Griz have season-best performance in 81-56 rout of SDSU

Tuesday, December 6

Missoula, Mont.

7 PM

Montana

4-5,0-0Big Sky

South Dakota State

3-7,0-0Summit League

South Dakota St.

Montana

Photo by: Tommy Martino/UM Athletics

Griz have season-best performance in 81-56 rout of SDSU

12/6/2022 10:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By: Montana Sports Information

It feels good to be home for Montana basketball. The Griz returned to Missoula on Tuesday night, routing an NCAA Tournament team from last season thanks to the best offensive performance of the season. The Griz jumped out early and never looked back, racing to their biggest win of the season at 81-56.

It came on a night when Montana (4-5, 0-0 BSC) entered with a full week of rest and, more importantly, a full squad. After four different starting lineups in the previous four games for the Griz, Aanen Moody and Brandon Whitney were both available for the first time since the Merrimack game on Nov. 18. The starting backcourt certainly made their presence felt. They combined for 43 points on 72.7 percent shooting, seven assists and seven rebounds. It was a welcome sight for head coach Travis DeCuire.

"I've felt like we've been capable to play this way all year. I thought we showed signs of it against St. Thomas. The effort, the attention to detail was there in that game and then we just haven't had our full lineup since," DeCuire said.

The 25-point margin, while significant, didn't even fully tell the story of Montana's domination. The Griz led by 35 at 81-46 before South Dakota State closed on a 10-0 run with both benches in the game. The 81 points were a season high, and came on a season-best 56.6 percent shooting. Whitney (23) and Dischon Thomas (17) both set new season highs in points while Moody had 20 in his return.

Montana found their range from distance in the first period, hitting 8-of-19 attempts from the arc in a 48-point half. They made 20 field goals in the half alone, more than their game-long total in three of eight starts this year, and impressively did it all without a single free throw attempt.

Whitney set the tone on the offensive end early, scoring the first six points of the game. He assisted Thomas on a three that made it 9-2 early on. The offense was rolling, but it was really the defense that fueled Montana to the lead. At the first media timeout of the game Montana had a 12-4 lead and South Dakota State had more turnovers than made baskets.

"(Whitney) was playing so hard to start. When we can spread defenses out the way we do and go side to side, you can't contain him because you don't know when he's going to go," DeCuire said. "He took advantage of that the first three possessions and set the tone."

It's a 𝗛𝗢𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧 for Brandon Whitney who has our first six points of the game! #GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/0JDlyPUDR7
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 7, 2022

The threes kept raining down for Montana. Vazquez got in on the action with one to push the lead to 15-4. SDSU closed it back down to seven points, but it opened up when Thomas hit a triple on consecutive possessions for Montana. The Jackrabbits would get a bucket in between the next Griz barrage, when Moody hit two threes in thirty seconds. The duo stayed hot with a couple of long twos, and suddenly Montana had widened the lead to 23 points thanks to an 18-2 run.

Whitney closed the half like he started it, driving hard to the basket for a couple of layups that extended the lead to 48-22 in the closing minute. Coming off a couple of hard losses on the road, this Montana team looked rejuvenated and ready to make a statement. The hot start didn't surprise anyone in the Grizzly locker room.

"I think it started three days before this," Whitney said "We had a very intense and productive practice and just came out with a chip on our shoulder and kind of played desperately because we know we're not a team that should be 3-5. I think we came out just ready to go."

It is 𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑁𝐼𝑁𝐺 threes in Dahlberg tonight! Moody hits from the arc on consecutive possessions and the Griz are 7-of-15 as a team from three-point range. #GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/5m1HahzL4M
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 7, 2022

The halftime lead of 24 was the largest of the year for the Griz, who had three different players in double-figures in the opening 20 minutes. South Dakota State scored just 12 points from the field, as they went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line to manage to keep it as close as they could. They had just six made field goals and nine turnovers entering the locker room, a testament to the efforts of a stubborn Montana defense.

The Grizzlies didn't allow the Jackrabbits back within 20 for the rest of the game, extending the lead to as much as 35 points. It was a complete performance offensively with a season-best in several categories, but it also was one of the top defensive performances for the Griz this year. They held South Dakota State to its lowest point total of the season and second-worst shooting performance, trailing only to their loss to No. 9 Arkansas.

Montana blocked a season-high seven shots while forcing 12 Jackrabbit turnovers. Whitney locked in on SDSU's leading scorer Zeke Mayo, holding him to just 11 points on 2-of-7 shooting. They also got a big boost from Dischon Thomas, who played hard on both ends of the floor all game long. DeCuire said it was the hardest he has played this season as he blocked a pair of shots and contested many more with smart and effective defense.

He also helped on the boards, where Montana held a distinct 34-23 advantage. It was the fifth time in the last seven games that the Griz outrebounded their opponent. Josh Bannan, who had a relatively quiet night by his standards with just six points, dominated on the glass. He pulled down 14 rebounds, three on the offensive end, to push his season average back into double digits. This is the third time in which the Big Sky leader in rebounding has had at least 14 in a game.

The extra attention paid to Bannan on the offensive side allowed the rest of the team to get open. It was a good passing display with 12 assists in the first half, as the Griz made the extra pass time after time for open looks.

"We've got so many different guys that can score that it makes sense to just let the ball move and let the defense break down and take what's there," DeCuire said. "We talk about good to great. There are some good shots that we could take all the time but we'll continue to shoot in the 40s. We need 50 percent or better and to do that you have to pass up the OK shot for the great one and I thought our guys did that tonight."

The win gives the Griz some much needed momentum entering the final stretch of the non-conference schedule. They will close it out on the road, heading first to play North Dakota State on Saturday before a neutral site game against Prairie View A&M in the Coaches Vs. Racism game and capping it off on the road against national power Gonzaga.

A half full of highlights. Griz up 48-24. Tune into ESPN+ for second half action starting now!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/fKiwD8bbqO
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) December 7, 2022

GRIZ NOTES

Aanen Moody made his 100^th career appearance across his D-I career and made it a memorable one. He scored 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting and added four rebounds and three assists.
It was the best first half of the season for Montana. They scored a season-high 48 points on 55 percent shooting, making 20 field goals. They did it all without a single free throw as Montana drew just three fouls in the first 20 minutes. It was just the fourth halftime lead of the season for the Griz, who are now 3-1 with a lead at intermission.
The offense stole the show, but Montana was excellent on the defensive end as well. The Griz had a season-high seven blocks and held South Dakota State to just 33.3 percent shooting and 56 points. It is the fifth time this season Montana has held it's opponent under 60 points.
Montana had eight three-pointers, all of which came in the first half. It's tied for the third most Montana has made in a game this year and likely would have been more if not for the large lead in the second half.
The Grizzlies also dished out 12 assists in the opening half and 15 for the game. It was the second-most assists by the team this year, trailing on the 16-assist performance against Merrimack.
Brandon Whitney set a new season-high with 23 points. It was his third game this season in double-figures, and he did it with an incredible efficiency. He made 10-of-12 shots and cleaned up one of his misses with a put-back lay-up.
Dischon Thomas also had a new season-high for scoring with his 17-point performance. He was a team-high +34 on the night, contributing well on both ends of the floor.
Montana improved to 4-1 at home this season.
The Griz are now 2-2 on Tuesday games, a particularly non-conference type of stat. They have one more Tuesday game this year, on the road against Gonzaga on Dec. 20.
Defense has been the key to the season for Montana. They are 4-0 when they shoot better than their opponents, and in all four of those wins they held the opposing team under 40 percent from the field. They are also 4-1 in games where they've held the opponent under 60 points.