Griz remain home for two, celebrate Senior Day on Saturday

MONTANA VS. SACRAMENTO STATE
Thursday, Feb. 22 / 7:00 p.m. / Watch / Live Stats / Tickets

MONTANA VS. PORTLAND STATE
Saturday, Feb. 24 / 7:00 p.m. / Watch / Live Stats / Tickets

Fresh off a blowout win in the Brawl of the Wild, the Montana men's basketball team remains at home this week for a pair of games against Sacramento State and Portland State. The Grizzlies improved to 10-3 at home with the win over Montana State and will look to make a final push up the Big Sky standings with five games remaining in the regular season.

Montana will also honor its seniors prior to Saturday's game with five players honored in a pregame ceremony.

The Grizzlies (17-9, 8-5 Big Sky) are currently in fourth place in the league, but host three of the final five games. They will play four teams below them in the league standings and league leaders Eastern Washington are the only team left on the Grizzly schedule that are above .500 in conference play.

Montana bounced back from a loss two weeks ago to second-place Northern Colorado with a resounding victory in their only action of the week against Montana State. The Griz got hot from three-point range, knocking down 13 threes on 43.3 percent shooting to blow out the Cats.

Aanen Moody put up 29 points, Dischon Thomas and Laolu Oke each recorded a double-double, and Brandon Whitney and Josh Vazquez had incredibly solid performances as the senior starters led the way in the rivalry.

It's those five players, Montana's starting lineup for much of the season, that will be honored prior to Saturday's contest. The group's total numbers are astonishing when combined together. 681 appearances. 380 starts. 5,583 points, 2,348 rebounds, and 927 assists.

The paths taken to Saturday are very different, but for this five to come together in Missoula for one last season has been memorable.

They picked up win No. 17 on the year, matching last year's win total with plenty of games remaining. They will aim for a weekend sweep to reach 19 wins, a mark they haven't hit since the 2018-19 Big Sky Championship season.

In order to do so, Montana will need to complete the season sweep over last place Sacramento State. The Hornets battled the Grizzlies in the first meeting and led for much of the game before Montana overcame an eight-point deficit. They scored the final 10 points of the game in a 70-67 win.

Brandon Whitney led Montana with 17 points and six assists in the win. Sacramento State will enter Thursday night on a 10-game losing streak.

After that, Montana will look to get some revenge on Portland State. The Vikings got hot from three-point range early and used a high-intensity defense to completely take the Grizzlies out of the game in the first meeting. They won 72-46 as Montana scored its fewest points in a Big Sky game under DeCuire.

They get the Vikings in Missoula for just the third time since 2019 as COVID canceled a pair and bad weather caused Portland State to miss last year's meeting in Missoula. The Grizzlies have won the last two at Dahlberg Arena and are 26-6 at home against the Vikings in the all-time series.

The Grizzlies will need every win they can get in the homestretch of the season. Eastern Washington, despite a loss to Weber State last week, still sit two games clear of the rest of the league in first place. Northern Colorado has a game on Montana and swept the season series, and Weber State are in third place at 9-5 and currently riding a six-game winning streak.

The Wildcats and Bears both own tiebreakers over Montana, so in order for the Grizzlies to get the two-seed and an extra day of rest at the Big Sky Championship they would need to leap past both teams in the league standings. The good news for Montana is the two teams ahead of them still have to play each other.

But it starts internally with Montana and taking care of business at home this week. The Hornets and Vikings play drastically different styles of basketball. Sacramento State is one of the best rebounding teams in the country, ranking 2^nd in the NCAA by allowing opponents to get just 28.6 rebounds per game.

They rely on a slower pace and a strong defense, but struggle to score points. They rank 329^th in scoring with 65.8 points per game.

Portland State, meanwhile, play at a much faster tempo and thrive on the turnover game. They rank 71^st in the country in turnover margin (1.9), taking care of the ball well and getting nearly seven steals a game. It's those turnovers that help fuel their offense.

Montana will need to be strong in all categories to get a pair of victories at home. They have five games in 12 days to close out the regular season, and how they finish will determine when they begin their postseason in Boise in a few weeks.

SENIOR CELEBRATION
Montana will honor five seniors before the game on Saturday. Aanen Moody, Laolu Oke, Dischon Thomas, Josh Vazquez, and Brandon Whitney will all walk with family members prior to the game for one of their final appearances on Robin Selvig Court.

All five players in the group have played over 100 career games, and they have 380 starts combined between them. The unit has also been Montana's primary starting lineup this year, going 7-5 in their 12 starts together.

Moody transferred from Southern Utah after starting his career at North Dakota, and last weekend reached the 1,500-point mark in his career. The all-time leading scorer in North Dakota high school history has been a high-impact player in his two seasons at Montana with 843 points as a Grizzly.

Oke came to Montana by way of MSU-Denver, a D-II school where he played three seasons at a very high level. He's got 902 career rebounds and 878 points in his five years of college hoops, and is Montana's lone captain this season in just his second year in Missoula.

Thomas played three years at Colorado State before closing out his college career with Montana. He recently reached 1,000 career points and will play in his 150^th collegiate game on Saturday. Thomas also has 541 rebounds and is a career 40.2 percent three-point shooter with 142 career makes.

Vazquez has played all five of his years at Montana and will leave Missoula as the program's all-time leader in both appearances and free throw percentage. He has played in 145 games, scoring 876 points on high efficiency shooting. He's made 145 of his 161 career free throw attempts to set the program mark at 90.1 percent.

Whitney is in his fourth season (with an option for a fifth) in Missoula and is already entering the school's all-time ranks in multiple categories. He's 20^th in scoring with 1,198 points and 13^th in assists with 319. Whitney is one of just eight players with at least 1,000 points/250 rebounds/250 assists, and is one of only three Grizzlies to average 10.0-plus points per game in four different seasons.

RIVALRY SWEEP
Montana swept Montana State for the sixth time under head coach Travis DeCuire last weekend. They have played nine season series against each other in his 10 seasons with the 2020-21 Brawl of the Wild canceled due to COVID-19.

DeCuire is now 14-4 against the rivals, which matches his former head coach Blaine Taylor for the best winning percentage by a Grizzly coach in the series' history. Since 2010, Montana has swept Montana State 10 times.

The 19-point win is the second largest in the series under DeCuire. The Grizzlies won 90-63 in 2018. DeCuire now has seven wins over MSU by double figures, compared to just four losses, all by single digits.

A season sweep, a 1,500-point scorer, two double-doubles, and a blowout win. The 307th Brawl of the Wild was all 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐀.#BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/7t4kN0lIvj
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) February 20, 2024

DOUBLE-DOUBLE (X2)
Dischon Thomas and Laolu Oke both recorded double-doubles in the win over Montana State. Thomas scored 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including three makes from beyond the arc. He added 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season.

Laolu Oke was a force on the glass, pulling down eight offensive rebounds on his way to a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double. It's his fourth double-double this season, and first since Dec. 17 at San Jose State.

Oke and Thomas become the first Griz teammates to record a double-double in the same game since Jamar Akoh and Michael Oguine did it in 2018. Akoh had 21/12 and Oguine had 14/10 in a home win over Portland State on Feb. 8, 2018.

STORY FROM THE STRIPE
Montana has been historically good at the free throw line over the previous four seasons. They have set a new school record for single season free throw percentage in three straight seasons and have the possibility to do it for a fourth time this season.

They are converting 79.1 percent of their free throws this year, which would be a record. They shot 78.2 percent in 2020-21, improved to 78.5 percent in 2021-22, and set the current record last season at 78.8 percent.

The Grizzlies are second in the NCAA over the four-year stretch with a combined 78.6 percent success rate at the free throw line. They trail only national powerhouse Villanova. The Wildcats have made 81.0 percent of their free throw attempts since 2020.

It's been a strength of Montana's since DeCuire arrived in 2014-15. In the previous 10 seasons, Montana has made 73.9 percent of its free throw attempts.

The Grizzlies have made over 80 percent of their free throw attempts in four straight games. They have 63 games of 80 percent shooting or better over the previous four seasons, which is also second to Villanova (71).

SCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE (6-21, 2-12 Big Sky)

The Hornets enter Thursday's contest on a 10-game losing streak. Their last win came on Jan. 13 over Idaho State at home, and came on a week in which they also defeated Weber State. They are the only two Big Sky wins for the Hornets, who have been swept in the other six weeks of league play.
Sacramento State is just 1-12 in road games and 1-14 overall in games played away from home. The only win outside of The Nest came on Nov. 26 at UC Davis, a game they won 69-63.
The Hornets scored 75 points in a five-point loss to Northern Colorado last Saturday. Prior to that, they had been held under 60 points in five straight games. In conference play, they average just 60.2 points per game.
Sacramento State is last in the Big Sky in both the KenPom (331) and NET Rankings (333).
They slow the game down significantly with an average possession length of 19.8 seconds, according to KenPom.com. The figure ranks 354^th in the NCAA out of 362 qualified schools.
Duncan Powell leads Sacramento State in scoring with 12.8 points per game. He's also the team's top rebounder with 7.4 per contest. Powell has 57 assists, which also leads the team as he does a bit of everything for the Hornets.
Zee Hamoda is the only other player averaging double figures scoring at 11.5 points per game. He's made a team-high 49 threes and leads the team with 33 steals.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE HORNETS
Montana leads the all-time series against Sacramento State 49-12. The Grizzlies are a remarkable 26-3 in games played in Missoula, although they did lose 72-71 at home in 2022. DeCuire is 13-7 against Sacramento State. He started 2-4 in the first three years, but has won 11 of 14 since then.

SCOUTING PORTLAND STATE (16-11, 7-7 Big Sky)

The Vikings enter the week on a two-game winning streak after dispatching Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona at home last weekend. The successful weekend snapped a three-game losing streak for the Vikings.
They handed Northern Colorado just their fourth loss of Big Sky play last Thursday, holding Saint Thomas to just 14 points on 5-of-22 shooting with six turnovers. Bobby Harvey led the Vikings with 26 points behind six made threes in the win. They led for 42:02 of the 45 minutes.
They led wire-to-wire in an 83-68 win over Northern Arizona on Saturday. KJ Allen had 27 points and nine rebounds as five different Vikings were in double figures.
Portland State has been a different team at home and on the road. They are 6-2 in Big Sky play at home and 10-2 on the year inside Viking Pavilion. On the road, Portland State is 5-8 on the season and 1-5 in conference play. They have lost five straight away from home.
They are second in the Big Sky with 6.9 steals per game, and used a full-court pressure defense for 40 minutes in the win in Portland.
The bench is a key factor for one of the deepest teams in the league. The Vikings' reserves average nearly 27 points per game, which is 39^th best in the NCAA.
KJ Allen leads the Vikings in scoring with 12.3 points per game. He's the only Viking to average double figures this year, but they have four players averaging between 8-10 points per game in a balanced offensive unit.
Hayden Kurtis is second in the Big Sky and 71^st in the country with 41 blocks on the season.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE VIKINGS
Montana leads the all-time series 43-28 over Portland State. The Vikings won the first meeting this year 72-46 to make it an even split of the previous 10 meetings. They have played six of the previous seven meetings in Portland, however, as both games were away during the COVID year and the game in Missoula last year was canceled.

DeCuire is 11-6 vs. the Vikings, and is 5-1 in Missoula against them.

UP NEXT
Montana closes out the season with three games five days. They start with a road trip to league leaders Eastern Washington (2/29) and Idaho (3/2) before closing out the season at home against Idaho State (3/4).

The Grizzlies haven't clinched a bye yet, but appear on their way to a top-six seed and first round bye at the Big Sky Tournament. The top six all get byes, while the top two earn the advantage of an extra day of rest in Boise.

Griz Notes

Montana still has not lost consecutive games in Big Sky play. They have rebounded from every loss with a victory in the next game, and haven't lost two straight since November against No. 6 Houston and Nevada.
The Grizzlies will play three of the final five games this season at home. They are 10-3 on Robin Selvig Court so far this season. They have won at least 10 home games in 13 of the previous 16 seasons, but snaps a streak of back-to-back years with single digit home wins.
Montana doesn't have a player in the top eight in the league in scoring in conference play. Aanen Moody is 9^th with 15.1 points, Dischon Thomas is 11^th at 14.5 points, and Brandon Whitney is 15^th with 13.5 points.
Montana has matched last season's win total with 17 victories. They haven't won more than 18 games in a season since the NCAA Tournament team in 2018-19 won 26 total games.
The Grizzlies have scored 90 points in a game six times this season, which is tied for 23rd in the NCAA.
This is the first time since the 1994-95 season that Montana has had six 90-point games in the same season. The Grizzlies have never had seven games of at least 90 points in a single season.
The Grizzlies are 17-2 when scoring at least 70 points in a game this year. Both losses have come against Northern Colorado, which has the best scoring offense in the Big Sky.
The Grizzlies are 16-0 when shooting the same or better than their opponent, and 1-9 when shooting worse.
The Grizzlies have shot better than 50 percent 12 times this year, and they have won every game in which they have done so. They are tied for 16^th in the country with 12 games of at least 50 percent shooting.
It's been boom-or-bust for Montana, however, as they have been held under 40 percent seven times and are winless in those contests. The Griz are 5-2 when shooting in the 40 percent range.
When the opponent is held under 45 percent from the floor, the Grizzlies are 10-2.
Montana has shot better than 50 percent in eight of the last 14 games overall.
Montana's 24 assists vs. NAU (2/8) were the most since the Grizzlies recorded 27 in a win over Sacramento State on Feb. 14, 2008. They were spreading the love that day, and Ceylon Elgin-Taylor dished out 10 assists to lead the way.
The Grizzlies are 13-1 when leading at the half with the only loss coming at home in overtime to Northern Colorado.
They have been trailing at the half in five of the last seven games, and are 4-3 in that stretch.
The Grizzlies are 15-3 when recording more assists than their opponent. They are also 14-2 when outrebounding their opponent.
Uni-watch: The Griz are 9-1 in the home whites this season. They have worn alternate uniforms at home three times, and are 1-2 when doing so after picking up a win in the maroon jerseys against Montana State.
The Grizzlies are 10-2 when they finish with fewer turnovers than their opponent, and are 14-3 when forcing at least 10 turnovers in a game.
Montana is 8-2 in games played on Saturdays this year. They are 2-4 in Thursday games.
Montana has used six different starting lineups this year. The current rotation is the most-used lineup and has a 7-5 record.
The top eight players in Montana's rotation have all had at least one game with 17 points this season.
Montana overcame a 12-point deficit vs. Idaho (2/1), the largest comeback win of the season for the Griz.
The three-point line has been crucial to wins this year. Montana is 14-1 when finishing with a higher three-point field goal percentage and 13-3 when making more threes than their opponent.
Montana has had a different leading scorer seven times this year. Moody has led Montana 10 times, including the last three games, and Whitney has done so seven times.
The team that reaches 70 points first is 25-1 in Montana's 26 games this year. The team that enters the break with the advantage is 20-4 overall as there has not been a lot of drama down the stretch in games this year.
The bench has scored 30-plus in five games this season. They matched a season-low with just five points last Saturday as the starters combined for 83 points in the win over Montana State.
Montana have scored at least 26 paint points in six straight games.
The Grizzlies have shot at least 80 percent as a team from the free throw line in 14 games this season. Only Iowa and Virginia Tech have done it more often, as they each have 15 games at the mark.
At 17-9, Montana currently have the third-best winning percentage of DeCuire's 10 seasons. He's looking for his fifth 20-win season as a head coach. The 2017-28 team (26-8, .765) and 2018-19 team (26-9, .743) are the only teams with better winning percentages. They both reached the NCAA Tournament.

Griz remain home for two, celebrate Senior Day on Saturday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aanen Moody

Laolu Oke

Dischon Thomas

Josh Vazquez

Brandon Whitney

University of Montana Athletics

Griz remain home for two, celebrate Senior Day on Saturday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aanen Moody

Laolu Oke

Dischon Thomas

Josh Vazquez

Brandon Whitney

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