Wildcats end Grizzlies’ trip to Big Sky tournament

Thursday, March 10

Boise, Idaho

2:30 PM

Montana

18-14, 11-9BSC

Weber State [Quarterfinals]

21-11, 13-7BSC

Montana

Weber State

Photo by: Tommy Martino/UM Athletics

Wildcats end Grizzlies’ trip to Big Sky tournament

3/10/2022 6:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By: Montana Sports Information

BOISE, Idaho – Montana's trip to the Big Sky Conference tournament ended after just one game, with the Grizzlies falling to No. 4-seed Weber State, 68-56, on Thursday afternoon. Montana, which set a Big Sky record with eight straight tournament wins from 2018-21 – including back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 – lost in its first tournament game for just the third time in the past 12 tournaments.

Thursday's quarterfinal game started as good as the Grizzlies could have hoped, as Montana made its first five shot attempts and built a double-digit lead (12-2) just 3 minutes, 14 seconds into the game.

As quickly as Montana built its lead, though, it also evaporated.

Weber State used an 11-0 run to take a 25-19 lead before a 6-0 run from Griz sophomore Brandon Whitney tied the game at 25-25 with 2:28 to play in the opening half.

The Wildcats scored the final five points of the first half, though, and were just getting started.

Weber State then made 10 of its first 11 shots to open the second half, including nine in a row at one point. Meanwhile, over an 11-minute stretch to close the first half and open the second period, Montana missed 10 straight shots and turned the ball over five times.

By the time the Grizzlies scored their first field goal of the second half – at the 11:21 mark – Weber State had built a 51-29 lead, using a 26-4 run.

"We got off to a good start," head coach Travis DeCuire said. "We were focused and we were about the right things. Foul trouble got ahold of us, though, and it's hard to sustain that momentum when you don't have the guys on the floor who created that momentum."

How about another 3-pointer from @beaziii? The sophomore connects from DEEP!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/Wm2TigQbSa
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 10, 2022

Montana trailed by as many as 22 points before holding the Wildcats without a field goal for 6 minutes. The 12-3 run allowed the Grizzlies to cut the score to 56-43 with 5:11 to play, but could they never get closer than the final margin of 12 points.

The late run is something that DeCuire will look to as a positive, showing the fight his team showed even late in the game.

"There's a group that's willing to fight through adversity," the eighth-year head coach said. "They found themselves in a hole and dug themselves out of it, and I think that's a sign of what's to come."

Montana was one of the least experienced teams in the Big Sky this season, regularly starting a core of three sophomores. With so many teams playing with fifth- or sixth-year seniors, the Grizzlies will look to take advantage next season as one of the more experienced teams.

"I remember 2017, showing up to the tournament like this with sophomores," DeCuire reflected. "We went home on the first night and came back and won it the next year. We have some work to do, but there's a lot of upside to this group."

Gallery: (3-10-2022) MBB: vs Weber State 03.10.22

The Grizzlies came out ready to go on Thursday, with junior Derrick Carter-Hollinger scoring 20 seconds into the contest. On the other end of the floor, Montana drew back-to-back charges on Weber State's first two offensive possessions, before the Grizzlies got four more buckets to build a 12-2 lead just 3:14 into the contest, forcing a quick Weber State timeout.

Montana led 19-14 with 10:20 to play before Weber State used an 11-0 run to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game. During the run, Montana shot 0-for-5 from the floor with four turnovers, including three in a row at one point, but worked back to tie the score at 25-25 from six straight points from Whitney.

A crafty move for @bwhit_10, and ✌️ more for the sophomore!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/r4yFSzsDLg
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 10, 2022

Montana made eight of its first 11 shot attempts and was shooting .500 at the break, before going ice cold. In fact, after scoring 12 points through the game's first 3:14, Montana scored just 17 points over the next 25 minutes.

"In the beginning of the game, we were moving the ball and everyone was touching it," Whitney said. "Once we hit adversity, we got more stagnant and people tried to do things themselves."

While Montana's shooting percentage dipped to .410 (6-of-19 in the second half), Weber State got better as the game went on, shooting .577 in the second half (15-of-26) and .543 on the day (25-of-46). The Grizzlies made three of their first four 3-point attempts, but finished just 1-of-10 over the game's final 32 minutes.

"We were guarding," DeCuire said of Montana' start. "We kept them out of the paint and made it hard for them to find the shots they wanted. We took them out of that rhythm and found our own offensively. But you can't give up 57 percent in the second half, 54 percent in the game, and expect to win."

Montana, which ranks 13^th nationally with just 10.1 turnovers per game, was nearly at that number by halftime. The Grizzlies turned the ball over 16 times (second-most of the season), leading to 20 Wildcats points.

Four Grizzlies were in double figures for scoring, but none with more than 12 points. Carter-Hollinger made four of his five shot attempts, scoring 12 points, including seven during Montana's early spurt. The Grizzlies' sophomore trio of Robby Beasley III (12), Whitney (12) and Josh Bannan (11) combined for 37 points. However, Bannan, who led the Grizzlies with 15.2 points per game during the regular season, didn't make his first shot until more than 30 minutes into the game, missing his first six attempts.

DJ's feeling it! @DJ_Carter35 has 7 of Montana's 9 points as the Grizzlies race out to an early lead!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/33mzStOutz
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 10, 2022

Montana proved to be a championship-caliber team early in the season, going 8-2 through the first half of Big Sky play. In the second half, though – partially without its leader and one of its top defenders in Mack Anderson – Montana went 3-8 to fall to the No. 5 seed.

The Grizzlies will find out if their season will continue with a potential postseason tournament on Sunday.

"Very disappointed, a little bit angry," Beasley, an honorable mention all-conference pick, summed up. "We didn't end the way we want to. We're a young group and have a lot of potential and a lot of time – the whole spring and summer – to turn things around."