grizzlyjournal

Lady Griz embark on quest for third-straight Big Sky Title

The Montana Lady Griz embark on a quest for their third-straight Big Sky Conference championship in a semifinal clash against the Portland State Vikings, the only conference team to sweep Montana in league play this year.

The Vikings, who were my pick to win the Big Sky this year, present a distinct challenge for Montana's zone defense – due in part to the ability of all-conference point guard Claire Faucher to penetrate on a dribble-enter and then to kick out to the Viks' talented three-point shooters.

The Lady Griz were expected to rebuild this season after the loss of seniors Mandy Morales, Sonja Rogers and Britney Lohman. But – bouyed by the stellar play of freshman center Katie Baker – Montana became an early challenger... until Baker went down with a season-ending injury in the Lady Griz' first game against Eastern Washington, a last-minute loss.

But Montana coach Robin Selvig and his staff have – as they do every season – molded this diverse Lady Griz team into an unexpected contender. That's no surprise to Montana fans, who have become accustomed to watching Lady Griz teams get steadily better... game, by game.

PHOTOS: (Top) Montana guards Lauren Beck and (bottom) Shaunte Nance Johnson from Montana's last meeting against the Vikings, played earlier this season.

Evidence of that is the improved play of senior center Shadra Robison, red shirt frosh forward Alexandria Hurley and true frosh wing Alyssa Smith, all of whom are much improved since the teams' earlier meetings.

Key to Montana's success against the talented Vikings will be the play of Montana's guards, seniors Lauren Beck and Shaunte Nance Johnson, and freshman phenom Kenzie De Boer. They'll need to create inside-outside opportunities much like the Vikings do. De Boer has steadily gained confidence as a scorer, which has opened things up for Beck in particular. Nance-Johnson needs to keep Montana's transition game flowing.

If they do, that means that junior sharp shooter, wing Stephanie Stender will get some long-range scoring opportunities. Which, if Stender can capitalize on, should open up the key a bit for junior forward Sarah Ena. The Vikings' win in Missoula was keyed by double-teams that kept Ena contained.

This will be an interesting matchup.The Vikings are likely motivated as the Big Sky's second-place team the past two seasons.

Whichever team emerges as the winner, they'll be fully capable of giving the conference-play titlist Eagles all they can handle for the tourney crown.

Montana's Johnson 'made every shot known to man' – Randy Rahe

There’s an abundance of excellent coverage of Montana’s thrilling 66-65 Big Sky Conference Championship win over the Weber State Wildcats yesterday, including game-story perspectives from local and national perspectives, and several quality photo slide shows.

The star, of course, was Montana’s Anthony Johnson, whose 42 points (34 in the second half) and pull-up jumper with 11 seconds remaining encapsulated the game’s marquee attraction.

We’ve provided links below, but felt that the Ogden Standard-Examiner had the most concise single-sentence summary of the game, in the form of a quote from Weber State coach, Randy Rahe, when he said:

"It was definitely a tale of two halves. We came out and played well in the first half and what we did to them they did to us in the second half. They became the aggressors and we got back on our heels and Johnson made every shot known to man, which he's capable of doing."

Read the full story HERE:

Take some time to check out the quality photo slide show as well.

But the game was much more than that. Important was the fact that the Wildcats held Montana to 28 percent shooting in the first half... and that Montana held the Cats to 27 percent in the second half.

And that Montana’s Derek Selvig is – game-by-game –  flashing the potential of a star in his own right. Or that Montana’s overlooked junior center, Brian Qvale, had 14 rebounds and six blocked shots. Or that Montana’s Will Cherry made the key defensive stop of the game on WSU’s Damian Lilliard with five seconds remaining on the clock.

Additional perspectives of the game written (quite objectively) for partisan Weber readers were published in the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News.

The game coverage story in the Tribune by Steve Luhm has an excellent 8-word lead. But it’s Luhm’s quote by Weber State guard Lilliard describing the final seconds of the game that reveal the most about Montana freshman guard Will Cherry’s impact. You can read that story HERE:

Luhm’s sidebar on Johnson’s perspective of the game is also insightful. You can read that HERE:

Make sure to browse the Tribune’s game photo slide show as well.

Another great lead on the game, this one a 12-word intro by Andrew Aragon of the Deseret News, describes the irony of Johnson’s history-making game.

Aragon has a great quote by Montana’s own super soph, forward Selvig, who had 12 points and made several key plays down the stretch.

"We're so used to jumping on A.J.'s back and letting him carry us, and he did it one more time," said Montana forward Derek Selvig. "I'm glad he did because it was looking abysmal there for a while."

You can read Aragon’s entire story HERE:

The Deseret News' 11-photo slide show is also worth a couple of views.

Lastly, an extended AP story on the game is published on ESPN, a page which includes a photo slide show and an excellent first half-second half video report of the game.

Access to that page is HERE:

In the meantime Montana fans are debating whether or not Johnson’s game was truly the greatest by a Montana Grizzly. Most certainly his game will rank among stellar performances by players like Eric Hays, Michael Ray Richardson, Larry Krystkowiak, Marti Leibenguth, Shannon Cate and Kevin Kearney.

The neat thing about all this conjecture for Montana fans is that AJ, and his Griz teammates, get another chance next week to add to the resume’ of the 2009-10 Big Sky Champion Montana Grizzlies.

AJ: the greatest single game by a Montana basketball player

I have been watching Montana Grizzly basketball games since 1954... (whew!) And...

The 42-point performance by Montana senior guard Anthony Johnson – who single-handedly led the Grizzlies from the edge of the abyss to a 66-65 win over the Weber State Wildcats for the Big Sky Conference title – was the greatest performance by a Montana Grizzly I have ever seen.

It's most possibly the greatest single-game performance I've seen on the college level by anyone.

Montana's championship victory of the 2010 Big Sky Conference over the Wildcats was the mark of a team that's made steady improvement on a game-by-game basis throughout the season.

But it was Johnson's confidence in his teammates, coaches and himself that have stood out over this season.

Having interviewed Johnson after every home game this year, I can attest that he voiced his belief in this team; it was something he repeated after every game... win or lose.

Now the Griz are where AJ said they'd be all season.

I wish the Montana Grizzlies the best as the Big Sky representative in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Griz advance to Big Sky Tourney Finals with 68-63 win over Bears

Montana senior guard Anthony Johnson scored 19 points, had three assists and three rebounds, and made two clutch free throws with 11.9 seconds remaining to secure Montana's 68-63 win over the Northern Colorado Bears in the semifinal round of the 2010 Big Sky Conference post-season tournament, held in Ogden, Utah.

Freshman point guard Will Cherry nailed a floating jumper in the middle of the key with 24 seconds remaining to push the Griz to a 66-63 lead. Cherry dished four assists, grabbed tworebounds, and had two steals in the game.

Senior shooting guard Ryan Staudacher made 4-of-5 field goals, including two of three from three point range and keyed the Montana defense on the perimeter against the Bears.

 Senior center Brian Qvale and junior forward Derek Selvig keyed Montana's dominance in the key throughout the game. Qvale scored nine points and had six rebounds, while Selvig scored six points and had eight rebounds. Senior forward Vanny Bassy scored four points and grabbed eight rebounds. The Grizzlies pounded the boards, giving the Grizzlies a 36-25 edge, which included 13 offensive rebounds. Montana had an overwhelming 20-2 margin second-chance scoring margin over the Bears.

Junior guard Michael Taylor scored back-to-back three point shots during a critical first-half stretch, sparking Montana on a run that pulled the Grizzlies into a tie with the Bears. Montana went on to reclaim the lead and finished the first half with a 33-32 lead. The Girzzlies made 6-of-17 three point shots on the night.

The Grizzlies meet the host Weber State Wildcats in the Big Sky Championship game at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Ogden't Dee Events Center. The winner advances to the NCAA 2010 Post Season Tournament.

Griz trample Lumberjacks 81-60; will face UNC Bears in semis

The Montana Grizzlies capitalized on an early 7-0 lead over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks and proceeded to trample the over-matched Jacks with an 81-60 quarterfinal victory in the Big Sky Conference post-season tourney before 2652 fans at Dahlberg Arena Saturday.

Senior guard Anthony Johnson led the Grizzlies with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, and engineered the Grizzlies' steady scoring onslaught throughout the game. Montana led the Lumberjacks by as many as 18 points during the first half before settling for a 39-25 lead, which grew to as many as 21 midway through the second half. 

PHOTOS: (Top) Montana senior guard Anthony Johnson drives against Lumberjack defender Julian Olubuyi for two in second-half action. Johnson scored 22 points, made 3-of-3 from beyond the three point line, and made 3-of-4 free throws to pace Montana in scoring. (Middle) Freshman guard Will Cherry drives past Lumberjack defender Shane Johannsen for two of his 11 points in first half action. Cherry had six assists, nine rebounds and four steals Saturday. (Bottom) Derek Selvig launches a shot for two of his nine points in first half action. Selvig had six rebounds, three of them offensive boards, and paced the Grizzlies during a critical first-half run.

But it was the stellar floor play of freshman point guard Will Cherry, who was literally all over the floor Saturday. The lightning quick guard scored 11 points, cleared nine rebounds, dished out a game-high six assists, and had four steals in the Montana win.

 Depth proved once again to be a factor in Montana's victory.

Reserve forwards Derek Selvig, who had nine points and six rebounds, and Raason Young, who made 11 points on 5-of-8 shots, sparked Montana at both ends of the floor. Combined with center Brian Qvale's eight points, the Grizzlies outscored the Jacks 34-22 in the paint.

Montana made only 9-of-17 three point shots for the game, but at one point during the first half was 5-of-5, solid proof of the Grizzlies roaring start. Montana shot 49 percent for the game, ending with a 52% average from beyond the three point arc.

PHOTOS (Second group, below) Top: Raasan Young drives the key for two points in second half action. Young scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, had three rebounds, and played key defense against Lumberjack guard Cameron Jones. (Second photo) Senior Jack McGillis makes like a fullback on this first step to a drive that resulted in a bucket. McGillis had five points in 14 minutes of action for the Grizzlies. (Third photo) Junior Center Brian Qvale battles NAU defenders  DeAngelo Jones (2), Reid Wallace (33), and Julian Olubuyi for possession of the ball in second half action. Qvale retained possession, but missed the ensuing shot. Qvale finished with eight points, had eight rebounds, and had two blocked shots in 29 minutes of action. (Fourth photo) Michael Taylor gets set to pass in first half action. Taylor scored three points, and played a solid floor game in 13 minutes of action. (Fifth photo) Senior Ryan Staudacher drives for a layup against Norther Arizona defender Stallon Saldivar in first half action. Staudacher scored eight points, including 2-of-4 from beyond the three point arc, in 29 minutes of action.

Montana was dominant in other areas of the floor as well, commanding the boards with a resounding 12-rebound, 41-29 edge... most significantly clearing 15 offensive rebounds, which led to a 20-2 margin in second-chance points over the Lumberjacks.

Montana had 16 assists to only 10 turnovers and had seven steals, which contributed to 10 fast break points for Montana.

Northern Arizona's steady junior point guard, Cameron Jones, led the Lumberjack offense with 21 points on 9-of-17 shots from the field. He was joined in double figures by wing Nick Larson, who made 5-of-8 shots from the field and pulled down seven rebounds.

With the win, the Grizzlies, now 20-9 on the season, advance to Tuesday's semifinal round in Ogden, Utah, where they'll clash with the University of Northern Colorado Bears, who had a first round bye. The loss finished the Lumberjacks' (14-14) season.

The Portland State Vikings, who eliminated Montana State 68-65 in Bozeman, will face regular season champions Weber State in the second semi.

Big Sky Conference regular season 2010 wrapup & tourney preview

Despite the best Montana team in Montana coach Wayne Tinkle’s four-year tenure, the Griz find themselves in a similar position heading into the post-season tourney. It’s been two years since the Griz made it past the first round. The feeling here is that the Grizzlies match up against the host Weber State Wildcats better than any other conference team. The hard part will be getting there.

A week of reckoning the Big Sky Conference. The Big Sky post-season tourney tips off Saturday. Listed below are final standings with tourney seed. In parentheses is the Grizzly Journal pre-season pick, which was posted before the 2009-10 season began.

What follows is a Grizzly Journal summary of the season in the Big Sky Conference, including the Big Sky All-Conference honors. As an addendum to those honors, we included a few names we felt should be included among the Big Sky elite for 2009-10.

FINAL BIG SKY STANDINGS for 2009-2010

1. Weber State (pre-season pick: 1st)        13-3/19-9/L1 – Tourney host; 1st round bye
2. Northern Colorado (pre-season pick:7th)     12-4/24-6/W4 – Second seed; 1st round bye
3. Montana State (pre-season pick: 3rd)          10-6/15-13/W1 – Third seed; Hosts Portland State in round 1
4. Montana (pre-season pick: 2nd)                  10-6/19-9/L1 – Fourth seed; hosts Northern Arizona in round 1
5. Northern Arizona (pre-season pick: 6th)       8-8/14-13/W3 – Fifth seed; at Montana in round 1
6. Portland State (pre-season pick: 5th)           7-9/12-18/L1 – Sixth seed; at Montana State in round 1
7. Eastern Washington (pre-season pick: 8th)    5-11/9-21/W1 – Did not qualify for post-season tourney
8. Idaho State    (pre-season pick: 4th)             4-12/7-22/L4 – Did not qualify for post-season tourney
9. Sacramento State (pre-season pick: 9th)       3-13//9-21/L5 – Did not qualify for post-season tourney

LIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONS – Randy Rahe’s Weber State Wildcats followed the blueprint  for yet another Big Sky regular season title, this time engineered by stellar underclass guards Damian Lilliard (sophomore and conference MVP) and junior JC transfer Franklin Session. The Wildcats are not really the “best” at any single thing. Instead, they’re a classic coach’s team that, game after game, execute Rahe’s pre-game plans to perfection, particularly on defense. Though the Wildcats are favored to win the tourney title, there’s no doubt the memories of last year’s semifinal loss by the Wildcats to Montana State (in Ogden) is lodged in the back of their minds.

OVERACHIEVERS - Pre-season picks to finish as low as seventh in the Big Sky, the University of Northern Colorado Bears under coach Tadd Boyle, won their first eight non-conference games, established themselves as Big Sky contenders early, have been ranked in the College Insider Mid Major Top 25 since December, and are the proud owners of the best overall record in the conference (24-6). A late season foot injury to shooting guard, Devon Beitzel, has limited UNC’s offensive attack, but Boyle’s Bears, finished second in the Big Sky, earned a first-round post-season tourney bye, and are clearly in the hunt for their first NCAA appearance as members of the Big Sky.

MID-SEASON RETOOLING – After the departure of heralded Portland State coach Ken Bone to Washington State, first year Vikings’ coach Tyler Geving inherited a talented team that had won back-to-back post-season Big Sky titles. The Vikes continued as the Big Sky’s most potent offensive team, but struggled mightily on defense. Things looked bleak when prolific shooting wing, junior forward Phil Nelson, went down with a broken foot and the Viks lost five in a row and 8-of-10 in conference action. Geving tweaked his Viks’ lineup to make up for the loss of Nelson, and his rebuilt, improved defensive unit rebounded, edging WSU and ISU in final conference games to earn a 6th seed in the post-season tourney. Along with the MSU Bobcats, the Vikings are considered a dark horse capable of advancing in the  tourney. It all shakes down in first-round action Saturday, when the Vikings are at Bozeman against those very Bobcats (the tourney third seed), who had swept the Viks during conference play and capped their own late-season surge with an inspiring win at Missoula, where the Cats toyed with the Montana Grizzlies in a conference-ending 73-67 thumping before 7000 glum Griz fans.

SOMETHING TO PROVE – Two teams with something to prove clash Saturday in first-round Big Sky post-season tourney action when fifth seed Northern Arizona clashes with fourth seed Montana in Missoula. Northern Arizona’s rebuilding process has been arduous for NAU head coach Mike Adras, whose talented 2008-09 team imploded and several players departed. The Lumberjacks missed the post-season last year... an oddity, since Adras’ Jacks have qualified for post-season play in 9-of-11 years, which includes five tourney championship game appearances since 2000. Montana – whose three titles and NCAA appearances since 2000 leads the Big Sky – has been eliminated in first-round action since back-to-back championships in 2005-06. The teams are each led by All-Conference unanimous first-team guards. Talented junior guard Cameron Jones – ranked second in scoring in the Big Sky at 19.3 points per game – has led the Jacks back into contention almost singlehandedly. He’ll need some help down low for a Lumberjack win.

PHOTOS FROM TOP: Montana senior guard and all conference first team selection, Anthony Johnson. Montana senior shooting guard and all conference honorable mention Ryan Staudacher. Montana freshman point guard and all conference honorable mention Will Cherry. Montana junior center Brian Qvale.

Montana, picked as a title contender in each of Montana Coach Wayne Tinkle’s three previous seasons as head coach, has repeatedly suffered from late-season swoons and tourney elimination. And so, a home-court loss to Montana State before 7000 fans last week was not a good sign for Griz faithful. Montana, led by the Big Sky’s fourth leading scorer Anthony Johnson (18.8 points per game), ran off a mid-season hot streak that featured a potent offense from every corner of the floor... until losses in two of their final three conference games dropped them to fourth place. Johnson – arguably the Big Sky’s most talented guard – will need offensive support from his his wings and post players in order for the Grizzlies to advance. Montana, in particular, is the Big Sky team that matches up best with Weber State. But they’ll likely need two wins to put themselves in position of being able to prove it.

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD – It’s a tale of two teams for the Sacramento State Hornets and the Eastern Washington Eagles... two of the three Big Sky teams that were eliminated from Big Sky post-season tourney. When Sac State Coach Brian Katz took the controls in 2008, he loaded his squad with junior college talent in hopes of a quick turnaround. After back-to-back last place finishes with little to show, seven of Katz’ players will graduate – including all-conference post Justin Eller – leaving the cupboards bare once again. Katz will presumably build around talented junior guard Sultan Toles Bey. But there’s a lot of building to do.

After watching his team struggle through alternating stretches of inconsistent play, Eastern Washington coach Kirk Earlywine turned the reins of his team over to three promising freshman guards. One of those guards, Glen Dean, quickly proved himself capable of leading the Eagles... enough to be named the Big Sky’s Freshman of the Year. The Eagles manufactured upsets of Montana and Montana State, but not much more, and failed to qualify for post-season tourney play. But the foundation has been set for the Eagles as early as next year, perhaps. If Dean and teammates Jeffrey Forbes, Kevin Winford and Abebe Demissie can solidify the Eagles, Earlywine may have the makings of a contender.

MOST SURPRISING TEAM – But not in a good way, were the Idaho State Bengals, whose collapse was one of major proportions. This was the team that ISU Coach Joe O’Brien had built to contend for the Big Sky Crown. THIS YEAR. Loaded with eight very talented seniors and a potential MVP in senior Amorrow Morgan, the Bengals were picked to win it all by several preseason publications, and to be in the hunt by several others. But the Bengals never recovered from a brutal non-conference slate pummeling and – despite a last-second win over Montana and a thrilling 3OT loss to Weber State – looked more like a team endlessly in search of an identity. And a win. It’ll be interesting to see how O’Brien rebuilds his beaten Bengals.  

ALL BIG SKY  – The Big Sky All-Conference 2009-10 honorees were revealed earlier this week, and while Grizzly Journal supports the selections, there were several glaring omissions, based primarily on the concept that the Big Sky All-Conference squads appear to be built on the concept of the “15 Best Players,” rather than on the best players at a specific position. Rather than contest any conference picks, we’ve included those players and coaches we feel are deserving of recognition. See GRIZZLY JOURNAL KUDOS below.

FIRST TEAM -- Damian Lilliard, Sophomore, Weber State (MVP); Anthony Johnson, Sr., UM; Will Figures, Sr., UNC; Cameron Jones, Jr., NAU; Bobby Howard, Jr., MSU; Jamie Jones, Sr., PSU.

SECOND TEAM -- Amorrow Morgan, Sr., ISU; Steve Panos, Sr., WSU; Franklin Session, Jr., WSU; Devon Beitzel, Jr., UNC; Dominic Waters, Sr., PSU

HONORABLE MENTION -- Broderick Gilchrist, Jr., ISU; Justin Eller, Sr., SAC; Will Cherry, Fr., UM; Ryan Staudacher, Sr.; UM; Marquis Navarre, Jr.; MSU; Glen Dean, Fr. EWU.

BIG SKY MVP – Lilliard, WSU; NEWCOMER: Session, WSU; TOP FROSH: Dean, EWU; TOP DEFENDER: Yahosh Bonner, Sr., UNC.

GRIZZLY JOURNAL KUDOS
We can think of at least five players who should have received All-Big Sky recognition. Two players, in particular, merit our immediate inclusion: Montana State point guard Will Bynum – a classic (criminally underrated) coach’s floor general – deserves at least second-team mention; and, Montana’s 6’-11’ junior center Brian Qvale, who logged a quiet blue-collar season of merit. Qvale would be an all-conference pick in virtually any other western Division 1 conference.

For the second straight year, the Big Sky’s best all-around player was Montana’s Anthony Johnson, though we can understand (and accept) why he was not named Big Sky MVP (an honor usually reserved for the most important player on the best team in the conference).

COACH – Randy Rahe, Weber State, and Tad Boyle, University of Northern Colorado.

BIG SKY REFEREES – The level of officiating in the Big Sky has improved dramatically over the past three seasons and – except for a few glaring oddities for 2009-10 – has helped make the Big Sky a better, more competitive conference overall. Now let’s get some top level Division 1 teams to agree on home-and-home preseason games!

Bobcats stun Grizzlies 73-67 in senior night disappointment

For the second straight year the Montana State Bobcats stunned the Montana Grizzlies, this time before a season-high 6927 fans in Dahlberg arena in a 73-67 walkaway that wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicated.

The teams finished the regular season at third place in the Big Sky Conference with identical 10-6 records. The conference tie-breaker means the win secures a third seed in the Big Sky Conference post-season tourney for the Bobcats, while the Grizzlies were bumped a notch down to the fourth seed with the loss. Both teams will host first-round games next Saturday. The fifth place, fifth seeded Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (8-8) face the Grizzlies in Missoula while the sixth seeded Portland State Vikings (6-9) will meet the Cats in Bozeman.

The Bobcats, behind the sure hand of senior Will Bynum – filling in at point for Marquis Navarre, who was saddled with foul problems – controlled the game throughout. Bynum led the Cats with 22 points on 5-of-6 shsooting from the field, 12-of-17 free throws three assists and two steals.

Forward Bobby Howard scored 17 points and snared 12 rebounds, while guard Eric Rush added 12 points and center Branden Johnson had 11 points and eight rebounds.

The Bobcats, one of the worst rebounding teams in the Big Sky, cleared the boards for a 38-26 advantage over the Grizzlies, with 12 of those boards coming on the offensive end.

Montana was led once again by its stalwart senior guard Anthony Johnson, who scored 31 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. He was joined in double figures by sophomore forward Derek Selvig, who scored 14 while grabbing eight rebounds. No other Grizzly player reached double figures.

Johnson and freshman point guard Will Cherry scored several buckets on one-on drives late in the second half, and the effort succeeded in pulling the Grizzlies to within six points at the 1:26 mark, and four points with just over a minute remaining. But a missed Montana shot with 54 seconds left gave the Cats possession, and the Grizzlies had to foul -- with no success, as the Cats scored six points on free throws to extend the lead to the game's final  score.

Montana shot a cool 61 percent from the free throw line (16-for-26) and an even chillier 7-of-16 from three point range.

The Bobcats controlled the game from the tip, moving to leads as much as 12 points in the first half before settling for a 38-30 halftime lead. The second half was the same story, with the Cats expanding their lead to as many as 18 points before the Grizzlies mounted a desperation rally that was too late... and certainly too little.

PHOTOS: (Top) Montana forward Derek Selvigs posts up against  Bobcak Erik Rush for two of his 14 points. Selvig had eight rebounds in 34 minutes of action. (Second photo) Montana point guard Will Cherry drives against Rush in late second half action. Cherry scored nine points, but fouled out with 5:13 remaining in the game. (Third) Montana's Anthony Johnson posts up against Montana State's Bobby Howard for two of his game high 31 points. Johnson made 9-of-14 shots from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the three point arc. (Bottom) Montana center Brian Qvale battles for a rebound against Montana State's Branden Johnson and Erik Rush. Qvale made three points and had four rebounds in 15 minutes of action.

The Bobcats completely shut down Montana's offensive flow early in the game, limiting the Grizzlies to poor shots as the shot clock was expiring, or to forced shots that were always contested by Bobcat defenders. It was the opposite at the other end of the floor, with score after score from the paint. The Bobcats finished the game with a 32-22 margin on points in the paint, a number that was inflated on Montana's side of the ledger with several layups after the game was essentially decided.

Another telling statistic of the game was Montana's seven assists, well below its season-average 12.2 assists per game.

NOTE: Because of the two-game schedule, more photos (including slide shows) and stories of the weekend will be posted during the coming week.

Bobcats pull away for 77-72 win over Lady Griz

The Montana State Bobcats pulled away from the Montana Lady Griz midway through the second half and posted a 77-72 win in front of 4283 partisan fans in Big Sky Conference action at Dahlberg Arena Saturday.

The Bobcat win ensured that both teams qualified for the conference post-season tourney, currently tied as the fifth seeds with one week remaining in conference action.

Bobcat guard Katie Bussey nailed two of her six three points in the final one-plus minute of action, good enough to break a deadlock and give the Bobcats the eventual win. Bussey made 6-of-10 three pointers and led the Bobcats with 18 points. Bobcat post Sarah Strand scored 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 10 rebounds. The Bobcats outrebounded the Lady Griz 41-32.

Montana was led by junior guard Stephanie Stender's 16 points, on 6-of-8 shooting, 4-o5-5 from three point range. Stender was joined in double-figure scoring by senior guard Lauren Beck's 10, 14 from junior forward Sarah Ena and 10 from junior post Jessa Loman Linford.

The two teams shot 46 percent from the field from the game, but the difference came from long range, as the Bobcats made 52 percent from beyond the arc on 10-of-19 shooting compared to Montana's 26.7 percent on 4-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc.

Montana hits the road for its final league games against Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado.

PHOTOS: (Top) Junior wing Stephanie Stender battles a Bobcat defender for possession of the ball during second half action. Stender led the Lady Griz in scoring with 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. (Middle) Junior post Jessa Loman Linford scores two of her 10 points for the game over Bobcat Lyndi Seidensticker (#21). Loman Linford also pulled down six rebounds for the Lady Griz. (Bottom) Junior forward Sarah Ena posts up for two of her 14 games against Seidensticker and Bobcat post Sarah Strand (#20). Ena also collected six rebounds.

NOTE: Because of the two-home-game schedule, only brief photo coverage is provided tonight. More photos of both games – including slide shows – will be posted during the week.

Balanced scoring attack propels Montana to 86-58 win over Sac State

With their 86-58 thrashing of the Sacramento State Hornets Saturday, the Montana Grizzlies played perhaps their most complete game of the season, showcasing a deep bench and a versatile offensive attack that shows more versatility game by game.

View 30-photo slide show of Montana's 86-58 win over Sac State HERE.

Montana can secure the third seed in the Big Sky Conference post-season tournament with a victory over the Montana State Bobcats in the teams’ final league game of the season next week, though there’s still a slim chance that Montana could earn the number two seed if Northern Colorado loses at Sac State next week.

The 28-point win did come against the Big Sky’s last place team in the Hornets. But the Big Sky has had no true pushovers this year, as the Hornets proved by pushing the Cats to the limit in a six-point loss Thursday.

Once again Montana turned the tide as it has all year... with defense, limiting the Hornets to 58 points on 35 percent from the field in the second half. Montana defenders had 14 steals, with sophomore forward Derek Selvig snaring three and junior guard Michael Taylor nabbing three. Montana’s combo of zone and man-on looks also forced 19 Hornet turnovers, with many coming early in the second half, catapulting Montana’s six-point halftime lead to double digits within the first minute of play.

“We talk about how the aggressor wins,” said Montana coach Wayne Tinkle, “And we wanted to be aggressive on both ends. At halftime we really challenged our guys to be the aggressor, to defend like heck, and they came out on edge and really put the clamps on the Hornets.

We didn’t play much zone defense tonight,” Tinkle added. “We wanted to challenge our guys to play man to man.”

But perhaps most encouraging to Tinkle was the Grizzly offense, which displayed remarkable inside-outside balance in its scoring attack, particularly on the perimeter.

Four Griz guards scored in double figures, led by senior guard Ryan Staudacher’s 17 on 5-of-7 three-point shots and 60 percent shooting overall. Senior guard Anthony Johnson scored 16 on 6-of-8 shooting and freshman guard Will Cherry also notched 16 on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. Reserve shooting guard Taylor – who has stepped his game up recently as his injured shooting hand has healed – scored 11 on 3-of-5 conversions from three point range.

PHOTOS: Senior guard Anthony Johnson splits the defense of Hornet defenders Antonio Flaggs ((#22) and Michael Selling for two of his 16 points. Johnson became the first two-year Montana player to join the 1000-point club at Montana. (Second photo) Michael Taylor looks for a pass in first half play. Taylor had three steals and converted 3-of-5 shots from long range for 11 points. (Third photo) Freshman guard Will Cherry drives past Hornet defender Mike Marcial for two of his 16 points. Cherry had five of Montana's 20 assists. (Bottom) Senior shooting guard Ryan Staudacher sets up for a shot. Staudacher made 5-of-7 shots from long range to lead the Grizzlies with 17 points.

“It’s beautiful watching Mike evolve,” said Tinkle. “I think he’s healthy now with his hand, or close to it. And he’s got his confidence back.

“Boy, when he and Stauds are both making shots, we’re going to be tough to defend,” said Tinkle.

Sixty of Montana’s points were scored by its guards, but Cherry in particular got the ball into Montana’s big men with five of Montana’s 20 assists.

There were still signs of growing game-by-game dominance in the blocks, as Selvig and junior post Brian Qvale scored eight points apiece. Qvale pulled down nine rebounds to lead Montana’s 32-27 margin on the boards.

Reserve guard Sultan Toles-Bey led the Hornets with 14 points whiles senior post Justin Eller scored 13 and reserve guard Michael Selling also scored 13.

The loss eliminated the Hornets from any possibility of qualifying for post-season tourney seeding, though they can affect the final seeding order with a win over visiting Northern Colorado next week.

Johnson’s 16 points put him at 1004 in his two-year career at Montana. He’s the first Montana Grizzly two-year player to reach the 1000 point milestone.

Lady Griz rebound with 15-point win over league leading Eastern

The Montana Lady Griz discovered the energy that deserted them Friday, shooting a hot 60 percent from the field in a 41-point second half and stormed to a 75-60 win over first place Eastern Washington before 4002 fans at Dahlberg Arena Saturday.

The win, coupled with Montana State’s 79-70 win over Portland State, tightened the first three slots in the Big Sky Conference standings. The Eagles, at 8-3, hold a half-game lead over the Lady Griz (8-4), while the Vikings are back another half-game at 7-4.

Junior forward Sarah Ena scored 17 points on a variety of post-ups, drives and pull-up jumpers to lead Montana in scoring. Battling foul problems for the second-straight night, Ena also pulled-down 8 rebounds and had two assists on the night.

The Lady Griz rode two surges, one in each half, to subdue the talented Eagles, both keyed by Ena, who converted several jumpers from the top of the key early in the game to give Montana leads of up to seven points.

The rest of the Montana players started cold however, and despite a solid defensive effort, shot only 35 percent from the field, which allowed the Eagles to stay within reach.

The Eagles – unable to penetrate the Lady Griz zone – pulled within three, 31-29 at halftime on the strength of a talented long-range shooting corps. The Eagles finished the game with 10-for-31 treys, getting three each from Kyla Evans and Jessica Huntington, and treys from three other players.

PHOTOS: Montana forward Sarah Ena is fouled by Eagle Tatjana Sparavalo on a drive to the bucket. The foul was called flagrant and Ena made one of two free throws. (Second photo) Montana wing Stephanie Stender looks to pass the ball to the wing in first half action. Stender made 3-of-4 three point shots and finished with 11. (Third photo) Alexandra Hurley battles for a rebound with Eastern post Julie Piper in second half action. Hurley had four points and three rebounds.

Though Montana made only 5-of-11 three point shots, most came at critical junctures, especially two in the first half by junior wing Stephanie Stender, who nailed treys that both times blunted an Eagle run.

“I thought we executed pretty well offensively all night,” said Montana coach Robin Selvig. “We missed a lot of shots again. We just don’t make shots sometimes.

“But I thought we got pretty good shots most of the game,” he added.

But the Lady Griz – who played tentatively in their Friday loss to the Vikings – remained aggressive against the Eagles throughout the game. It paid off.

Montana quickly stretched its three-point halftime lead to 39-31 – keyed by another trey from Stender –  and then steadily expanded the lead with a run that saw at least five Lady Griz players score layups down the right lane against Eagle defenders who were just a step too late.

All nine Lady Griz players who played scored.

“I felt like we started to get a little comfortable,” said Ena. “Yesterday, Portland State was so physical and kind of pushed us out of our comfort zone and Lauren, Kenzie, Steph... all these players kind of got in the groove,” said Ena.

Senior guard Lauren Beck and junior post Jessa Loman Linford had off nights from the field. But Loman Linford made 5-of-6 free throws after being fouled on shots, and finished with eight. Beck made only 4-of-14 field goals, but was 4-of-4 from the line and finished with 14.

Beck credited much of Montana’s energy to a solid defensive effort game long.

“I thought our defense was able to get our hands on the ball a lot in the zone which helped us a lot,” said Beck.  “It builds our confidence and then it turn it builds our offense a little bit better,” she added.

Montana meanwhile got sparkling performances from freshman and bench players in the win. Kenzie De Boer scored nine points, but tallied four nifty assists, several on lobs to Loman Linford, Ena or senior post Shadra Robison, who scored six and had six rebounds. Freshman wing Alyssa Smith played an aggressive game at both ends of the floor, pulling down four rebounds and dishing three assists while scoring four. Redshirt frosh Alexandra Hurley, despite some shooting nerves, played solidly as Ena’s backup at power forward.

PHOTOS: (Top) Freshman wing Alyssa Smith drives to the bucket for two of her four points. Smith also pulled down four rebounds and had three assists on the night. (Bottom) Senior center Shadra Robison battles Eagles Jessica Huntington and Chene Cooper for ball control during first half action. Robison scored six points, pulled down six rebounds and had two blocks.

Eastern's stellar post, Julie Piper, made 9-of-17 shots to lead Eastern with 20 points. Guard Kyla Evans added 13. No other Eagle reached double digits.

Montana outrebounded the Eagles 42-37. The teams were even statistically on assists, turnovers and steals.

Though Montana is locked in a jam at the top of the Big Sky, it doesn’t get any easier. The Lady Griz travel to Sacramento State for a Sunday game against the fourth-place Sacramento State Hornets, who have been playing their best basketball over the past three weeks. Three of Montana’s final four games are road clashes.

“We can’t take any of these games at the end of the stretch lightly,” said Ena. “I’m proud of my teammates and the way that we fought and bounced back from the loss last night,” she added.

Portland State outlasts Montana Lady Griz; pull away for 72-60 win

The Montana Lady Griz had no answers for the Portland State Vikings outside shooting game Friday, as Vikings' wing players Eryn Jones, with 19 point, and Kelly Marchant, with 18 points sank timely shots over the final 10 minutes to lead the Vikings to a 72-60 win over the Montana Lady Griz in front of 4219 fans at Dahlberg Arena.

Marchant made 4-of-7 shots from beyond the three point arc and Jones sank 3-of-6,many coming during the final 10-minutes of the game as the Vikings became the first Big Sky team in four years to beat Montana at Dahlberg Arena.

The Lady Griz were led in scoring by freshman Kenzie De Boer, who tallied 17, junior forward Sarah Ena, who scored 15, and junior wing Stephanie Stender, who scored 10.

Montana had a 49-44 lead with just over 14 minutes remaining, but made only 4-of-17 shots from there as the Vikings -- who shot only 39 percent from the field in the second hald -- rode the hot hands of Marchant and Jones.

But the Vikings dominated the boards, with a 38-33 edge, blocked five Lady Griz shots, and forced 13 Lady Griz turnovers to take command of the floor game and momentum.

With the win,the Vikings leapfrogged Montana into second-place in the Big Sky at 7-3, while Montana fell to 7-4. The Lady Griz host the league-leading Eastern Washington Eagles Friday, where a win could tighten the Big Sky race to within a half-a-game between the three teams, depending upon the results of Portland State's clash with the Montana State Bobcats Saturday in Bozeman.

PHOTOS: Montana center Shadra Robison tangles for possession of a loose ball with Portland State guard Claire Faucher. Robison had two points and six rebounds in 15 minutes of action. (Middle) Montna senior guard Shaunte Nance Johnson drives to the bucket against Portland State's Kelly Marchant in first half action. Nance Johnson had three assists and one point in 14 minutes of action. (Bottom) Freshman guard Kenzie De Boer goes up for two of her team-high 17 points with this drive against Viking defender Lexi Bishop. De Boer made 7-of-14 shots from the field sank both of her free throws, had two assists and four steals in 23 minutes of action.