannan connected on a 3-pointer from senior Cameron Parker to take a 51-49 lead, Montana's first advantage of the night. Bannan's triple started a 6-0 run over 22 seconds and was part of an extended 13-3 run over a 5-minute stretch.
On Montana's next possession, though, sophomore Robby Beasley III fought through traffic in the paint for a wild, left-handed layup as the shot clock was winding down to put Montana on top for good.
"I had been talking to the team about tough skin, and I think we needed to build it," DeCuire said. "This is a group that needed to be on the road and fight through adversity and still find success. To come up out of it, and not be perfect, I think that's growth."
Bannan and Beasley both had heroic efforts for the Grizzlies, as the sophomore duo combined for 40 of the Grizzlies' 66 points. Both players have now been in double figures for scoring in five consecutive games following the holiday break.
Bannan's 22 points were the second-most of his career, as he shot 8-of-13 and added a team-best five rebounds. Beasley – playing in the venue in which he made a 35-foot, game-tying 3-pointer to send last year's game to overtime – had 18 points, connecting on three 3-pointers. Parker, an Oregon native, added 13 points and four assists, with nearly all of his production coming in the second half.
"We had a bunch of guys make big plays and have big possessions," DeCuire said. "Tonight was a game of adjustments, we made a lot of them in the timeouts, and it feels good to come away with a win."
Game Notes
Montana will have a quick turnaround, traveling on Friday to Flagstaff, Arizona, before taking on Northern Arizona on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.). The Lumberjacks lost to Montana State on Thursday night, 89-84. The Grizzlies are 11-2 against NAU under Travis DeCuire.
Portland State shot 52 percent from the floor in the first half, compared to just 31-percent shooting for the Grizzlies, but Montana trailed by just two points at the break. The Grizzlies, who trailed by more than two possessions (seven points) for just 20 total seconds, were always within striking distance.
"You can keep yourself in striking distance if you're not making shots if you defend and rebound," head coach Travis DeCuire said. "These guys scrap on the defensive side and that's always going to give us a chance. They trust each other and guys took turns making shots."
But every time Montana closed, Portland State had the answer.
That changed with 7 minutes, 34 seconds to play, when sophomore forward Josh Bannan connected on a 3-pointer from senior Cameron Parker to take a 51-49 lead, Montana's first advantage of the night. Bannan's triple started a 6-0 run over 22 seconds and was part of an extended 13-3 run over a 5-minute stretch.
The lead would change four times over the final 3 minutes as neither team led by more than three points down the stretch. Sophomore Brandon Whitney gave Montana a 62-61 lead with 1:41 to play before Portland State's Michael Carter III gave the Vikings a one-point advantage just 14 seconds later.It took more than 32 minutes, but Montana finally takes its first lead of the night!
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 21, 2022
Big shot from Bannan!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/NO8r0QvZhm
On Montana's next possession, though, sophomore Robby Beasley III fought through traffic in the paint for a wild, left-handed layup as the shot clock was winding down to put Montana on top for good.
The Grizzlies hit two free throws in the closing seconds as Portland State's final heave at the buzzer was well short.Montana regains the lead as Beasley fights through traffic. Bannan extends it with a pair of free throws.
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 21, 2022
Montana 66, Portland State 63. 14.4 seconds to play. One more stop!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/hQfi0OQ3tI
"I had been talking to the team about tough skin, and I think we needed to build it," DeCuire said. "This is a group that needed to be on the road and fight through adversity and still find success. To come up out of it, and not be perfect, I think that's growth."
Bannan and Beasley both had heroic efforts for the Grizzlies, as the sophomore duo combined for 40 of the Grizzlies' 66 points. Both players have now been in double figures for scoring in five consecutive games following the holiday break.
Bannan's 22 points were the second-most of his career, as he shot 8-of-13 and added a team-best five rebounds. Beasley – playing in the venue in which he made a 35-foot, game-tying 3-pointer to send last year's game to overtime – had 18 points, connecting on three 3-pointers. Parker, an Oregon native, added 13 points and four assists, with nearly all of his production coming in the second half.
Montana won despite being out-shot from the floor (.491 to .401). A big reason why was the Grizzlies' 3-point shooting. Montana connected on eight triples compared to 1-of-10 shooting for Portland State.The Oregon native cashes in from deep in front of the hometown crowd!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/GQsJoABDsB
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 21, 2022
"We had a bunch of guys make big plays and have big possessions," DeCuire said. "Tonight was a game of adjustments, we made a lot of them in the timeouts, and it feels good to come away with a win."
Game Notes
- Montana was playing its first game since Jan. 9 after having last week's game vs. Southern Utah postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Thunderbirds' program.
- Montana won despite holding a lead for 5:51. For comparison, the Vikings led for 29:52 and did not trail until less than 8 minutes remained in the game.
- Neither team held a lead by more than seven points. Montana led by as many as five points, while the Vikings' seven-point lead lasted for just 20 seconds early in the first half.
- The Grizzlies won despite being out-shot (.491 to .404). It marked the first time this season the Grizzlies have won a game while shooting a worse percentage.
- The Grizzlies, though, shot 8-of-22 from 3-point range, compared to 1-of-10 shooting from deep for Portland State. It was a welcome improvement for Montana, which entered the game ranked in the bottom 10 nationally for 3-point defense.
- Known for its ability to get second chances (Portland State ranks 28th nationally with 12.8 offensive rebounds per game), Montana held the Vikings to nine offensive boards and 13 second-chance points (the Grizzlies had eight offensive rebounds for 12 points).
- Montana entered Thursday's game leading the nation for free-throw shooting (.817), but shot a season-worst 16-of-26 (.615), including seven misses in the final 5 minutes.
- Montana trailed by just two point at halftime, despite going more than 7 minutes without a field goal, at one point missing eight consecutive shots.
- Over the past four games, the Grizzlies' halftime score has been plus or minus three points all four times, with Montana overcoming a pair of deficits (Weber State, Portland State).
- Forward Josh Bannan's 22 points were the second-most of his career as the sophomore reached the 20-point threshold for the third time. He has now been in double figures for scoring in all five games following the holiday break (16.2 average).
- Sophomore guard Robby Beasley III totaled 18 points, including three 3-pointers. He had 12 points in the second half, including a left-handed layup through traffic that gave Montana the lead for good with less than 1 minute to play. He also has been in double figures for scoring in each of the past five games (16.4 average).
- Playing near his hometown of Beaverton, Oregon, senior guard Cameron Parker totaled 13 points and four assists, with 11 points and two assists coming in the second half.
- Montana's trio of Bannan, Beasley and Parker accounted for 53 of the Grizzlies' 66 points.
- Senior forward Scott Blakney, who had not played since Dec. 13 because of a hand injury, returned to the lineup on Thursday, playing 4 minutes.
Montana will have a quick turnaround, traveling on Friday to Flagstaff, Arizona, before taking on Northern Arizona on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.). The Lumberjacks lost to Montana State on Thursday night, 89-84. The Grizzlies are 11-2 against NAU under Travis DeCuire.
Beasley from NBA range, and then some!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/TTjQz8AiHl
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 21, 2022
Team Stats
UM
PSU
FG%
.404
.491
3FG%
.364
.100
FT%
.615
.600
RB
31
36
TO
11
14
STL
5
6
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
5
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G
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