Thursday, January 11
Missoula, Mont.
7 PM
Montana
10-6,1-2Big Sky
92
vs
98
Northern Colorado
9-6,2-0Big Sky
1
2
OT 1
F
Northern Colo.
45
37
16
98
Montana
46
36
10
92
Photo by: Tanner Ecker
Bears rally past Griz for overtime win
1/11/2024 10:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The game between Montana and Northern Colorado was billed as a potential shootout between a couple of high-powered offenses, and it lived up to the hype in an overtime thriller on Thursday night in Dahlberg Arena. The Bears rallied late to force overtime where they would win 98-92 to stay undefeated in Big Sky play.
Montana scored 90-plus points for the fourth time this season and did it shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from deep. But they didn't have an answer on the other end for Northern Colorado and their star Saint Thomas, who finished with 37 points and 14 rebounds.
"It wasn't necessarily an execution issue for us tonight. We've got to get stops," head coach Travis DeCuire said. "You can't give up 51 percent and have 14 turnovers. We got down the stretch… and we tried to force the issue. I thought there were some guys open and we could have passed it out of the paint to get some higher percentage shots to hold on to that 10-point lead, and turnovers down the stretch killed us."
The Grizzlies had five players in double-figures for just the third time this season, led by Brandon Whitney's 24 points. Dischon Thomas recorded his fourth straight double-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and Josh Vazquez had 16 points and eight rebounds.
Vazquez also set a record by playing in his 135th career game as a Grizzly. It's the most appearances in a Montana uniform in program history, moving past Bobby Moorehead and Mack Anderson for the top spot.
Gallery: (1-11-2024) MBB: Northern Colorado (1.11.23)
The Grizzlies also got a big performance off the bench from Te'Jon Sawyer. He scored 15 points and had five rebounds before fouling out late. Aanen Moody was held scoreless in the first half but erupted for 10 quick points in the second half to help Montana build a lead.
"We have good balance," DeCuire said of his team's offense. "A lot of threats, and they were face-guarding Moody in the first half so we tried to use him in some screening to get some things for some other guys which is how we were able to get the ball in the post so easily."
They led by 10 with just under five minutes to play, but Northern Colorado finished the half on a 14-4 run to force overtime. The visitors scored the first four points of the extra period to take the lead for good.
The Grizzlies had won 20 straight games when scoring at least 90 points. The last loss came on Dec. 10, 2014 in a 110-99 game against Davidson in DeCuire's first year.
The closest game that Montana had played in up to this point in the season was an eight-point win at Idaho State. The Griz had played in just two games decided by single digits and had just two games that featured second half lead changes.
This one wouldn't follow a similar script. The two offenses traded blow after blow in a fast-paced opening half. Thomas scored UNC's first 10 points of the game to give them an early lead, but Dischon Thomas connected on a four-point play to give Montana a 19-18 advantage.
They traded baskets all the way to the end, when Northern Colorado hit a shot with one second remaining to make it 46-45 Montana at the break. The lead didn't grow larger than three points for either team through the first 20 minutes.
"We were just trying to get stops. We had two stretches in the first half where we got stops but we turned the ball over and we missed layups," DeCuire said. "I felt we could have had a 10-point lead in the first half if we just get a shot when we stopped."
Montana had just four players score in the first half, and 31 of the points came from the duo of Whitney and Thomas. Montana's 46 points were a season-high against D1 opposition.
Moody didn't have a point in the first half, but put Montana on the board to start the second. He hit on a pair of deep jumpers before knocking down a three that put Montana ahead 52-51. He scored seven of the first nine in the half for Montana.
"The second half they played (Moody) more honest and he was able to spring himself open," DeCuire said. "We got some pretty good actions that we ran off the end line to him and got him some pretty good shots. You know him, once he makes one the hoop gets big."
Northern Colorado scored six straight points, the longest run in the game up to that point, to take a 61-58 lead with 12:42 remaining. Montana then answered with eight straight of their own, including back-to-back threes from Whitney and Vazquez.
The 66-61 Griz lead was the first time in the opening 28 minutes that either team led by more than one possession. Montana would gradually start to edge ahead, extending the lead slowly over the next five minutes as they held Northern Colorado to just one made field goal over nearly six minutes of game time.
Jaxon Nap played a big role in that. After playing zero first half minutes, Nap entered and took on Saint Thomas as the primary defender. The sophomore did an outstanding job to slow him down on the defensive end, but it was a play on offense that got Dahlberg Arena on its feet.
Nap hit a three with just under five minutes to play that put Montana ahead 78-68. The Grizzlies would attempt just five shots the rest of the way, including two in the final four seconds, as turnovers allowed Northern Colorado to climb back into the game.
The Griz finished the night with 14 turnovers. They led to 22 points for Northern Colorado. The Bears also killed Montana on the offensive glass, where they grabbed a dozen rebounds and turned it into a 16-3 advantage in second-chance points.
The Grizzlies went into overtime for the first time since Jan. 5, 2023 at Northern Arizona. In the first close game of the season, Montana found themselves looking for answers on the offensive end. They would make just three of their final 11 shots, while Northern Colorado closed the game with six makes out of seven to seal the win.
"I don't know how much confidence we had in that situation," DeCuire said of overtime. "I think the guys were down because we blew the lead, and going into the timeouts before the jump ball it's more trying to give guys some confidence and give them some belief that you were good enough to get up 10, let's do it again in these last minutes."
Montana gets a chance to return to the winning column on Saturday against Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks are 7-9 overall and 0-2 in Big Sky play after a 79-50 loss to Montana State on Thursday night.
Montana scored 90-plus points for the fourth time this season and did it shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from deep. But they didn't have an answer on the other end for Northern Colorado and their star Saint Thomas, who finished with 37 points and 14 rebounds.
"It wasn't necessarily an execution issue for us tonight. We've got to get stops," head coach Travis DeCuire said. "You can't give up 51 percent and have 14 turnovers. We got down the stretch… and we tried to force the issue. I thought there were some guys open and we could have passed it out of the paint to get some higher percentage shots to hold on to that 10-point lead, and turnovers down the stretch killed us."
The Grizzlies had five players in double-figures for just the third time this season, led by Brandon Whitney's 24 points. Dischon Thomas recorded his fourth straight double-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and Josh Vazquez had 16 points and eight rebounds.
Vazquez also set a record by playing in his 135th career game as a Grizzly. It's the most appearances in a Montana uniform in program history, moving past Bobby Moorehead and Mack Anderson for the top spot.
The Grizzlies also got a big performance off the bench from Te'Jon Sawyer. He scored 15 points and had five rebounds before fouling out late. Aanen Moody was held scoreless in the first half but erupted for 10 quick points in the second half to help Montana build a lead.
"We have good balance," DeCuire said of his team's offense. "A lot of threats, and they were face-guarding Moody in the first half so we tried to use him in some screening to get some things for some other guys which is how we were able to get the ball in the post so easily."
They led by 10 with just under five minutes to play, but Northern Colorado finished the half on a 14-4 run to force overtime. The visitors scored the first four points of the extra period to take the lead for good.
The Grizzlies had won 20 straight games when scoring at least 90 points. The last loss came on Dec. 10, 2014 in a 110-99 game against Davidson in DeCuire's first year.
The closest game that Montana had played in up to this point in the season was an eight-point win at Idaho State. The Griz had played in just two games decided by single digits and had just two games that featured second half lead changes.
This one wouldn't follow a similar script. The two offenses traded blow after blow in a fast-paced opening half. Thomas scored UNC's first 10 points of the game to give them an early lead, but Dischon Thomas connected on a four-point play to give Montana a 19-18 advantage.
𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹-𝑷𝑶𝑰𝑵𝑻 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀 x @dischonthomas #BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/PTig8nQGRB
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 12, 2024
They traded baskets all the way to the end, when Northern Colorado hit a shot with one second remaining to make it 46-45 Montana at the break. The lead didn't grow larger than three points for either team through the first 20 minutes.
"We were just trying to get stops. We had two stretches in the first half where we got stops but we turned the ball over and we missed layups," DeCuire said. "I felt we could have had a 10-point lead in the first half if we just get a shot when we stopped."
Montana had just four players score in the first half, and 31 of the points came from the duo of Whitney and Thomas. Montana's 46 points were a season-high against D1 opposition.
Moody didn't have a point in the first half, but put Montana on the board to start the second. He hit on a pair of deep jumpers before knocking down a three that put Montana ahead 52-51. He scored seven of the first nine in the half for Montana.
"The second half they played (Moody) more honest and he was able to spring himself open," DeCuire said. "We got some pretty good actions that we ran off the end line to him and got him some pretty good shots. You know him, once he makes one the hoop gets big."
𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒈 💥#BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz x @AJMoody9 pic.twitter.com/stIP0KmAri
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 12, 2024
Northern Colorado scored six straight points, the longest run in the game up to that point, to take a 61-58 lead with 12:42 remaining. Montana then answered with eight straight of their own, including back-to-back threes from Whitney and Vazquez.
The 66-61 Griz lead was the first time in the opening 28 minutes that either team led by more than one possession. Montana would gradually start to edge ahead, extending the lead slowly over the next five minutes as they held Northern Colorado to just one made field goal over nearly six minutes of game time.
Jaxon Nap played a big role in that. After playing zero first half minutes, Nap entered and took on Saint Thomas as the primary defender. The sophomore did an outstanding job to slow him down on the defensive end, but it was a play on offense that got Dahlberg Arena on its feet.
Nap hit a three with just under five minutes to play that put Montana ahead 78-68. The Grizzlies would attempt just five shots the rest of the way, including two in the final four seconds, as turnovers allowed Northern Colorado to climb back into the game.
How about this second half from @JaxonNap!!?? He's been playing lock down defense on one end and now delivers a huge triple for the first double-digit lead of the game!#BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/lC3zf02GyE
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 12, 2024
The Griz finished the night with 14 turnovers. They led to 22 points for Northern Colorado. The Bears also killed Montana on the offensive glass, where they grabbed a dozen rebounds and turned it into a 16-3 advantage in second-chance points.
The Grizzlies went into overtime for the first time since Jan. 5, 2023 at Northern Arizona. In the first close game of the season, Montana found themselves looking for answers on the offensive end. They would make just three of their final 11 shots, while Northern Colorado closed the game with six makes out of seven to seal the win.
"I don't know how much confidence we had in that situation," DeCuire said of overtime. "I think the guys were down because we blew the lead, and going into the timeouts before the jump ball it's more trying to give guys some confidence and give them some belief that you were good enough to get up 10, let's do it again in these last minutes."
Montana gets a chance to return to the winning column on Saturday against Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks are 7-9 overall and 0-2 in Big Sky play after a 79-50 loss to Montana State on Thursday night.
Team Stats
UNC
Mont
FG%
.507
.471
3FG%
.333
.429
FT%
.739
.933
RB
40
39
TO
6
14
STL
8
2
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
24
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
22
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
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