Griz close out home schedule with plenty on the line in tight Big Sky race

Thursday, February 26

Missoula, Mont.

7:00 PM

Montana

Sacramento State

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Montana beat Idaho 73-68 on Robin-Selvig Court in Dahlberg Arena on Feb. 7, 2025.

Photo by: Tommy Martino/University of Montana

Griz close out home schedule with plenty on the line in tight Big Sky race

2/24/2026 2:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

By: Montana Sports Information

MONTANA (14-14, 8-7 Big Sky) vs. SACRAMENTO STATE (9-18, 5-10 Big Sky)
Thursday, Feb. 26 / 7:00 PM / Watch / Live Stats / Tickets

MONTANA vs. PORTLAND STATE (18-8, 12-3 Big Sky)
Saturday, Feb. 28 / 2:00 PM / Watch / Live Stats / Tickets

SENIOR DAY ON SATURDAY
Montana will honor two seniors prior to the opening tip on Saturday as Te'Jon Sawyer and Trae Taylor will play their final games inside Dahlberg Arena.

Sawyer is in his third season with the Grizzlies after previous stops at Cal Baptist and the City College of San Francisco. The graduate forward has overcome injury at UM to have a major impact on the floor in all three of his seasons.

He is closing in on 1,000 points in a Montana uniform, averaging 9.8 points per game as a Grizzly in his three seasons. He's also nearing his 400^th rebound at UM, needing just 8 more for the milestone.

This has been the best season of Sawyer's career with averages of 11.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He's been highly efficient this year, shooting 61.0 percent from the floor.

Saturday will be the 100^th time that Sawyer has worn a Montana jersey and his 64^th start as a Grizzly.

Trae Taylor is finishing up his lone season at Montanan as an impact reserve for the Grizzlies. A transfer from Chico State where he appeared in 89 games, Taylor has spent the last season of his collegiate career living the dream of playing Division 1 basketball.

Taylor has appeared in 23 games this year, scoring 55 points and grabbing 40 rebounds. Last year's NCAA leader in field goal percentage, Taylor has once again been an efficient scorer by shooting 63.9 percent from the floor.

PREVIEW
The Montana men's basketball team returns home for the final two games of the season inside Dahlberg Arena this week starting with a rematch against Sacramento State on Thursday. The Hornets defeated Montana 86-79 earlier this season, kickstarting a tough stretch of play for the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies have lost five of six since that day in California but will look to return to their winning ways this week to get some momentum heading into the conference tournament in Boise in two weeks.

The five-day stretch to close out February and begin March will have a big impact on just where Montana sits heading to Boise. The Grizzlies are currently tied for fifth place in the league standings with Northern Colorado but could finish anywhere from the 2-seed to the 7-seed based on the results of the final week.

Montana starts that week off looking for revenge against Sacramento State. The Hornets, in front of a sold-out crowd packed with students during their annual Greek Night, started fast and got hot offensively in the win at the end of January.

The Griz trailed by 17 at the break but fought back in the second to get within a possession going into the final minute of the game. Te'Jon Sawyer had a career day against the Hornets, scoring 31 points on 13-of-16 shooting, including a 5-of-7 day from beyond the arc, to go with 7 rebounds.

Head coach Mike Bibby and the Hornets are trying to sweep the season against the Grizzlies, something the Hornets have done just once (2016-17) in the 34-year history of the series.

Sacramento State is still searching for its first road win of the season, having lost 16 straight away from home dating back to last February. The Hornets are 0-14 on the road under Bibby.

Montana will need a strong finish to the season to maintain an impressive streak for the program. The Grizzlies have been .500 or better 17 straight seasons with their last below .500 season coming in 2007-08. They need to win two out of the last three games to guarantee a .500 or better record and keep the streak alive.

The game will tip at 7:00 p.m. inside Dahlberg Arena with Riley Corcoran on the call for the ESPN+ stream.

STATE OF THE BIG SKY
Portland State has clinched a share of the regular season title at 12-3 with just three games remaining. But behind the Vikings? It has become chaos in the last three weeks.

There are six teams within two games of each other in the win column entering the final week of play. Montana State and Eastern Washington (9-6) are tied for second. Weber State is in sole possession of fourth at 9-7. Northern Colorado and Montana are tied for fifth place at 8-7.

The Grizzlies could still finish in second place and get the extra day of rest at the Big Sky Championship in Boise. Montana could also slip to the 7-seed and have to play on Saturday in the 7-8 game.

Idaho is currently in 7^th place at 7-8. The Grizzlies have a game on Idaho, and also swept the regular season against the Vandals.

SHAKY SECOND HALF
Montana hit the midway point of league play at 7-2 and tied for second in the Big Sky standings. Since then, things haven't gone as smoothly for the Griz. They are 1-5 in the last six games, the worst six-game league stretch of Coach DeCuire's career.

The Grizzly defense has been the biggest factor in the slip. Montana averaged 76.6 points per game in the first half of the season. They are averaging 73.0 in the second half. But on defense, Montana went from holding opponents to 68.3 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting to allowing 80.5 points on 48.6 percent.

In 12 seasons under DeCuire, Montana has a .709 winning percentage in the first half of the league schedule and a .660 mark in the second half.

GRIZ NOTES

This is the final regular season Big Sky Conference matchup between the Griz and the Hornets. Sacramento State is leaving the Big Sky to join the Big West next season.
This is the first time under DeCuire that Montana has lost 5 games out of 6 in Big Sky Conference play.
Montana is on a three-game losing streak in league play for the first time since 2023. It's just the 4^th season that Montana has had a three-game losing streak under DeCuire.
The Grizzlies have lost four straight Big Sky Conference games just once under Coach DeCuire. The Griz dropped four straight in 2017 before finishing with an 11-7 mark in league play.
When scoring 10+ points in the fast break, Montana is 8-2.
The team leading at halftime is 21-5 this year. The Grizzlies are 10-2 when up at the break and 3-11 when trailing. They are 1-1 when the score is tied.
Allowed 90+ points for the fifth time this season and second time in conference play. The Griz are now 2-10 when allowing 80-or-more points, including a 1-4 record when allowing 90+.
Weber State shot 58.9 percent from the floor against Montana, the highest percentage by an opponent this season.
Montana lost when committing fewer turnovers for the first time this season last Saturday. The Grizzlies had 10 to Weber State's 11. They were previously 6-0 when committing the same or fewer turnovers than the opponent.
The Griz are 11-2 when they have a scoring run of 10-or-more.
The Griz are 13-5 when they hold a lead of 9+ points at any point during the game. All five losses have come in Big Sky play, blowing two 9-point leads to Eastern Washington and leads of 9 and 10 to Montana State. They blew a 10-point lead to Idaho State on Saturday.
Entering the first Eastern Washington game on Jan. 10, Montana was 54-3 when leading by 9 or more over the previous three seasons. Since then, they are just 5-5.
Montana's 6 losses at home are the most by the program since going 7-6 in 2007-08. That year was also the last time that Montana had a losing record, going 14-16. The last time the Grizzlies lost 7 games at home was in 2003-04.
The Grizzlies scored 19 straight points in the win over Idaho, fueling a big second half comeback. It's the longest scoring run for the Grizzlies since scoring 23 straight against Northwest Indian in the first game of the 2023-24 season.
The Grizzlies have been outshot eight times this season and are 0-8 in those games. They are 14-6 when shooting a better field goal percentage than their opponent.
They are 5-1 when making 11+ 3-pointers in a game.
The Griz are 6-1 when committing the same or fewer turnovers than their opponent. They have more turnovers in 21 of 28 games this season.
In the first half against Idaho, Montana scored a season-low 19 points. They followed it with 54 points, their 2nd highest scoring half of the season.
The Griz are 4-2 in Thursday games this season. When playing on Saturday, Montana is 4-7.
Shooting 53.2 percent in wins and just 45.5 percent in losses.
In the last two Big Sky Conference seasons, Montana has shot better than 62 percent five times. They had done so just five times total from 2003-2024.
The Griz held Idaho State to 60 points, the fewest by a D-1 opponent against Montana this year. The Bengals shot just 36.2 percent, also a season low. The Grizzlies then matched it by holding PSU to 60 points on 38.3 percent shooting.
They have held opponents under 40 percent from the field nine times this year and are 8-1 in those games.
UM has scored 90+ five times this season and has won all five games.
They have shot better than 50 percent in 11 games this year, going 8-3 when doing so.
UM is 10-4 when shooting a better percentage from 3-point range and 9-4 when making more threes than their opponent.
They have scored 50 points or more in a half nine times this season. They have done it six times vs. D-I opponents.
Coach DeCuire has 20+ wins against two Big Sky opponents. He's 20-5 against Northern Arizona and 21-3 vs. Idaho State.
Montana blew a 10-point lead at Idaho State, tied for the largest that they have given up this season. They overcame a 13-point deficit to defeat Idaho, the largest come from behind win this year.
Tyler Thompson and Kenyon Aguino are the first pair of freshmen to average at least 8.0 points per game in the same season since the trio of Josh Bannan, Robby Beasley, and Brandon Whitney did it in 2020-21.
Coach DeCuire is 148-68 (.685) in Big Sky Conference play.
The Grizzlies have scored 100+ points in three games this season. It's tied for the most 100-point games in a single season in program history. The Grizzlies also reached the century mark three times in 1965-66 and 1990-91.
Montana shot 70.5 percent from the floor against Salish Kootenai. It's the first time since 1968 that Montana has shot over 70 percent in a game, and the 8th best shooting percentage in the NCAA this year.
Montana is 0-1 in one-possession games and 4-4 in games decided by 6-or-fewer points.
Money Williams has scored 30+ points in five games this season and seven games in his career. He passed Hall of Famer Larry Krystkowiak for second in program history in both season and career 30-point games. He now trails only former NBA first round draft pick Michael Ray Richardson, who had eight 30-point games as a senior and 11 in his career.
The Griz improved to 8-2 when playing the team they faced in the Big Sky Championship game the previous year under Coach DeCuire with the win over Northern Colorado (1/3).
Montana led wire-to-wire against Northern Colorado, taking the lead 27 seconds into the game and holding it the rest of the way. It's the only time this year they've done it against a D-I team.
The 26-point win at Northern Arizona (1/19) was the largest this season against a D-I opponent.
The Griz played in seven straight games decided by single digits from Nov. 11 to Dec. 6. They have played in 18 total games decided by single digits.
Money Williams has led Montana in points, rebounds, and assists in the same game eight times this season, including the last two games.
Coach DeCuire is typically quick to pull players as they enter foul trouble. Montana's two-foul participation is just 9.7%, which is a bottom 30 mark in the country. The NCAA average is 24.5%.

SCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE (9-18, 5-10 Big Sky)

Head coach Mike Bibby is in his first season as head coach at Sacramento State. It's the first collegiate coaching job of the former NBA All Star's career, and he has a 9-18 record.
The Hornets have lost five straight games following a solid finish to January. They lost by just a single point to regular season champion Portland State but have followed that up with road losses at Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona as well as home losses to Eastern Washington and Idaho.
It has been over a full calendar year since Sacramento State won a game away from home. The Hornets are 0-14 on the road this season and have lost 16 straight games dating back to Feb. 20 of last year.
The Hornets have scored in bunches this year, but have struggled on the defensive end. They allow 83.2 points per game, which ranks 348^th in the NCAA.
They are at the complete extremes in the conference during league games. In 15 Big Sky contests, Sacramento State averages 81.8 points while allowing 86.1 points. They have the best offense and the worst defense in the league, which equates to the 8^th best scoring margin (-4.33).
A strength for the Hornets has been a major weakness for Montana. Sacramento State leads the Big Sky in turnover margin (+2.60) in league games while Montana is in last place at -2.33.
Prophet Johnson has been one of the best individual players in the Big Sky this season. He's tied with Money Williams for 2^nd on the scoring chart in league play at 20.5 points per game.
Johnson is also 5^th in the league in rebounding (6.7), 7^th in assists (3.9) and leads the league in steals (2.8 per game) during Big Sky Conference games. He averages 37.3 minutes per game during league play.
Mikey Williams has been an elite scorer for Coach Bibby this season, averaging 17.1 points per game. Williams also averages 4.5 assists per game this season, most on the team and 4^th most in the Big Sky.
Freshman Mark Lavrenov has put together an impressive first season of college basketball. Lavrenov averages 10.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He's 3^rd in the Big Sky in rebounding.
Shaqir O'Neal, son of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, has started every game this season for the Hornets. He's averaging 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE HORNETS
Montana leads the all-time series against Sacramento State 52-13. The Grizzlies are 28-3 all-time in Missoula against the Hornets. This will be the last regular season meeting, and perhaps final ever meeting, between the two as Big Sky opponents.

The Grizzlies had won five straight in the series prior to the loss on Jan. 31. At home, Montana has won three straight with the last loss coming in 2023.

SCOUTING PORTLAND STATE (18-8, 12-3 Big Sky)

The Vikings have clinched a share of the Big Sky Regular Season title with three games still to play. They will win it outright with another victory or a loss by Montana State or Eastern Washington.
It's the first Big Sky title for the Vikings since 2008 and third regular season title in program history.
Head coach Jase Coburn is 80-72 in his five years at Portland State.
Portland State has won 12 of its last 15 games, but is coming off its second home loss of the last two Big Sky seasons on Saturday. The Vikings fell 67-55 to Eastern Washington.
The Vikings have the top defense in the league, allowing just 68.9 points per game. They are holding opponents to just 40.5 percent shooting from the floor. They rank 8^th in the league in scoring at 74.4 points per game.
They are second in Big Sky play in both blocked shots (3.8 per game) and steals (7.2 per game). The Vikings are also 2^nd in the league in rebounding with a +3.53 margin.
Terri Miller Jr. averages 20.2 points per game in league play to lead the Vikings. He ranks 4^th in the league in scoring and is also 14^th in rebounding (5.2 per game), and 9^th in assists (3.6 per game).
Jaylin Henderson is 6^th in the Big Sky in scoring during league play at 18.3 points per game. Henderson is also 2^nd in the league in assists, averaging 5.7 per game. Henderson plays more minutes than any other Big Sky player at 38.8 per game.
Tre-Vaughn Minott leads the Big Sky Conference in rebounding, averaging 9.5 per game. Minott has the league lead in both offensive rebounds (55) and defensive (88) during Big Sky games. He's also 2^nd in the conference in blocks at 1.40 per game.
Keyon Kensie Jr. was the Big Sky Player of the Week on Feb. 10. It's the 4^th time this season that Portland State has brought home the weekly honor. The transfer from San Diego averages 11.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE VIKINGS
Montana leads the all-time series 47-29 over Portland State, including a 64-60 win over the Vikings in Portland earlier this season. The Grizzlies are 28-6 all-time at home in the series and have won four straight.

The Vikings haven't won in Missoula since 2019. The teams played in Portland during the COVID season and Portland State didn't come to Missoula in 2023 because of inclement weather.

The Griz have won four of the last five and seven of the previous nine meetings against the Vikings. DeCuire is 15-6 against the Vikings overall and 7-1 at home vs. PSU.