Bench comes up big in 87-77 win over Bobcats

Saturday, January 20

Bozeman, Mont.

7 PM

Montana

12-6,3-2Big Sky

Montana State

8-10,3-2Big Sky

Montana

Montana St.

Photo by: Tommy Martino

1/20/2024 10:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

Montana's bench swung the game in the first half and a red-hot offense protected the lead down the stretch for a big 88-77 rivalry win on the road in Bozeman. The Griz shot over 60 percent from the field for their first win in Bozeman since 2020.

The Grizzlies (12-6, 3-2 Big Sky) made 33-of-52 shots (.615) from the field for the best shooting night for Montana since a 2021 Big Sky Tournament win against Weber State. The offense couldn't be stopped in the second half as the Grizzlies made 19-of-29 field goals and 75 percent of their three-point attempts.

A pair of Grizzly reserves proved to be the difference maker as Montana had a 33-2 advantage in bench points. Jaxon Nap scored a team and career-high 17 points and Te'Jon Sawyer provided 16 to turn the tide in the game.

Head coach Travis DeCuire improves to 13-4 in the rivalry game and 6-3 in Bozeman. Montana scored at least 80 points for the fifth straight game as the offense continues to score at historic levels. It's the most points in the rivalry game since scoring 89 in a 2019 win.

"We shared the ball and one of the things about our time right now, I think the biggest reason we're scoring the way that we are is just our selflessness," DeCuire said. "Not a lot of bad shots being taken and guys are willing to work to get the best shot we can get. We've got a lot of guys that can put the ball in the basket, so if we're consistent on the defensive side of the ball we're hard to beat."

Hear from tonight's hero @JaxonNap after his career high 17 points. #BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/nlYq27uIi0
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 21, 2024

The bench played big, but the starters provided plenty of scoring as well. In the second half a pair of seniors came up clutch. Aanen Moody had 14 points in the second half and Josh Vazquez added 11 to help close them out. They ended the game with 16 and 14, respectively.

Brandon Whitney had a great all-around game with 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists. The Grizzlies had five different players score in double figures for the fourth time this season.

The Cats jumped ahead early behind a red-hot offense out of the gates. Montana State went over four minutes without a miss to open the game and had an early 16-8 advantage. Brandon Walker played a big role, and his eighth points of the night made it 18-12 for the hosts early.

But Montana staged a rally from that point that turned the game around for good. The Griz made seven consecutive shots during a stretch that included a 14-0 run to flip a Cat lead to a 26-18 Grizzly advantage.

The major factor in the run was the play of Jaxon Nap off the bench. The sophomore had half of Montana's points during the run, which already gave him a season high total against D1 opponents. He made a floater with his off-hand, knocked down a triple, and got to the line during the stretch.

𝔾ℝ𝕀ℤ 𝔸ℝ𝔼 ℍ𝕆𝕋 🔥🔥🔥@Bwhit_10 runs the floor and finds @JaxonNap for the transition triple to make it a 10-0 Montana run!#BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/hzBC1ZUrxn
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 21, 2024

The rowdy crowd inside Worthington Arena were quieted by the sophomore's performance.

"These are times that as little kids you pray for and you look forward to and this is where I dreamed of being," Nap said. "I didn't even know if I was going to be a college basketball player and then getting to this point and being able to play in front of this opposing crowd and to be able to put on for Griz nation, I don't even know what to say."

He ended the opening half with 11 points and Montana took a 38-36 advantage into the break after a Bobcat buzzer beater ended the opening period. The two offenses were trading blows as MSU shot 59 percent and Montana 57 percent in the opening 20 minutes.

The Grizzlies entered the game 9-1 with a halftime lead and would improve upon that impressive number with a lights-out 49-point performance in the second half.

Montana State cut the lead to one a few minutes into the half, but Moody stepped up with a triple to push the lead back out. Vazquez made a layup with 16:05 to play that started a cascade of Grizzly makes. Montana would connect on seven straight shots, ending with a jumper from Sawyer that made it 58-50.

The Griz would then miss three straight shots, but leaned on a defense that held Montana State three minutes without a made field goal and didn't lose any ground. It allowed them to blow the game open once the shots started falling again.

Moody hit a three to extend the lead to nine, Nap drove for a layup on the next drive, and Moody hit another the next time down to extend the lead to 66-55 and force a Bobcat timeout.

The Griz came out of the timeout and Moody hit on a contested jumper. Montana State answered, but Vazquez faked a hand-off to Moody and cut for another score as the Grizzlies kept the hot hand. When Moody hit a corner three the next time down, it made it six makes in six possessions and opened up a 73-61 lead.

Fun to cheer for @AJMoody9 isn't it? 📣📣

He has 11 of the last 15 for Montana, including three triples, to put us up by a dozen.#BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/jMhiHJMDK8
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 21, 2024

Moody had 11 just in that run alone as the senior picked up his first win in the rivalry game.

"We had a hard time getting in flow in the first half," DeCuire said. "In the second half, I thought we did a better job of getting in transition. We established the post with Te'Jon, and that was big. Once we did that, it loosened them up a little bit and we were able to run some offense and it created some balance."

The Bobcats would get back within seven in the closing minutes, but Nap provided the dagger with a wing three that made it 82-71 with 1:25 to play.

"That was probably one of the best feelings I've ever had in basketball in that moment running back on defense," Nap said. "Losing here last year hurt a lot, so coming here and being able to get this win meant a lot."

𝘿𝘼𝙂𝙂𝙀𝙍 @JaxonNap #BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/4mxlm4cLdD
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) January 21, 2024

Nap shot 4-for-5 from the floor and 2-of-3 from the arc in the performance. He also attacked the rim, generating eight free throws and making seven of them. He had been playing a limited role at the end of the non-conference season, but injuries opened up playing time for Nap.

He has stepped up in the last three games, playing at least 15 minutes in all of them. Saturday night was a career night for the sophomore.

"I don't think he's ever had an issue with confidence. I think he's always felt he's a good player," DeCuire said. "I think as a freshman and sophomore early you try to find your way. You want to be aggressive, but you want to do what the coaches ask. There are other guys that we're going to first, so you have to find a way to be aggressive but part of the chemistry at the same time."

The Grizzlies made 9-of-14 three-point attempts, including 6-of-8 in the second half. They outrebounded the Bobcats 26-21 and had an 18-12 advantage in fast break points. Montana State is a top 50 team in the country in steals per game, but Montana held them well under their season average with seven and allowed just 16 points off turnovers.

They also limited another Bobcat strength with their three-point defense. Montana State averages over nine made threes per game, which is also a top 50 mark in the country. The Grizzlies held them to just five makes from the arc.

Gallery: (1-20-2024) MBB: Montana vs Montana State

Dischon Thomas had seven points and now needs just two more to reach 1,000 in his career.

Montana return home for a Monday night matchup with Weber State. The preseason Big Sky favorites knocked off Montana by 30 in the first meeting between the two schools and also the first game following Money Williams' injury.

Since then, Montana are 5-1 and playing their best offense of the year. The Grizzlies have had a double-digit lead in six straight games and 11 of the last 12.

"We've got to stay desperate. Desperate has been on that board now for about a month and a half," DeCuire said. "We should be a little upset going into that game. We weren't ourselves that night, and they were incredible. A lot of what we didn't do they had a lot to do with so I won't take anything away from their performance, but we can be a better basketball team than we were."