Thursday, February 2
Missoula, Mont.
7 PM
Montana
11-12,5-6Big Sky
69
vs
67
Northern Colorado
7-15,2-8Big Sky
1st half1
2nd half2
FinalF
Northern Colo.
33
34
67
Montana
36
33
69
Photo by: Ryan Brennecke/UM Athletics
Moody shines as Griz sweep Northern Colorado
2/2/2023 11:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball
There were 29 seconds, right at the start of the game between Montana and Northern Colorado, where the scoreboard was level at zero. Then on Montana's first possession, Aanen Moody hit a three-pointer to put the Grizzlies up. The lead would last the final 39 minutes and 31 seconds.
Montana may have led the entire way, and Moody may thrilled Dahlberg Arena on his way to a career-high 26 points, but things weren't always easy for the Grizzlies. They got everything they could handle from the Bears and the Big Sky's top scorer Dalton Knecht in a game that came down to the final possession.
But finally, for the Montana Grizzlies and head coach Travis DeCuire, they emerged on the right side of a tight contest.
"I think we needed it, in all honesty," DeCuire said. "I think this team needed to go down the stretch in a close ball game that comes down to one possession and find a way to win, so that they'd have the confidence moving forward that it won't always go bad. I think we grew up a little bit today."Gallery: (2-2-2023) MBB: Montana vs Northern Colorado
It's the first time this season that Montana have won a Thursday night Big Sky game, and also the first time they have strung together consecutive wins following a victory against Portland State last Saturday. The biggest first, however, comes from the final score, as the Grizzlies won a game decided by four points or fewer for the first time this season. It improves them to 11-12 overall, 5-6 in Big Sky play.
Montana largely went away from what has led them to success this season as well. The best three-point shooting team in the Big Sky made just four of them on the night, instead attacking the paint for 40 points. It was just the third time this season they reached that mark, and they did it in plenty of creative ways.
Josh Bannan, of course, helped pad the total. The forward scored 18 points on the night, not all coming in the paint but a good portion. His passing also led to plenty of open looks, as Montana found something against the Bears defense with a simple backdoor cut. It led to six assists for Bannan, which tied his career high.
The Grizzlies started 5-for-5 from the floor with four different point scorers. They would finish the night with just five scorers, as the quartet of players that started the scoring would go on to provide most of the offense on the night.
A drought of over four minutes from the Montana offense did allow Northern Colorado to climb back within a point at 16-15. Moody stepped up, making a pair of free throws and then hitting his second three of the night to extend it back to a six-point lead.
They extended it even further after an acrobatic and-one finish from Lonnell Martin Jr. made it 35-24 Montana. It was part of an impressive 10-point half for Martin Jr., who played a key role all night. He finished the game with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists, but perhaps more importantly he split the duty of trying to slow down Knecht with Bannan. They held him to over seven points below his Big Sky average.
"I thought (Knecht) did a really good job of making him take tough shots. He makes tough shots, that's what he does," DeCuire said. "I think he's been averaging 30 for the last two weeks, so I think (Martin Jr.) did a phenomenal job."
The Bears wouldn't go away, and what looked to be a double-digit halftime lead was slimmed to just three points after a 9-1 Northern Colorado run ended the half.
Knecht made a buzzer beater to end the half, and he cut the lead to one point early in the second period. It made for an uncomfortable final 20 minutes for a Grizzly team that never trailed. Moody and Whitney would score to push it back to 42-37, but it teetered back and forth.
Northern Colorado made consecutive threes with 10 minutes to play to cut the lead again to just a single point at 53-52. Montana had an answer in Bannan and Moody. The forward hit the guard on a backdoor cut for a layup, then had a beautiful assist to Martin Jr. for an easy basket.
Then it was the ultimate heat check moment, and a play that summarized Montana's night. Moody received the ball on a handoff and stopped, looking for the shot. The defense was tight on him, so instead Moody faked first the shot, then a pass, before spinning a full 360 degrees on his pivot foot and hoisting up a try from just inside the three-point line. It rattled home, his 10th made shot of the night.
He went on to score 26 points, a new career high, which puts him within 40 of 1,000 points for his career. He averages nearly 18 points per game at home, clearly loving the environment inside of Dahlberg Arena, and has the confidence needed for a premier scorer.
"I was very excited to be back. I was very excited to play in front of our home crowd," Moody said. "I felt like after I made a couple layups, seeing the ball go in multiple times in a row, you kind of throw up a shot and it's like shooting into a swimming pool."
After missing last Saturday's game against Portland State, Moody was anxious to return. He resumed practice during the week, and DeCuire could sense he would be ready to play tonight. Coach wasn't disappointed.
"I think he loves the crowd, I think he loves playing in front of people," DeCuire said. "He's been there for us when we needed him most."
Montana also got a great performance from Jaxon Nap, who played 19 minutes, the most in a Big Sky game for the freshman. He made a crucial basket, spinning through the lane and finishing in traffic. It increased the Grizzly lead to 63-54 with just under six minutes to play.
Nap was the only bench player to score for Montana, contributing four points, but also had winning plays all over the court.
"I think we got great minutes out of Jaxon Nap. The stat sheet might not say a whole lot, but he competed and he deflected a lot of balls, he blocked off, he had a big bucket down the stretch when we needed one most," DeCuire said. "We talk about being ready, stay ready because you never know who's going to have an opportunity when we need you most. I thought he did a phenomenal job stepping up tonight."
The nine-point lead wouldn't last long. The Bears scored seven of the next eight points to cut the lead to three points. It made things tense for a Montana team that has struggled with late-game scenarios this year. Bannan would score to get it back up to five with 2:50 to go, but Daylen Kountz would get four straight points and all of a sudden it was back to a one-point game.
DeCuire again put trust in his thousand-point scorer, and Bannan delivered. He spun to his left hand and forced a finish through contact to make it 68-65 with 22 seconds to play.
Northern Colorado missed a three-point attempt, but gathered the offense rebound and would get a layup to make it a one-point game again. In a final 12 seconds that would go on to last over 15 minutes of real time, the stress continued to mount.
After several reviews and timeouts by both teams, Montana were finally able to get the ball in bounds. Moody made one of two free throws with four seconds left, setting up a chance for the Bears with the score 69-67 in favor of Montana. Kountz drove the length of the floor and pulled up from the free throw line, but the last-second shot bounced out and Montana held on for the win.
The Grizzlies outshot the Bears 48.2 percent to 44.8 percent, improving to 11-1 on the year when they have the better percentage. The Grizzlies also had 12 assists, including six from Bannan and four from Martin Jr., to improve to 9-3 when they win that category.
And for the first time all season, Montana won while having fewer rebounds than their opponent. They lost that battle 36-29, but did enough everywhere else to get the win. An area where Montana shine is in ball control, and they did so again on Thursday, giving it away just six times.
But defensively, it was crucial for Montana to slow down a team that has last year's leading scorer in the Big Sky in Kountz, and the man who will likely end up leading the league this year in Knecht. They did enough, holding the Bears to just 67 points. It was the fourth straight game Montana held their opponent to exactly 67 points.
"I thought we did a good job. They've got explosive offensive players and they are going to find ways to get shots," DeCuire said. "We got some deflections and some steals late, and we changed our defensive coverages two or three times in the last six minutes and I thought that forced about three or four turnovers down the stretch which I thought were the difference in the game."
Brandon Whitney added nine points for Montana and was a game-high +9 in the box score. The guard made 60 percent of his shots, playing efficient offense and helping slow down Kountz all night with stellar defensive effort.
Martin Jr.'s 12-point effort marked the third consecutive game that he's scored in double-figures. It's the first such streak for him this season and just the second of his Grizzly career.
Montana can now set its sights on Northern Arizona, who come to town fresh off a heartbreaking loss in Bozeman on Thursday night. The Lumberjacks had a shot at the rim to win it in the final seconds, but missed the look. It dropped them to 2-8 in Big Sky play, but one of the wins did come against Montana in Flagstaff.
The Grizzlies will be looking for revenge on Saturday, but most importantly they can breath a sigh of relief that maybe this season isn't cursed after all.
"The real bottom line for us is we needed a game like this to fall our way," DeCuire said. "Now we know we're capable regardless of the situation, whether it's close or a blowout, we can win these games. We just have to hang in there together."
Montana may have led the entire way, and Moody may thrilled Dahlberg Arena on his way to a career-high 26 points, but things weren't always easy for the Grizzlies. They got everything they could handle from the Bears and the Big Sky's top scorer Dalton Knecht in a game that came down to the final possession.
But finally, for the Montana Grizzlies and head coach Travis DeCuire, they emerged on the right side of a tight contest.
"I think we needed it, in all honesty," DeCuire said. "I think this team needed to go down the stretch in a close ball game that comes down to one possession and find a way to win, so that they'd have the confidence moving forward that it won't always go bad. I think we grew up a little bit today."
It's the first time this season that Montana have won a Thursday night Big Sky game, and also the first time they have strung together consecutive wins following a victory against Portland State last Saturday. The biggest first, however, comes from the final score, as the Grizzlies won a game decided by four points or fewer for the first time this season. It improves them to 11-12 overall, 5-6 in Big Sky play.
Montana largely went away from what has led them to success this season as well. The best three-point shooting team in the Big Sky made just four of them on the night, instead attacking the paint for 40 points. It was just the third time this season they reached that mark, and they did it in plenty of creative ways.
Josh Bannan, of course, helped pad the total. The forward scored 18 points on the night, not all coming in the paint but a good portion. His passing also led to plenty of open looks, as Montana found something against the Bears defense with a simple backdoor cut. It led to six assists for Bannan, which tied his career high.
The Grizzlies started 5-for-5 from the floor with four different point scorers. They would finish the night with just five scorers, as the quartet of players that started the scoring would go on to provide most of the offense on the night.
A drought of over four minutes from the Montana offense did allow Northern Colorado to climb back within a point at 16-15. Moody stepped up, making a pair of free throws and then hitting his second three of the night to extend it back to a six-point lead.
They extended it even further after an acrobatic and-one finish from Lonnell Martin Jr. made it 35-24 Montana. It was part of an impressive 10-point half for Martin Jr., who played a key role all night. He finished the game with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists, but perhaps more importantly he split the duty of trying to slow down Knecht with Bannan. They held him to over seven points below his Big Sky average.
𝙐𝙋. 𝘼𝙉𝘿. 𝙐𝙉𝘿𝙀𝙍.
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) February 3, 2023
How about this finish from @lon_mart for the three-point play!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/rye82YLpM4
"I thought (Knecht) did a really good job of making him take tough shots. He makes tough shots, that's what he does," DeCuire said. "I think he's been averaging 30 for the last two weeks, so I think (Martin Jr.) did a phenomenal job."
The Bears wouldn't go away, and what looked to be a double-digit halftime lead was slimmed to just three points after a 9-1 Northern Colorado run ended the half.
Knecht made a buzzer beater to end the half, and he cut the lead to one point early in the second period. It made for an uncomfortable final 20 minutes for a Grizzly team that never trailed. Moody and Whitney would score to push it back to 42-37, but it teetered back and forth.
Northern Colorado made consecutive threes with 10 minutes to play to cut the lead again to just a single point at 53-52. Montana had an answer in Bannan and Moody. The forward hit the guard on a backdoor cut for a layup, then had a beautiful assist to Martin Jr. for an easy basket.
Then it was the ultimate heat check moment, and a play that summarized Montana's night. Moody received the ball on a handoff and stopped, looking for the shot. The defense was tight on him, so instead Moody faked first the shot, then a pass, before spinning a full 360 degrees on his pivot foot and hoisting up a try from just inside the three-point line. It rattled home, his 10th made shot of the night.
He went on to score 26 points, a new career high, which puts him within 40 of 1,000 points for his career. He averages nearly 18 points per game at home, clearly loving the environment inside of Dahlberg Arena, and has the confidence needed for a premier scorer.
"I was very excited to be back. I was very excited to play in front of our home crowd," Moody said. "I felt like after I made a couple layups, seeing the ball go in multiple times in a row, you kind of throw up a shot and it's like shooting into a swimming pool."
After missing last Saturday's game against Portland State, Moody was anxious to return. He resumed practice during the week, and DeCuire could sense he would be ready to play tonight. Coach wasn't disappointed.
"I think he loves the crowd, I think he loves playing in front of people," DeCuire said. "He's been there for us when we needed him most."
🔥¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 🔥#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/G5FS1XelEa
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) February 3, 2023
Montana also got a great performance from Jaxon Nap, who played 19 minutes, the most in a Big Sky game for the freshman. He made a crucial basket, spinning through the lane and finishing in traffic. It increased the Grizzly lead to 63-54 with just under six minutes to play.
Nap was the only bench player to score for Montana, contributing four points, but also had winning plays all over the court.
"I think we got great minutes out of Jaxon Nap. The stat sheet might not say a whole lot, but he competed and he deflected a lot of balls, he blocked off, he had a big bucket down the stretch when we needed one most," DeCuire said. "We talk about being ready, stay ready because you never know who's going to have an opportunity when we need you most. I thought he did a phenomenal job stepping up tonight."
How about the freshman! Nap scores, Griz are up nine. 😎#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/KHPCeIvLdu
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) February 3, 2023
The nine-point lead wouldn't last long. The Bears scored seven of the next eight points to cut the lead to three points. It made things tense for a Montana team that has struggled with late-game scenarios this year. Bannan would score to get it back up to five with 2:50 to go, but Daylen Kountz would get four straight points and all of a sudden it was back to a one-point game.
DeCuire again put trust in his thousand-point scorer, and Bannan delivered. He spun to his left hand and forced a finish through contact to make it 68-65 with 22 seconds to play.
Northern Colorado missed a three-point attempt, but gathered the offense rebound and would get a layup to make it a one-point game again. In a final 12 seconds that would go on to last over 15 minutes of real time, the stress continued to mount.
After several reviews and timeouts by both teams, Montana were finally able to get the ball in bounds. Moody made one of two free throws with four seconds left, setting up a chance for the Bears with the score 69-67 in favor of Montana. Kountz drove the length of the floor and pulled up from the free throw line, but the last-second shot bounced out and Montana held on for the win.
The Grizzlies outshot the Bears 48.2 percent to 44.8 percent, improving to 11-1 on the year when they have the better percentage. The Grizzlies also had 12 assists, including six from Bannan and four from Martin Jr., to improve to 9-3 when they win that category.
And for the first time all season, Montana won while having fewer rebounds than their opponent. They lost that battle 36-29, but did enough everywhere else to get the win. An area where Montana shine is in ball control, and they did so again on Thursday, giving it away just six times.
But defensively, it was crucial for Montana to slow down a team that has last year's leading scorer in the Big Sky in Kountz, and the man who will likely end up leading the league this year in Knecht. They did enough, holding the Bears to just 67 points. It was the fourth straight game Montana held their opponent to exactly 67 points.
"I thought we did a good job. They've got explosive offensive players and they are going to find ways to get shots," DeCuire said. "We got some deflections and some steals late, and we changed our defensive coverages two or three times in the last six minutes and I thought that forced about three or four turnovers down the stretch which I thought were the difference in the game."
Brandon Whitney added nine points for Montana and was a game-high +9 in the box score. The guard made 60 percent of his shots, playing efficient offense and helping slow down Kountz all night with stellar defensive effort.
Martin Jr.'s 12-point effort marked the third consecutive game that he's scored in double-figures. It's the first such streak for him this season and just the second of his Grizzly career.
Montana can now set its sights on Northern Arizona, who come to town fresh off a heartbreaking loss in Bozeman on Thursday night. The Lumberjacks had a shot at the rim to win it in the final seconds, but missed the look. It dropped them to 2-8 in Big Sky play, but one of the wins did come against Montana in Flagstaff.
The Grizzlies will be looking for revenge on Saturday, but most importantly they can breath a sigh of relief that maybe this season isn't cursed after all.
"The real bottom line for us is we needed a game like this to fall our way," DeCuire said. "Now we know we're capable regardless of the situation, whether it's close or a blowout, we can win these games. We just have to hang in there together."
Team Stats
UNC
Mont
FG%
.448
.482
3FG%
.318
.250
FT%
.727
.688
RB
36
29
TO
11
6
STL
3
5
Game Leaders
Pts
26
FGM
10
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
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