Sunday, February 27
Missoula, Mont.
3 PM
Montana
18-11, 11-7BSC
80
vs
74
Montana State
21-7, 13-4BSC
1
2
F
Montana State
33
41
74
Montana
44
36
80
Photo by: Tommy Martino
Griz secure Brawl of the Wild win over 1st-place Montana State
2/27/2022 8:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MISSOULA, Mont. – Playing in front of its largest crowd of the season, as well as a national television audience, Montana did what it has become accustomed to doing: defending its home court and beating the Cats.
With Sunday's 80-74 victory over first-place Montana State, the Grizzlies improved to 14-1 at home this season and beat Montana State for the 11th consecutive time inside Dahlberg Arena.
"We've been good with our backs against the wall," head coach DeCuire said. "It's kind of win, lose or draw – but there really is no draw. In front of the home crowd, big moment, I felt like our guys would show up if we gave them the right vibe going into the game.
"We came out inspired and put together a good performance."
A layup from sophomore Robby Beasley III gave the Grizzlies an 11-10 lead 4 minutes, 17 seconds into the contest and they never relinquished it, holding a lead for the final 35:43.
Sophomore Brandon Whitney secured an offensive rebound and the drove to the hoop to give Montana a 29-18 lead with 8:30 remaining in the opening half, the Grizzlies' first double-digit lead. They would lead by double figures for more than 19 minutes on the day, including a stretch of 16 straight minutes in the second half.
"We saw some things on film that they had given us last time and we just didn't make shots, so I knew if we could make shots we would be fine," DeCuire said.
From several layups and a dunk down low to a banked-in 3-pointer and a swoosh as the first-half clock expired – sending the Grizzlies into the locker room with an 11-point lead – everything was working for the Aussie.
He also committed just one foul, which proved to be big as the Grizzlies were whistled for 24 on the day, with six players recording three or more and the team having to go deep into its bench to counter.
"I asked him before the starting lineup, 'Are you the best player in the gym?'" DeCuire said of a pregame conversation with Bannan. "He didn't say anything, he just looked at me like I was crazy, like what type of question are you asking? This is nothing against Montana State; they have phenomenal players and I'm not saying he is the best player, but that showed me his confidence, and sometimes, going into a big game, a young man could benefit from hearing a coach's confidence in him."
As dominant as Montana has been in the series – now winning 20 of the past 22 games over more than a decade – the following stat also shows just how young this roster is: of the seven players to play more than 10 minutes on Sunday, just one (junior Kyle Owens) had previously beaten Montana State.
Montana's first 25 points were scored by sophomores, a group that was playing in its first Griz-Cat rivalry game.
Gallery: (2-27-2022) MBB: vs. Montana State (2.27.22)
The impact the crowd of more than 5,000 fans had was not lost on the players, either.
Both Bannan and Whitney – who played their freshman seasons mostly without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic – stated that Sunday was the largest home crowd they had ever played in front of.
It's part of the reason they chose to play at a place like Montana, steeped not only with success and tradition, but also support.
"This might have been the biggest game of my life, to be honest," Whitney said. "This year, having the fans and that type of atmosphere, it was crazy."
Added Bannan: "That was one of the best basketball experiences of my life. That's the most fans I've ever played in front of. The students were awesome. When the other team goes on a run and then we make one play, the home crowd erupts and that sort of swings the momentum, even if the momentum might not be in our favor.
"The home crowd is huge and that really helped us tonight."
The list can go on.
"Next man up," DeCuire said. "Our guys were ready to go and it was a total team effort."
But as big as each individual was, the real difference came from the 3-point line.
Montana entered the game averaging a league-worst 7.9 3-pointers per game. Montana State entered the game with the league's top 3-point defense. It was bound to be a problematic matchup for the Grizzlies.
Except for the fact that Montana's first basket came from long range. Then the Grizzlies made another. And another.
Montana made 11 3-pointers on the day – tied for a season high and the most the Bobcats have given up all season.
While Montana State is good at defending the long ball, it is even better at shooting it. The Bobcats entered the day making 39 percent of their 3-point attempts on the season, best in the Big Sky and 18th-best in the nation.
So how did the Grizzlies combat that? By holding the visitors to just eight attempts (they average 22) and just one make (they average more than eight).
Montana State missed its first six 3-point tries, not connecting on a triple until there were less than 8 minutes left in the game.
"A lot of their 3's come from ball screens, and the way we defend the ball screen, it takes away that side of the floor," DeCuire said. "And then we really didn't allow (Xavier) Bishop to get in the paint and kick; we tried to force them to beat us shooting 2's."
Montana was ready from the opening tip, making nine of 11 shot attempts after missing its first two while holding Montana State without a point for 3-plus minutes twice in the opening half. While the Grizzlies were rolling, the Bobcats couldn't do much of anything – aside from get to the free-throw line.
Early in the second half, Montana held a 52-35 lead following a Whitney 3-pointer. At that point, half of Montana State's points (17 of 35) had come from the charity stripe. In the end, Montana State got 25 points from the free-throw line, including 19 from its pair of all-conference players, Bishop and Jubrile Belo, who combined for 48 of their team's 74 points.
Montana led by 11 at the intermission and by as many as 17, 52-35, just more than 2 minutes into the second half. The Grizzlies' lead was whittled down to single digits, 69-60, with 4:12 to play, before Montana State got to within four points, 70-66 with 2:34 to play, part of a 10-1 scoring run.
Needing a basket in the worst way, the Grizzlies got exactly what they needed following a Belo turnover. With a review determined there were 4 seconds remaining on the shot clock, Montana in-bounded to Whitney who faked and drove to his left, laying the ball in and getting fouled.
"We needed to get to something quick," DeCuire said of Whitney's and-1. "I knew that Belo had been attached to Bannan and that he wasn't sagging like he normally does because Bannan had hit a 3. We knew on the ball screen that Whitney was going to be able to get to the rim, and if we set it high enough, Belo wouldn't be able to get to him."
Both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor, but the difference came from 3-point shooting and turnovers, with Montana forcing 15, resulting in 16 Griz points.
Montana is now 14-1 at home this season, with two home games still to play. The Grizzlies will host Northern Colorado on Thursday – the only Big Sky team Montana has yet to beat this season – and Sacramento State on Saturday.
"Every win is momentum," DeCuire said. "We had a couple of rough games – really a rough two and a half weeks – but one win can change your season in terms of your trajectory. We don't want to limp into Boise. We want to go into Boise with confidence."
With Sunday's win over Montana State, the Grizzlies have now beaten their rivals in each of their core four sports this season (football, men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball) for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
With Sunday's 80-74 victory over first-place Montana State, the Grizzlies improved to 14-1 at home this season and beat Montana State for the 11th consecutive time inside Dahlberg Arena.
"We've been good with our backs against the wall," head coach DeCuire said. "It's kind of win, lose or draw – but there really is no draw. In front of the home crowd, big moment, I felt like our guys would show up if we gave them the right vibe going into the game.
"We came out inspired and put together a good performance."
A layup from sophomore Robby Beasley III gave the Grizzlies an 11-10 lead 4 minutes, 17 seconds into the contest and they never relinquished it, holding a lead for the final 35:43.
Sophomore Brandon Whitney secured an offensive rebound and the drove to the hoop to give Montana a 29-18 lead with 8:30 remaining in the opening half, the Grizzlies' first double-digit lead. They would lead by double figures for more than 19 minutes on the day, including a stretch of 16 straight minutes in the second half.
"We saw some things on film that they had given us last time and we just didn't make shots, so I knew if we could make shots we would be fine," DeCuire said.
Sophomore forward Josh Bannan was dominant, needing less than 8 minutes to reach double figures himself. Bannan, who has now scored 20 or more points in four straight games and seven times since Jan. 20, finished with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, in addition to team highs for rebounds (seven) and assists (three).That was smooth!! Whitney is a perfect 5-for-5 from the field so far!#GrizCat #GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/9SZx6O1dmi
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) February 27, 2022
From several layups and a dunk down low to a banked-in 3-pointer and a swoosh as the first-half clock expired – sending the Grizzlies into the locker room with an 11-point lead – everything was working for the Aussie.
Well that's one way to end the half 💯#GrizCat #GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/ReDyaquFWx
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) February 27, 2022
He also committed just one foul, which proved to be big as the Grizzlies were whistled for 24 on the day, with six players recording three or more and the team having to go deep into its bench to counter.
"I asked him before the starting lineup, 'Are you the best player in the gym?'" DeCuire said of a pregame conversation with Bannan. "He didn't say anything, he just looked at me like I was crazy, like what type of question are you asking? This is nothing against Montana State; they have phenomenal players and I'm not saying he is the best player, but that showed me his confidence, and sometimes, going into a big game, a young man could benefit from hearing a coach's confidence in him."
As dominant as Montana has been in the series – now winning 20 of the past 22 games over more than a decade – the following stat also shows just how young this roster is: of the seven players to play more than 10 minutes on Sunday, just one (junior Kyle Owens) had previously beaten Montana State.
Montana's first 25 points were scored by sophomores, a group that was playing in its first Griz-Cat rivalry game.
The impact the crowd of more than 5,000 fans had was not lost on the players, either.
Both Bannan and Whitney – who played their freshman seasons mostly without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic – stated that Sunday was the largest home crowd they had ever played in front of.
It's part of the reason they chose to play at a place like Montana, steeped not only with success and tradition, but also support.
"This might have been the biggest game of my life, to be honest," Whitney said. "This year, having the fans and that type of atmosphere, it was crazy."
Added Bannan: "That was one of the best basketball experiences of my life. That's the most fans I've ever played in front of. The students were awesome. When the other team goes on a run and then we make one play, the home crowd erupts and that sort of swings the momentum, even if the momentum might not be in our favor.
"The home crowd is huge and that really helped us tonight."
As good as Bannan and his 23 points were, Whitney scored 17 on 6-of-7 shooting. Then there was Beasley's 13, or Lonnell Martin Jr.'s dozen – including three 3-poitners – or Owens' 21 minutes off the bench, knocking down a big 3-pointer and drawing a handful of chargesThere's really no better atmosphere 🤩#GrizCat #GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/OdUfLj504T
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) February 28, 2022
The list can go on.
"Next man up," DeCuire said. "Our guys were ready to go and it was a total team effort."
But as big as each individual was, the real difference came from the 3-point line.
Montana entered the game averaging a league-worst 7.9 3-pointers per game. Montana State entered the game with the league's top 3-point defense. It was bound to be a problematic matchup for the Grizzlies.
Except for the fact that Montana's first basket came from long range. Then the Grizzlies made another. And another.
Montana made 11 3-pointers on the day – tied for a season high and the most the Bobcats have given up all season.
And that might even not be the most impressive 3-point statistic from the game.Martin Jr. with a quick release for the 10th Grizzly 3-pointer of the game!!#GrizCat #GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/voDrty2xjl
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) February 27, 2022
While Montana State is good at defending the long ball, it is even better at shooting it. The Bobcats entered the day making 39 percent of their 3-point attempts on the season, best in the Big Sky and 18th-best in the nation.
So how did the Grizzlies combat that? By holding the visitors to just eight attempts (they average 22) and just one make (they average more than eight).
Montana State missed its first six 3-point tries, not connecting on a triple until there were less than 8 minutes left in the game.
"A lot of their 3's come from ball screens, and the way we defend the ball screen, it takes away that side of the floor," DeCuire said. "And then we really didn't allow (Xavier) Bishop to get in the paint and kick; we tried to force them to beat us shooting 2's."
Montana was ready from the opening tip, making nine of 11 shot attempts after missing its first two while holding Montana State without a point for 3-plus minutes twice in the opening half. While the Grizzlies were rolling, the Bobcats couldn't do much of anything – aside from get to the free-throw line.
Early in the second half, Montana held a 52-35 lead following a Whitney 3-pointer. At that point, half of Montana State's points (17 of 35) had come from the charity stripe. In the end, Montana State got 25 points from the free-throw line, including 19 from its pair of all-conference players, Bishop and Jubrile Belo, who combined for 48 of their team's 74 points.
Montana led by 11 at the intermission and by as many as 17, 52-35, just more than 2 minutes into the second half. The Grizzlies' lead was whittled down to single digits, 69-60, with 4:12 to play, before Montana State got to within four points, 70-66 with 2:34 to play, part of a 10-1 scoring run.
Needing a basket in the worst way, the Grizzlies got exactly what they needed following a Belo turnover. With a review determined there were 4 seconds remaining on the shot clock, Montana in-bounded to Whitney who faked and drove to his left, laying the ball in and getting fouled.
On Montana's next trip up the floor, again with the shot clock winding down, Bannan buried a turnaround mid-range jumper to put the Grizzlies up by six, 74-68 with 48 seconds remaining. Senior Scott Blakney got a rebound on a miss on the other end before Montana made six free throws to close out the game.Whitney finishes strong at the rim!!#GrizCat #GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/dgOyS6tkzX
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) February 28, 2022
"We needed to get to something quick," DeCuire said of Whitney's and-1. "I knew that Belo had been attached to Bannan and that he wasn't sagging like he normally does because Bannan had hit a 3. We knew on the ball screen that Whitney was going to be able to get to the rim, and if we set it high enough, Belo wouldn't be able to get to him."
Both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor, but the difference came from 3-point shooting and turnovers, with Montana forcing 15, resulting in 16 Griz points.
Montana is now 14-1 at home this season, with two home games still to play. The Grizzlies will host Northern Colorado on Thursday – the only Big Sky team Montana has yet to beat this season – and Sacramento State on Saturday.
"Every win is momentum," DeCuire said. "We had a couple of rough games – really a rough two and a half weeks – but one win can change your season in terms of your trajectory. We don't want to limp into Boise. We want to go into Boise with confidence."
With Sunday's win over Montana State, the Grizzlies have now beaten their rivals in each of their core four sports this season (football, men's basketball, women's basketball and volleyball) for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
That win feeling🗣#GrizCat #GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/ksvoZZbKLU
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) February 28, 2022
Team Stats
MSU
UM
FG%
.511
.510
3FG%
.125
.393
FT%
.862
.708
RB
35
23
TO
15
12
STL
1
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
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