Griz lose overtime heartbreaker at NAU

Thursday, January 5

Flagstaff, Ariz.

6 PM

Montana

7-8,1-2Big Sky

Northern Arizona

5-11,1-2Big Sky

OT 1

Montana

Northern Ariz.

1/5/2023 10:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

In the first overtime game of the season for Montana basketball, the Grizzlies came up agonizingly short against Northern Arizona, falling 75-75 in Flagstaff. The Griz had a look at the buzzer, but the ball rattled in-and-out to give the Lumberjacks the narrow win.

At altitude, playing without starting guard Brandon Whitney for much of the game with a non-COVID illness, Montana led the majority of the way but just ran out of steam down the stretch in a game that was tightly contested. A Jalen Cone jumper with 13:32 left in the second half brought the deficit to just two points. It wouldn't grow to more than three points – for either team – for the remainder of regulation or overtime.

It made for a dramatic finish at the end of regulation, where Josh Vazquez knocked down a couple of free throws to force overtime. It was part of a very impressive display from Vazquez, who for the second straight game received extended minutes. He made the most of them. A season-high 17 points. A career-high five steals. Plus a couple of blocks, a couple of rebounds and a 60 percent clip from three-point range.

"That was the best defensive performance of his career in my opinion. He did a phenomenal job on Cone, he deflects the ball, forced some turnovers and got us some extra possessions," head coach Travis DeCuire said of Vazquez. "We just didn't turn them into points. And he shot the ball well. He's been on a really strong streak here the last three or four games of being consistent and giving us points off the bench, but also just being really solid defensively."

Gallery: (1-5-2023) MBB: at Northern Arizona (1.5.23)

In the overtime period Montana again took a late lead, but a three-pointer from Cone put NAU ahead. Montana had a couple of looks, but a three from Aanen Moody rattled out and the final shot at the buzzer from Josh Bannan hit the back iron.

The loss drops the Griz to 1-2 in Big Sky play with an important game upcoming in Greeley against Northern Colorado. The difference in the game on Thursday night?

"Defensive breakdowns," DeCuire said. "You give almost 50 percent from the floor and you just can't win like that. 75 points is just too much. They average in the 70s, but we're a better defensive team than that. We just had a lot of breakdowns where we had moments where we could have gone up four or six at that two-minute mark and we just didn't execute very well."

Bannan led Montana with 20 points in 44 minutes, but the Lumberjack defense did well in the second half to limit the Grizzly star. He was held without a field goal in the second half, still scoring well from the free throw line but finding it hard to get to his shot. Moody and Dischon Thomas helped make up for it on the offensive end, combining for 20 second-half points.

The two teams started out red hot with Montana making seven of its first nine shots but Northern Arizona keeping pace for an early 17-all tie. Vazquez entered around this time and quickly made a difference, hitting consecutive threes to go along with a pair of steals that helped extend the Montana lead to 25-18.

How about this start from @BannanJosh!? He's got 10 of our first 17 points after this DEEP three!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/TAlDDedEUo
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 6, 2023

A lay-up from Laolu Oke then extended the Griz lead to 27-18, the largest of the night for either side. A first half that saw runs from both sides didn't get away from the hosts, as they scored eight consecutive later on to tie it at 30. Back went Montana, this time with a 7-0 run that helped them take a 37-32 advantage into the locker rooms.

NAU takes its first lead in over 20 minutes of action, but Moody is there for the response! We've got a good one here in Flagstaff!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/7Us2YibpgZ
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 6, 2023

The Griz held the lead for the first 10 minutes of the second half, but Northern Arizona eventually went ahead 51-49. Moody immediately responded with a three to put the Griz back in front, and it ping-ponged back and forth from there. Thomas hit a tough contested jumper to give Montana a 65-64 lead, but then it was NAU's turn to answer. They retook the lead before Vazquez tied it up with a drive through the center of the lane.

Clutch drive and score from Josh Vazquez, who is up to a season-high 13 points!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/jivcPO0wuH
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 6, 2023

Montana fouled with 31 seconds left, giving Cone two free throws to put the Lumberjacks on top. The Griz turned it over, but NAU couldn't convert the front end of the one-and-one free throw, giving Montana another shot. Vazquez was fouled, calmly hitting both to force the extra period.

In overtime, the Griz were able to jump ahead, but the shot making ability of Cone proved too much. He hit a three early and the game-winner late to score all six of Northern Arizona's points in overtime.

It was the first overtime game this season and just the second game overall to be decided by four or fewer points. Montana is now 0-2 in those contests. And after a terrific start offensively that saw Montana make 10 of its first 16 shots, they closed just as coldly, missing nine of their final 10 attempts.

Now, Montana heads to Greeley to face a Northern Colorado team that is 0-3 in Big Sky play and coming off a large loss on Thursday night to Montana State.

"You have to find a way to put some wins together. It's still one game at a time, but what you can't do is beat yourself and I feel like we did that tonight," DeCuire said. "And that's all of us, including myself. We have to get better at being solid and being a more disciplined group when it matters most and right now that's what we struggle with."