Grizzlies go cold in Sacramento

Thursday, January 26

Sacramento, Calif.

8 PM (MT)

Montana

9-12,3-6Big Sky

Sacramento State

12-9,5-3Big Sky

Montana

Sacramento St.

1/26/2023 10:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana Grizzlies couldn't overcome a pair of lengthy Sacramento State runs on Thursday night in Sacramento, falling 67-48 inside the Nest. The loss is the third straight for Montana and drops them to 9-12 overall and 3-6 in Big Sky play.

Montana couldn't match the size of the Hornets, as the defense and rebounding of the Hornets created problems all night for the Griz. They were outrebounded 35-19 and outscored in the paint 38-20. But the killer for the Griz on Thursday was multiple scoring droughts that lasted longer than five minutes.

Lonnell Martin Jr. provided the best offense for Montana, shooting well from the arc to spark the Griz at the beginning of both halves. He made his first four three-point attempts, including a flurry in the second half with nine points in just over 60 seconds, and ended the night with 14.

Martin Jr. was joined in double-figures by Aanen Moody, who added 12.

The Grizzlies led early by as many as eight and had the deficit down to 44-42 at one point in the second half, but the offense lost its way as the Hornets closed out the win.

Martin Jr. made a triple on the first possession of the game to start what was actually a hot start for Montana. The Griz built a 24-16 lead after shooting 9-for-13 to start the game. Montana then missed nine straight shots, allowing the Hornets to go on a 15-0 run and take 31-24 lead.

When they needed a basket, it came from an unexpected source. Laolu Oke, who entered averaging just 1.4 points per game, finished through contact, making the free throw for a three-point play that ended a five-plus minute drought for the Griz.

At the half, Montana were able to get it back to just a four-point lead at 35-31. Martin Jr., similar to the start of the first half, provided instant offense for Montana out of the break. He connected on three shots from beyond the arc in the first two and a half minutes. Moody added a lay-up and the Griz had cut the halftime deficit to just two points at 44-42 with 16:35 to play.

From there, the Grizzlies would score just six more points and go on a drought lasting nearly nine minutes. They ended the night with the lowest scoring total of the season, being held under 50 for the first time all year.

Montana have now dropped three games in a row for the first time this season. They have a chance to snap the streak on Saturday night in Portland against the Portland State Vikings. The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. local time, 8:00 p.m. MT.