grizzlyjournal

Vikings nip Bobcats 71-64; advance to championship

The edged the Portland State VikingsMontana state Bobcats 71-64 in Big Sky Women's Postseason Tournament semifinal action Friday. The win advances the Vikings to Saturday's championship tilt against the Montana Lady Griz, 76-50 victors over the Idaho State Bengals in the late semifinal game.

PHOTO RIGHT: Portland State reserve Kelli Bishop battles for possession of sthe ball against three Bobcat defenders in the Vikings 71-64 semifinal win over the Montana State Bobcats Friday. The win catapults the Vikings into the championship game Saturday against Montana.

The Viking - leading by three with 1:39 seconds remaining - forced a Bobcat turnover and converted four straight free throws to put the game on ice in the final seconds.

Viking forward Kelli Valentine paced the Vikings with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the field. She was joined in double figures by point guard Claire Faucher, who had 13, and reserve Kelly Merchant, who had 12.

Junior guard Erica Perry led the Bobcats with 20 points on 9-of-19 shooting. Also in double figures for the Bobcats were forward Sarah Strand with 14 and guard Catie Bussey with 10.

The Bobcats finished the season at 15-15, while the Vikings moved to 22-8.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana State Bobcat point guard Erica Perry goes up for two of her 20 points against Portland State defenders in Friday's semifinal action.

CATS over GRIZ: no goats, two MVPs & a big-time steal

In the aftermath of the Montana State Bobcats’ first-round Big Sky Conference playoff victory before 5210 fans at Dahlberg Arena, much of the post-game analysis focused on Bobcat guard Will Bynum’s steal of an errant pass by Montana point guard Anthony Johnson, which Bynum converted into an insurmountable 56-52 MSU lead with 9 seconds remaining.

While that stellar play gave the Bobcats their final winning edge, MSU coach Brad Huse lauded the efforts of Bynum at a point much earlier in the game.

“Will did a great job for us getting into the key and making good decisions,” said Huse. “Will was really focused to stick to the game plan we had in place for him. He was the catalyst tonight.”

Though Johnson bore the brunt of that costly turnover – one of only two he commited all game – it was Johnson whose eight points over the game’s last six minutes rallied Montana from a 50-42 deficit to within a single point of the Cats at 53-52 with 57 seconds left to play.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana point guard Anthony Johnson is guarded by Montana State point guard Will Bynum. Johnson scored a game-high 19 points, had four assists, and two turnovers while Bynum scored 15 points, had five rebounds and five assists... and the game-winning steal.

Montana coach Wayne Tinkle described Johnson’s game-long effort as MVP-caliber.

Though the game was lost... and won, in the game’s final nine seconds, both coaches pointed to other factors that added up to victory for the Bobcats.

Huse stressed the importance of the Bobcats’ ability to score in the paint in the game’s early stages.

And that’s where the Bobcats established the tone of the contest.

 In a game where the teams were evenly balanced in several statistical areas, the Bobcats dominated the paint at both ends of the court, out-rebounding the Grizzlies 40-29 and wresting a dominant 10-rebound edge over Montana on the offensive glass.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana's Johnson has his shot blocked by MSU senior post Divaldo Mbunga, who had five blocked shots in addition to 11 rebounds and nine points for the visiting Bobcats.

“We kind of set the tone I thought in the first half with our ability to get on the offensive glass and create second shot opportunities, even if they weren’t (all) going in,” said Huse.

The result, by game’s end, was a 34-10 Cat scoring margin in the paint... a whopping 24 point margin.

PHOTO RIGHT: Montana State head coach Brad Huse and Montana assistant coach Bill Evans shake hands after Huse's Bobcats defeated Montana in the first round of the Big Sky post-season tourney. The Bobcats will face regular season champ Weber State in semifinal action Tuesday.

There’s more to the disparity than offensive rebounds, however. That’s because the Bobcats also got the job done early at the defensive end. The Grizzlies didn’t score in the paint because the Bobcats did not allow Montana low-post players ball-possession down low. And when Montana did work the ball down low, Bobcat senior post Divaldo Mbunga was a monstsrous force, blocking five Griz shots and altering several more.

That meant the Griz had to convert from other areas.

And the perimeter was truly a dead zone for Montana.

The Cats barricaded the paint and then seemed to dare the Griz to score from outside. The resulting slew of Montana shots – many of them wide-open looks – caromed off the rim.

Excluding Johnson, who had several opportunities inside, Montana’s outside shooters Ryan Staudacher, Jack McGillis and Michael Taylor made 6-for-19 from the perimeter, less than a 30 percent average.

With each missed Montana shot, the Bobcats had more time to patiently work on their own offensive game plan.

“I thought we had great balance tonight in terms of inside and out, better than we’ve had in recent time,” said Huse. “On top of that, I thought we made good decisions when we drove the basketball.

“Then we had a nice run there (early in the second half), we hit a couple of threes and got a couple nice point-blank shots,” said Huse.

It became more than a scoring edge for the Cats; it swung momentum and confidence into the visitors’ favor.

“You know, when you’re on the road like this, the home team has the advantage and they’re the higher seed and all those things...” said Huse.

“You feel like the pressure’s on their shoulders and... you know, our guys played relaxed there to get that lead and held on.”

Tinkle didn’t buy the notion that his Montana players should be pressured and tight.

“Well, that’s what everybody always says, you know it’s tough playing, beating a team a third time... I don’t really necessarily buy into it,” said Tinkle.

“If you’re the better team, you should beat them all three times,” said Tinkle. “But tonight, with everything that they were up against, they were just a little bit better than us,” said Tinkle. “On this night, they out-played us.”

In spite of those dynamics, Montana rose up on defense and held the Bobcats to a single free throw for all but the last nine seconds of the game’s final six-plus minutes.

Bobcat forward Bobby Howard drained an arcing trey from the left corner to give the Cats a 50-42 lead with 6:28 remaining.

But from there Johnson – while his teammates stiffened up on defense – single-handedly took control of Montana’s offense, scoring 10 straight points on eight free throws and a 12-foot jumper with 1:35 remaining. Two free throws by Staudacher with 57 seconds remaining made it 53-52 Bobcats.

Spurred by the cacophonous Montana crowd, the Griz made one final defensive stop and, with 21 seconds remaining, called time out to set up the final play.

“Well, we pretty much knew who was going to have the basketball...” said Huse. “One of two guys.”

“We threw the ball to our fifth-year senior (Jordan Hasquet),” said Tinkle. “We ran our MVP (Johnson) off to get the handoff... cleared out that side to get a little two-man game.”

“And we just didn’t make the play,” said Tinkle.

“Great anticipation by Bynum on the steal...” said Huse.

Cats stymie Griz 56-54; advance to Big Sky tourney semifinals

Montana State guard Will Bynum stole a Montana pass with nine seconds remaining and converted a layup and a free throw to lead the Bobcats over the Montana Grizzlies in first-round Big Sky Conference tourney action before 5210 fans at Dahlberg Arena Saturday.

The Bobcats advance to a semifinal contest against the host Weber State Wildcats on March 10 in Ogden, Utah.

PHOTO LEFT: Montana's Anthony Johnson drives against Marquis Navarre for two of his game-high 19 points in the Cats' 56-54 win over the Griz Saturday. Johnson had assists points and only two turnovers in the game.

Bynum led the Bobcats with 15 points and five assists. But it was perhaps a 11 rebound and 10 shots-taken advantage over the Grizzlies that spelled the difference in a game where the underdog Cats led through much of the second half.

Montana junior point guard Anthony Johnson paced the Grizzlies with 19 points, but it was his errant pass that Bynum stole and which created a stunning reversal in Montana’s maneuvering for a last second shot with the Cats holding a one-point 53-52 lead in the game’s final seconds.

PHOTO LEFT: Montana senior forward Jordan Hasquet drives to the bucket in second half action. Hasquet scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and grabbed six rebounds over 33 minutes of game action.

Johnson was joined in double figures by senior forward Jordan Hasquet, who scored 12, and junior forward Jack McGillis, who scored 10. No other Bobcat player scored in double figures, although eight Bobcat players scored in game action.

In an otherwise even statistical contest, Montana State –  behind senior post Divaldo Mbunga’s 11 rebounds and Erik Rush’s 10 – outrebounded Montana 40-29, snaring an impressive 18 offensive boards, which led to a 10-shot, 60-50 advantage over Montana.

BOTTOM PHOTOS: Seniors Kyle Sharp (40) and Ceylon Elgin Taylor (5) played their final games as Montana Grizzlies Saturday. Sharp, who started at post through conference play, scored four points and pulled down four rebounds against the Cats. Elgin-Taylor was scoreless in 13 minutes of action. Sharp grabbed an offensive rebound on this play and scored on the putback. Divaldo Mbunga defends. Elgin-Taylor missed this early offense layup against defenders Will Bynum (1) and Austin Brown.

NOTE: Because of double-header game action Saturday, additional and more complete coverage will be provided later Sunday.

GRIZ SENIORS: Playing for more

Saturday's first-round playoff game against the Montana State Bobcats at Dahlberg Arena will be the final time on-court for three Grizzlies. But those seniors – and their teammates – will put it all on the line because a win over the Cats propels them into the Big Sky Conference Semifinals in Ogden, Utah on Tuesday March 10th.

In a brief pre-game interview with Montana's seniors – Ceylon Elgin-Taylor, Jordan Hasquet and Kyle Sharp – and assistant coach Nate DuChesne, the message was the same. I asked what was the most important single key to success against Montana State. Their answers?

Defense got Montana this far. Defense will be required to move the Grizzlies one more game into the post season.

NATE DuCHESNE: "We have to play Grizzly basketball, which is defense first. In both the previous games we had a couple of really nice runs where we were able to reel of eight to 10 points. I’m sure they (the Bobcats) are going to try to control that this time and minimize our runs... But what we did in those stretches is we played great defense and were able to get the ball up the floor and get good shots. There isn’t going to be anything different between what we’ve done in the past and what we’ll try to do against the Cats again in order to be 12-5 in this league"

CEYLON ELGIN-TAYLOR: "First-off, to win, but to just take that next step... to play hard, to get better, to do the things we need to get to the next round. They’re a rival, so of course they’re going to come out and play hard to be the aggressor, so it’ll be our job to do the things we need to be the aggressor. The biggest thing about this team compared to the past years is that we’re more competitor and we look to do the things to make ourselves better every game. I’ve never won a basketball championship. Ever, in all my years as a player. So, I mean, I want us to finish with a bang and just win it all."

JORDAN HASQUET: "Definitely defense. We know what weapons they’ve got and we’re keying on all their guys with a game plan on each guy, knowing their guys, knowing what they want to do and just putting a stop to it. They had moments in our past games where they outplayed us, so they’re going to look at those things and see what they can do to try and expose us. The thing they’ve got going for them... they say it’s hard to beat a team three times. So, we’ll see. Grizzly basketball this year has really started on defense. It starts for us on defense and everything else will come naturally for us."

KYLE SHARP: "The Cats have had a couple of tough losses, so I’m sure their coach has them ready to play. But more important is we’re going to have to be ready for them just as much as they’ll be ready for us. We have to make sure that their great shooters don’t get good looks. They have a lot of good scorers, especially on the post. Mbunga is a great player and it’s our job to try to shut him down. If we can go out with energy, that’ll get us going early and we can start playing our style of basketball. You don’t personally want do do anything too extreme, too different. I just want to keep an even keel, to keep an even game... I don’t care if I score zero points, I want to do what we need to win."

Latest Griz, Lady Griz game photos posted

  Game photos of Montana's 79-64 home-court win over the Idaho State Bengals and the Montana Lady Griz' 71-51 victory over the Northern Colorado Bears are now posted. Photos of Montana's win over ISU can be viewed HERE.

Photos of the Montana Lady Griz' win over Northern Colorado can be viewed HERE.

PHOTO: Montana senior center Kyle Sharp posts up against ISU defender Lucas Steijn in Montana's 79-64 win over Idaho State.
(bottom) Montana's Sarah Ena battles for control of the ball during first-half action against Northern Colorado.

Johnson paces Montana in 79-64 victory over Bengals

 

The saying about it being tough to keep a good man down for long... or a good team down for that matter, was true on Sunday.

Montana junior guard Anthony Johnson -- who, along with his teammates, had an uncharacteristically poor shooting night in Montana’s Thursday loss to Weber State --  erupted for 20 second-half points to lead the Grizzlies to a 79-64 Big Sky Conference victory over the Idaho State Bengals before 3821 fans in Missoula’s Dahlberg Arena Sunday.

The victory upped Montana’s record to 17-10, 11-4 in league play, and solidified the Grizzlies’ hold on second place in the Big Sky, while also improving its chances of earning a first-round bye in the post-season tournament.

PHOTO: Montana Guard Anthony Johnson is cut off by Idaho State's Matt Stucki. Johnson scored 26 points to lead Montana past the Bengals.

Johnson, who had been limited by the Bengals to just six first-half points on 3-of-5 shots, was unstoppable over the final 20 minutes.

The flashy, slashing Griz point guard dialed the game tempo up several notches during second half action and made 4-for-5 shots on a variety of full-throttle drives to pace the Griz. When the Bengals did stop Johnson, they usually fouled him. The result was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free-throw line for the Big Sky’s leading scorer and free throw shooter.

PHOTO: Senior post Kyle Sharp posts for two of his 10 points. Sharp also pulled down 10 rebounds and had two steals.

ISU Coach Joe O’Obrien and Montana Coach Wayne Tinkle were equally in awe of Johnson’s performance.

“He’s a bear to guard,” said O’Brien. “I mean, man... he can turn the corner in a heartbeat. I think he’s leading the league in free throw attempts per game, he might be leading the league in free throw percentage. You just can’t afford to foul him.”

“I put Donnie (Carson) on him, who’s our best on-the-ball defender,” Obrien added. “I brought Phil (Taylor) off the bench for a couple of minutes to give Donnie a blow. Amorrow (Morgan) tried to guard him...

“And when you do get him stopped, he’s good at drawing help and then he kicks to somebody like Ryan Staudacher,” said O’brien, shaking his head.

“I tell you, he (Johnson) had quite a performance.,” said Tinkle. “Seven for 10 from the field, 12 of 12 from the free throw line, six assists, only one turnover,”

“We were disappointed in his effort the other night,” said Tinkle. “And so we challenged him to be better and he certainly answered the call.”

Meanwhile, senior post Kyle Sharp, playing his final league game as a Grizzly,  hammered out a blue-collar double-double in the low blocks, scoring 11 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and nabbing two key steals during a critical late stretch where Montana expanded a four-point lead to 12.

“I wasn’t doing a very good job playing post defense,” said Sharp. “My man was scoring a little too much, so I knew I needed to try to make some plays, especially something that we could get going, where I could get the ball to AJ and let him go,” Sharp added.

Building from Sharp’s solid defensive play, Johnson became catalyst of the late Montana run. Johnson fed junior guard Ryan Staudacher for a three-point conversion from the right corner, then grabbed a rebound and was fouled on his outlet drive.

His free throws extended Montana’s lead from 62-58 to 67-58 with 3:31 remaining, which was expanded to 70-58 just 20 seconds later on Jack McGillis’ trey from the right elbow.

PHOTOS: (three above) Jordan Hasquet is ambushed by four Bengals as he posts up for a shot in the first half. Hasquet scored seven points and pulled down six rebounds. (Above, middle) Reserve guard sophomore Michael Taylor scored 10 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting night. (above) Junior Ryan Staudacher scored 12 points on four three-point shots, three in the second half.

Johnson said his coaches told him to take charge in the second half... to “Just attack.”

“They told me to attack at the free throw line,” said Johnson. “I’m a play-maker, so if I didn’t have the lane then I found someone else who had the shot. Luckily Mike (Taylor) was on early, Ryan Staudacher was on early and especially late in the game, so that was it... being aggressive,” said Johnson.

“I knew if I had it in transition I could just use my speed and try to capitalize. Luckily I was getting to the free throw line a little bit and it just worked out for us,” said Johnson.

Taylor had perhaps his best game of the year, scoring 10 points on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field -- eight of those points coming during a critical first-half run that extended Montana’s lead to from 17-14 to 27-17 in a brief two-minute span midway through the first half.

Staudacher equaled Taylor’s effort with similar second-half play. Staudacher made 4-of-7 treys for the game, three of them at critical second-half junctures that stemmed mini-runs by ISU.

The Bengals -- despite shooting a blistering 52 percent from the field for the game -- were never able to draw any closer than four points, after Montana’s first-half surge and 10-point lead.

But every time Montana appeared poised to break the game open, the Bengals responded with their own runs. Reserve guard Austin Kilpatrick was particularly effective, nailing 4-of-6 three-point shots in two stretches that catapulted the Bengals back into contention.

And Montana defenders seemed incapable of stopping Bengal post Lucas Steijn, who scored 14 points, most of them mid-key jumpers over Montana defenders.

Five Bengals scored in double figures, led by Steijn. Chron Tatum had 13, Kilpatrick and Amorrow Morgan 12 each, and Matt Stucki 10.

“Credit goes to Idaho State,” said Johnson. “I mean, they’re always a tough, physical team. They’re an in-your-face, long, big, physical team. They’re bigger than we are, especially their guards. That Amorrow Morgan... Oh, man. He’s a tough guard. Tough physical guard,” said Johnson.

Tinkle agreed. “That’s a very good defensive team, they’re physical and athletic. They don’t give up percentages like that, and I’m really proud of the way our guys responded tonight.”

The win, Tinkle admitted, shook a huge monkey off the coach’s back. It was just a year ago, on senior night, that Portland State mauled the Griz 108-56.

Asked about that game, Tinkle laughed and said, “I had my arm around Sharpie and Jordan on the way up the tunnel and I said ‘Guys, what a difference a year makes as far as senior night goes.’ “

“It’s big,” said senior Jordan Hasquet.  “You always want to go out with a win, no matter where you’re at. It was real cool to get a standing O... That was awesome.”

The Bengals slipped to 10-18, 7-7 in conference standings at fourth place. ISU maintained its chances to host a first-round tourney game.

Montana now travels to Northern Colorado for its final conference game of the year, while the Bengals will host the league’s cellar-dwellers Northern Arizona (8-17) and Sacramento State (2-25).

Montana bids goodbye to three seniors

Montana men's basketball fans will bid 'goodbye' to three seniors playing their final home game as Grizzlies today against the Idaho State Bengals.

Senior starters Jordan Hasquet and Kyle Sharp and backup point guard Ceylon Elgin Taylor will be honored in pre-game ceremonies just prior to the crucial conference match against the Idaho State Bengals.

#2 JORDAN HASQUET

Hasquet and Sharp are both career Griz, having played as teammates since their freshman seasons in 2006, when the Grizzlies won the Big Sky Conference Tourney and won a first-round NCAA playoff game against Nevada before losing to Boston College.

Hasquet has been a three-year starter for Montana, while Sharp played a vital role as a first-line backup before winning the starting role as Montana post early in conference play.

#40 KYLE SHARP

Elgin-Taylor was Montana's starting guard through most of the 2008 season and pre-season 2009. He has usually been the first player off the bench in conference play.

READ Grizzly Journal's profile of KYLE SHARP here (or click on the profile header in the left column.

#5 CEYLON ELGIN-TAYLOR

READ Missoulian Sports Editor Bob Meseroll's excellent profile of JORDAN HASQUET here.

Montana Griz, Weber State game photos

Grizzly Journal's game photos for the Montana-Weber State conference tilt February 19 at Missoula's Dahlberg Arena are available for viewing. The photos can be viewed HERE.

The Wildcats, behind the first-half scoring of freshman guard Damian Lilliard (photo, right) defeated the Grizzlies 69-58 in a battle for first place in the Big Sky Conference on Thursday.

With the win over the Griz, the Wildcats claimed the title and home-court host role for the post-season tournament, which is scheduled for March 10-11 in Ogden, Utah.

Montana junior guard Anthony Johnson (photo, with ball) scored 17 points against the Wildcats... keeping him on pace for consideration as Big Sky MVP, along with outstanding senior point guard Kellen McCoy of WSU.

Montana has a must-win game against the Idaho State Bengals today. A Montana win places the Griz in good position for second place and a first-round bye in the tournament. Otherwise, it's not so simple.

A loss to the Bengals makes earning second place and a tourney bye much more difficult for the Griz. In the event of a second-place tie between the Griz and Portland State, my 'early' calculations give the Griz a shot at earning the tie-breaker with the Vikings.

However, in the event of a third-place tie with the Bengals in conference play, Idaho State would most likely earn the tie-breaker. The worst Montana is likely to finish would be in fourth place, with a home-court first-round playoff game.

Grizzly Journal will post game photos and a story of the Griz-Bengals game later tonight.

Weber State claims Big Sky title with 69-58 win over Montana

In a game billed as the battle for the Big Sky Conference title, the Weber State Wildcats left no doubt in the mind’s-eye view of a partisan Montana crowd of 5558, claiming the regular season conference crown with a convincing 69-58 win over the Grizzlies at Dahlberg Arena Thursday.

The win – the Wildcats’ 12th in Big Sky play and seventh road triumph – ensured Weber State the host role in the conference post-season tourney and propelled them to an impressive 18-8 record so far.

Weber State jumped quickly and rode the shooting prowess of freshman guard Damian Lillard, whose 12 first-half points catapulted the Wildcats to a 33-27 first half lead.

“I thought he (Lillard) gave our team a lot of confidence,” said Weber State head coach Randy Rahe. “He got off to a great start shooting the ball, and he was ready to go tonight. I thought he was the biggest key to why we got that first half lead.”

Though Lilliard finished with 16, several of his court-mates took control of the second half from there.

“I thought they (the Wildcats) were the aggressor tonight,” said Montana assistant coach Nate DuChesne.

“ I’m not sure why. We’ve been the aggressor of late. Tonight we allowed them to be a little too comfortable on the offensive end and get some good looks early. When you do that, you play with a lot more confidence. And they did that,” said DuChesne.

PHOTOS: Montana guard Anthony Johnson scores twoof his game-high 17 points against Wildcat guard Damian Lilliard. Johnson made only 6-for-16 shots on the night. (Below) Four Weber State defenders surround Montana guard Ceylon Elgun-Taylor in a scramble for the ball. Elgin Taylor regained control of the ball and scored the basket for two of his four points. Pictured are: (?) Kellen McCoy, Kyle Bullinger, Elgin-Taylor, Johnson, and Daviin Davis.

Wildcat senior center Steve Panos, plagued by first-half foul trouble, dominated the paint in the second half, netting 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the low blocks over Montana post defenders. The result was a stretch of mid-half Wildcat play that boosted the league-leaders to leads as large as 15 before they coasted to the final 11-point margin on a ball-control passing game offense.

“When we’ve been successful defensively, and when we kind of turned this thing around, it’s because our bigs were able to go one-on-one at the post...” said DuChesne. “(But) their bigs had their way with us tonight for the majority of the game,” said Duchesne.

Rahe agreed with Duchesne.

“I thought the biggest difference was I thought we really defended,” said Rahe. “And we really rebounded well. Those were the two areas that we had to  try to outdo them if we were going to be successful. And those were the two areas that I thought were the biggest reasons that we had a chance.”

“We challenged them going in that if we can out-defend them and out-rebound them, we’ll have a chance going down the stretch,” said Rahe.

PHOTOS: Montana senior Kyle Sharp controls the ball in a post-up move where he scored two of his four points on the night. Wildcat post Steve Panos defends. (bottom) Montana post Brian Qvale posts up against Panos in second-half action. Qvale scored nine points and had eight rebounds. Panos scored 13 points and had four rebounds.

Nonetheless, it was Wildcat reserve guard Daviin Davis who wreaked perhaps the most damage at the most critical junctures. Davis scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, several on slashing baseline drives past or behind Montana defenders.

When Davis wasn’t scoring, he was helping to put the clamps defensively on Montana’s all-everything point guard, Anthony Johnson.

Johnson scored 17 to pace the Grizzlies. But the league-leading scorer shot an uncharacteristic 6-of-16 from the field on several tries that were altered by Wildcat defenders.

Johnson’s backcourt starting teammate, Ryan Staudacher, had an even more disastrous shooting night, missing all six of his shots and one of-two free throws for one point. Power forward Jordan Hasquet made only 1-of-5 shots, though he made all four of his free throws to finish with seven.

“I thought Johnson had a good night,” said Rahe. “But he was six-for-16. He’s been shooting over 50 percent.”

Only reserve guards Michael Taylor (nine points) and Ceylon Elgin-Taylor (seven points) and center Brian Qvale (nine points) shot with any accuracy. But their efforts were not enough to boost the Grizzlies, who trailed the entire game after Lilliard knocked down two quick first-half treys to propel the Wildcats to a seven point lead midways through the first half.

Though Montana would mount two second-have rallies that pulled them within five points, five was as close as they could get. Each time the Wildcats got clutch plays by Davis, or Panos. Or – in one short span of time – guard Nick Hansen, who nailed back-to-back treys to put space between the Wildcats and the Griz with just under eight minutes remaining.

The loss leaves Montana where they were before the game, in second place with an opportunity still before them to  claim a first-round bye in the post season tournament.

That prospect kept Montana coach Wayne Tinkle upbeat after the game.

“We told our guys, we tried to say 'fellas.... let’s give it our best shot,' ” said Tinkle. “We said it all week... 'You guys have put yourselves in the position to make this a big game.' "

“I’m disappointed we didn’t respond a little bit better,” said Tinkle. “But at the end of the day, had we won, we would still have been in second place.

“But the more important thing is we’ve got a really tough team coming in on Saturday,” cautioned Tinkle. “And we’ve got to regroup.”

That team is the Idaho State Bengals, which rocked Montana State 63-56 in Bozeman Thursday. A win over the Bengals puts the Grizzlies into position to earn the bye. A loss to the Bengals and-or to Northern Colorado next week could push the Grizzlies into third, or perhaps fourth place.

That would then force Montana into first-round play, with the most-likely scenarios as a host to either the Bobcats or Northern Colorado.

MONTANA GRIZ: Contenders or Pretenders?

In post-game comments after his Montana Grizzlies had almost effortlessly dispatched the Montana State Bobcats by 15 points on their home court, Montana coach Wayne Tinkle repeated his season-long mantra that his diverse group of veterans and newcomers, would jell slowly.

That’s because, since game one, a minimum of nine players (sometimes 10) regularly log double-figures playing time. The process of getting all those players in sync has been complex. And it’s taken time.

 But, after Saturday night’s powerful Griz performance, even Tinkle might admit that things have been solidifying nicely.

 The Grizzlies, in the wake of that 78-63 win over the Cats, look quite ready to contend for the Big Sky Conference title a mere three weeks after losing back-to-back road games against Idaho State and Weber State and appearing in danger of slipping into the bottom tier of the conference.

Things started falling into place with Montana’s 63-50 win at Eastern Washington. The Griz have since chalked up four more.

ANTHONY JOHNSON (with ball) the Big Sky's leading scorer and free throw shooter, has been drawing crowds lately.

Saturday’s win –- Montana’s fifth straight and its second road triumph in conference play –- cemented a solid grasp on third place in the Big Sky conference at 8-3, easily placing the Griz within striking distance of the league leading Wildcats (9-1) and Portland State (8-3).

The win was further proof of a steady, game-by-game improvement by the Griz that was predicted three weeks previously by the perceptive Northern Colorado coach, Tad Boyle.

“To me it’s Portland State, Weber State and Montana right now,” said  Boyle.  “They’re the contenders in this league, and everybody else is just pretenders. I really think that.”

CEYLON ELGIN-TAYLOR, since his return to action, has given Montana a boost, and added depth at the point.

Of course there are no guarantees in the Big Sky, as the second-place Vikings can attest after being unanimously pegged to easily defend their 08 league and tourney titles.

The catalyst for Montana has been junior college transfer Anthony Johnson, who stepped up and manned Montana’s point-guard responsibilities in the wake of senior leader Ceylon Elgin Taylor’s 10-game absence to address personal issues.

RYAN STAUDACHER, known as an excellent shooter, has made giant strides on  defense in recent games, logging one of his best-ever defensive efforts against the Cats.

Johnson has been a study in excellence, learning the nuances of his new role quickly and, in all likelihood, learning the entire Montana offensive system faster than he might have otherwise. The result has been improved  guard depth overall as off guards Ryan Staudacher and Michael Taylor logged extensive floor time with Johnson at the point. And so, when Elgin-Taylor returned to action two weeks ago,Montana’s guard play had become more mature, more versatile, with a newfound offensive punch.

MICHAEL TAYLOR is a capable ball handler and an excellent defender and will be a key sub because of Montana's recent injury issues.

It was the confident second-half play of Elgin-Taylor against the Bobcats that allowed Johnson to roam off ball in the two guard spot. Johnson broke loose for 17 second-half points against the Bobcats (scoring 13 of Montana’s final 14), two of the buckets coming off of laser-sharp assists from Elgin Taylor. Also since his return, Elgin Taylor has become more aggressive offensively, as his eight points Saturday illustrate.

Montana has thus developed into a potent offensive team (by Big Sky standards) behind Johnson’s league-leading scoring prowess. That's opened things up everywhere, allowing for more offensive looks by posts Brian Qvale and Kyle Sharp, and even giving more offensive room for power forward Jordan Hasquet to work. Montans's offensive weapons are functioning atall positions now, Adding Elgin-Taylor’s full-court leadership has made them even stronger.

But Griz guard play paints only a partial view of Montana’s mid-season turnaround.

KYLE SHARP has emerged as Montana's senior leader on defense in the paint.

Another personnel adjustment actually coincides more directly with Montana’s recent dominant play. That adjustment occurred when Tinkle switched the roles of senior post Sharp with sophomore post Qvale, making Sharp the starter and bring Qvale in off the bench. The all-so-simple move looks like a master stroke by Tinkle, because the improved play of BOTH posts has paid dividends at both ends of the floor.

Sharp is relaxed, aggressive and confident as Montana’s senior starter; Qvale is... well, with the starter's pressure off his shoulders, he’s become more relaxed, aggressive and confident stepping into the fray as Sharp’s first-line sub. The duo now make for the most dominant and powerful post tandem in the Big Sky.

BRIAN QVALE has become a more aggressive and confident player as Sharp's substitute at post.

Saturday’s stats-line shows that Montana had five blocked shots. I counted at least eight. But when Montana’s altered shots are counted, the figure logged by Sharp, Qvale and wing Jack McGillis could be closer to 15 blocked or altered shots total. Putting it mildly, any shots launched by the Cats in the key entered into a Montana flak zone. The Griz are now contesting everything in the key. And that leads to...

Perhaps the most important factor in Montana’s resurgence lies in an area of steadily improving team strength: defense. Early in the season Montana assistant coach Nate DuChesne told me that Montana would start winning when it “assumed on-court ownership of trademark Montana defense.” DuChesne was referring precisely to Montana’s two-decade reputation as one of the best defensive teams in the Big Sky.

JORDAN HASQUET has been getting more open looks from Montana's improved offensive play and will be a key component in the Grizzlies title hopes.

Take a look at Saturday’s stats. The Grizzlies dominated the Cats, holding them to four points below their season average. More impressively, Montana held the Bobcats to a 26.1 percent second half field goal average, which was down from an equally stark 34.5 first-half percentage. The Cats shot 30.8 percent for the whole game, almost 16 percent below their 45.7 pct. average.

It was merely the latest in a string of golden Montana defensive performances, all of which rank them as clearly the best defensive team in the Big Sky. How they’ve been playing that defense is  probably the subject of an analysis after Montana’s next road swing (this week).

JACK McGILLIS is the key high-post defender in Montana's steadily improving zone-to-man defense. His perimeter shooting is improving with each game. Another key player in Montana's title run hopes.

Over the past two years Tinkle hung his hat on Montana’s rank as the Big Sky’s leader in scoring defense, which they again hold with a 65.7 mark. But this year the Grizzlies are also the league’s best team in field goal percentage defense, which is a much more accurate gauge of defensive efficienty. The Griz are holding their opponents to a .442 percentage in field goals, almost a full point better than Weber State, and significantly ahead of the rest of the conference.

There’s more of course. Montana is ranked second in blocked shots (3.57 pg), second in free throw percentage (72 percent), and third in three-point field goal percentage (38 percent).

And, whenever Tinkle is asked, he says Montana isn’t close to playing up to its potential. But now’s the time to do just that.

Montana embarks Thursday to road games against Sacramento State and Northern Arizona. Both are games the Griz need to win to remain in the title race. Both will be battles.

Both will provide answers to the question of whether or not the Montana Grizzlies are contenders.

Or pretenders.

Morales, Johnson take command in Griz dual-sweep of Cats

The Montana Lady Griz and the Montana Grizzlies capped impressive sweeps of the Montana State Bobcats in Bozeman today, and in doing so positioned themselves to make a run for the Big Sky Conference titles in the women’s and men’s divisions.

Even more impressive was the stellar play of two point guards well on their way toward etching a spot in Montana, and Big Sky record books.

The Lady Griz beat the Lady Cats 67-60 behind the 17 points of All-Conference (and reigning MVP) Mandy Morales, while junior guard Anthony Johnson paced the Grizzlies with 23 points in the resurgent Montana Grizzlies 78-63 thumping of the Cats in the evening finale.

The leadership and play of Morales and Johnson demonstrated that championship-caliber teams usually win because of the leadership of a true floor-general point guard at the team’s helm.

But Morales and demonstrated even more on Saturday. The two gold-standard point guards demonstrated yet again the uncanny sense of the how and when of taking full control of a game.

Morales stood tough under a frantic barrage of physical punishment by the Lady Cats, snaring four critical rebounds over the final four minutes of play and sinking two critical free throws in the final minute of play.

In a virtual standoff between Morales and Montana State point guard Jessica Perry – an outstanding point guard as well – it was Perry who blinked first. Television cameras provided several closeups of the two in the final minutes of play, and the evidence was overwhelming.

Johnson’ s performance was even more emphatic. The junior point guard – tossed green into the point-guard role just before Christmas – had been held to only five points through the first half. But he responded with several critical assists, and and waited for his time.

When the Bobcats made a run at Montana with just under 10 minutes remaining, Johnson took control. He scored 18 points on several nifty pull-up jumpers and two slashing drives. And... when the Cats started fouling in the final three minutes, Johnson calmly sank 9-of-9 free throws to pace the Griz to their inspiring win.

The Lady Griz’ win, coupled with Sac State’s 64-75 win over Portland State, gives Montana sole possession of first place heading into the second half of play. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, improved to 8-3, and in sole possession of second place, well within reach of league-leading Weber State (9-1). The Grizzlies are in perfect position to challenge the Wildcats for the Big Sky Conference title. Two critical road contests stand in their way this week.

What does the leadership of Morales and Johnson look like on paper? It’s all revealed in the stats-line.

Morales:  FG 6-11;  FT 5-5; RBNDS 7; PTS. 17; A 2, TO 4.
Johnson: FG 7-14;  FT 9-9; RBNDS 5; PTS 23;  A 5; TO-5.

Game Photos of Montana's 60-52 win over Eastern Washington

Game photos of Montana's 60-52 win over the Eastern Washington Eagles are now posted at the Grizzly Journal photo site. Photos can be viewed HERE.

Montana senior power forward Jordan Hasquet notched a double-double in Montana's 60-52 win over Eastern Washington on Saturday.

Hasquet hit 3-of-5 three-point shots early in the first half to pace the Grizzlies, finishing with 12 points. In the second half, Hasquet bolstered Montana's rebounding, and finished with 10 boards. Hasquet is ranked fourth in the Big Sky in rebounding, with 131 rebounds, an average of 6.0 per game. He is the second-best defensive rebounder with 4.32 per game, trailing only Justin Eller of Sac State at 4.55 per game.

Montana's three straight conference victories, coupled with Montana State's 85-82 win over the Portland State Vikings on Sunday, bumped the Grizzlies into second place in the conference standings at 7-3, one-half game ahead of the Vikings at 6-3 and 1.5 game behind league-leading Weber State at 8-1.

PHOTO: Montana power forward Jordan Hasquet looks to pass the ball past Eastern Washington post Brandon Moore. Hasquet had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the Grizzlies' 60-52 win over the Eagles.

Montana is clearly the dominant defensive team in the Big Sky so far, with league-leading statistical averages in two key defensive categories. The Grizzlies are holding opponents to 65.8 points per game, nearly two points per game ahead of second place Weber State at 67.5. The Grizzlies are holding their opponents to a  .428 shooting percentage from the field – also a league best – ahead of the second place Wildcats at .434.

The Grizzlies are also ranked second in the Big Sky in free throw percentage at 71 percent, and blocked shots with 77 (3.5 per game).  Montana is ranked third in three point field goals (38 percent), assists (12.27 per game), and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.96).

Montana junior point guard Anthony Johnson is tied for second in scoring average (16.3) with Sacramento State's Loren Leath, both barely behind league leader Benny Valentine of Eastern Washington at 16.4. Johnson has the third best free throw shooting percentage at .854, behind Antonio Flaggs of Sac State (.879), and Damian Lillard of Weber State (.864). However, Johnson's 111 made-free throws is more than the combined total of Lillard and Flags (96).

Montana shooting guard, junior Ryan Staudacher, is ranked second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.489) behind Northern Arizona's Cameron Jones at .509.

Sophomore center Brian Qvale has 35 blocked shots, a 1.35 per game average, good for second behind Montana State's Divaldo Mbunga with a 1.60 per game average (32 total).

Griz shake-off slumber, edge Eastern Washington 60-52

Down by 10 points a mere 42-seconds into the second half, the Eastern Washington Eagles attacked the Montana Grizzlies with alternating zone and man-on defensive looks and held the Grizzlies scoreless for nearly nine minutes.

The problem was that the Eagles could only score 10 of their own points during that span, a rate of just over a point per minute. The result?

The Eagles’ defensive prowess was only good enough for a 32-32 tie.

And so, with 9:31 remaining – when Montana point guard Anthony Johnson broke the logjam with a three-point jumper from the tip of the key – the points were enough to give the Grizzlies a lead. And momentum.

Johnson’s shot triggered a Grizzly run that was good enough for a 60-52 Big Sky Conference win over the Eagles before 4126 partisan fans.

The win nudged Montana’s record to 7-3 in conference play, 13-9 overall, and solidified the Grizzlies’ grip on third place In conference standings, since both Northern Colorado and Idaho State lost.

Johnson’s trey was just his eighth point of the game, but the heady junior Griz floor leader took control of the game from there to the buzzer, scoring 12 of Montana’s remaining 25 points and directing the pace of the game at both ends of the floor.

“I really loved his presence on the court,” said Montana Coach Wayne Tinkle, shaking his head in admiration. “We're asking him to do an awful lot... Man, his demeanor and his presence was unbelievable on the court.”

The JC transfer floor leader once again provided MVP-caliber evidence for consideration as one of the Big Sky’s elite guards.

Johnson recorded a Griz career-high six assists without a turnover, snared three rebounds and had a blocked shot.

“Just an unbelievable game out of him,” said Tinkle. “ And he made some really big plays for us when we were looking for him to.”

PHOTOS: (Top) Montana point guard Anthony Johnson drives past EWU center Brandon Moore for two of his game-high 20 points. (Bottom) Vassy Banny works to drive into the lane to shoot. Banny was fouled on the shot but missed the free throws. Vanny scored two points in three minutes of playing time.

Forward Jordan Hasquet stepped up big as well... in two key stretches. The senior power forward paced the Grizzlies to an early 17-6 lead with three treys and 3-of-4 conversions from the free throw line.

And though Hasquet scored only one more point during the game, his second half rebounding and defense was just as critical. The result for Hasquet was a double-double of 12 total points and 10 rebounds.

Wing Jack McGillis was the only other Montana player in double figures. McGillis scored 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting from the floor and 5-of-6 free throws.

But two of McGillis’ plays were back-breakers, according to Eastern Washington coach Kirk Earlywine.

  “I thought three possessions in particular,” said Earlywine. “I thought the jump shot that Johnson hit off of a high-ball screen late in the shot clock was a big one. Then I thought we relaxed down there and allowed McGillis a deep post up, and then allowed him to score on a flex cut,” he added.

“We just don’t have enough margin for error to make those kinds of mistakes.”

“ I thought we gave about a "B" effort tonight,” said Earlywine. ”But a "B" effort isn’t good enough on the road against a good team. A "B" effort just gets your heart broken.”

Guard Andy Genao paced the Eagles with 14 points. He was joined by reserve guard Adris DeLeon with 12 and junior post Brandon Moore with 11.

The smaller Eagles dominated the boards 38-31.

No other Griz scored more than Ryan Staudacher’s five points.

But Montana's offensive production was enough to secure a win that saw the Eagles slap a disruptive array of switching defensive looks, usually starting with a zone, then switching to man-to-man. During the second half the Eagles frequently switched defenses at Earlywine's verbal command during a single Montana possession.

Unable to score, the Grizzlies responded with their own iron-clad defense, holding the Eagles to a paltry 33.3 percent from the field, and blocking a season-high six shots, three by Griz center Brian Qvale and two by Johnson.

PHOTOS:  (Top) Jordan Hasquet drives against EagleMatthew Brunell for two of his 11 first-half points. Hasquet also had 10 rebounds. (Bottom) Sophomore center Brian Qvale posts up against Gary Gibson and Benny Valentine (right)  made two points, had one assist and had three blocked shots.

“We were in there defensively, “ said Johnson. “As long as we play defense, we can win one to zero. As long as we play good defense, all the rest will take care of itself.”

Tinkle agreed.

“The unfortunate spurts we have where we don’t score, we’ve continued to defend, by and large,” said Tinkle. “I wish we would have held them under 50, but it’s still a pretty good job to hold them to 33 percent, and that’s what won us the game when we really didn’t have our best stuff offensively.”

Tinkle admitted to worrying about facing Eastern after beating them in Cheney only a week ago.

“We were really petrified of this game because we knew we were really gonna get their best, and it wasn’t pretty,” said Tinkle.

Johnson just shrugged.

“When you play basketball you have to make game-time adjustments,” he said.

He modestly credited his teammates for working hard to get open for one of his six assists.

“For me they (Eagles) were kind of keying in on me early and sending double-teams at me and squeezing on the ball screens.”

“So, with two guys on me that leaves one guy open all the time. I was just trying to keep my head on a swivel, find the open guy,” said Johnson.

“And our guys made plays.”

Montana now gets a week to prepare for their trip to Bozeman on Sunday, when they’ll face the Montana State Bobcats next Saturday, February 7th at 7 p.m.

Game Photos of Montana's 72-65 win over Portland State

Game photos of Montana's 72-65 win over the Portland State Vikings are now posted at the Grizzly Journal photo site, which you can access by CLICKING HERE.

PHOTOS:  (Top photo) Sophomore guard Michael Taylor drives against PSU gard Andre Murray in first-half action. Taylor scored eight points – two of them three-point shots. Taylor's second trey came at a key point late in the second half and gave the Grizzlies a three-point lead. Taylor played point man on Montana's efficient second-half zone against the Vikings. (Second photo) Montana junior forward Jack McGillis puts up a shot over PSU players Phil Nelson and Andre Murray in first-half action. McGillis made only 3-for-13 shots on the night, but his makes came at a key point in second half play. McGillis finished with eight points, six rebounds and three assists. (Third photo) Montana sophomore forward Brian Qvale watches his second-half tip-in settle into the net while junior forward Vassy Banny and PSU forward Kyle Coston watch. Qvale pulled down five rebounds to go along with four points and one blocked shot in 15 minutes of action.

Grizzlies tighten Big Sky race with 72-65 win over Portland State

The Montana Grizzlies combined stellar blue-collar performances from two of their power big men in the low blocks, along with a smothering defense on the perimeter, and edged the Big Sky Conference-leading Portland State Vikings 72-65 before the most raucous crowd of the season (4316)  in Dahlberg Arena Thursday.

Senior center Kyle Sharp punched-in with a swing-shift double-double of 10 rebounds and 15 points from point-blank range, while senior power forward Jordan Hasquet roped off the paint in the second half and finished with 13 points and four rebounds. Their yeoman efforts, along with 15 points and three assists from junior point guard Anthony Johnson, led the Grizzlies to their first win over the Vikings since 2006.

“They (Montana) hit some big shots, hit some big threes and... the crowd got into it, and I thought they just did a nice job of executing plays down the stretch and making baskets and we didn’t,” said Portland State Coach Ken Bone.

“I thought our guys played hard, but Montana just deserved to win,” said Bone.

Montana’s victory puts them at 6-3 and in third place – certainly poised to challenge for the conference crown – one-half game behind the Vikings (6-2)  and one behind Weber State (6-1), which won at Idaho State in overtime and moved into first place.

But just as impressive was the entire Montana defensive effort. The Grizzlies combined a smothering match-up zone defense with an active, switching man-on defense, and held Vikings’ point guard Jeremiah Dominguez to five points. The Vikings, the league’s most efficient three-point-shooting team, shot a sub-par 9-for-26 from beyond the arc for a 34.6 percent mark.

“All week all we were talking about was Dominguez,” said Hasquet. “That’s who we wanted to stop. We did a good job of that, and that was the difference in the game.

“And, I mean, we had some breakdowns, but we’ve taken a lot of pride in defense these last few weeks,” said Hasquet. “That’s going to be our motto.” 

The result of that intensive defensive play saw the Grizzlies hold the Vikings to 44 percent from the field overall, while limiting them to 10 points below their league-leading average of 75.1 points per game. Montana also out-rebounded the Vikings by seven, 36-29.

“We mixed and matched defenses,” said Montana Coach Wayne Tinkle. “I thought it kept them from really getting into a rhythm. And I thought the energy they had to expend really helped us out down to the last couple of minutes. Our guys really bought into the game plan and did a nice job,” said Tinkle.

PHOTOS: Kyle Sharp dunks the ball for two of his 15 points in first half action. Wendell Wright and Dominic Waters look on. Jordan Hasquet (bottom) drives against Tyrell Mara for two of his 11 second-half points.

Nonetheless – borrowing a description of the game by Montana point guard Anthony Johnson – the game was a prize-fight from start to finish, with six ties and 10 lead changes.

"I told you it was going to be a knock-down drag-out fight," said Johnson. "It was nothing less than a heavyweight championship fight."

The Vikings extended a five-point 34-29 halftime lead to eight before Hasquet took charge in the early minutes of the second half. Hasquet scored eight of Montana’s next 16 points on a variety of drives and pivot & post moves to lead a 16-2 surge which resulted in a 50-43 Montana lead with 11:09 remaining.

I wanted to pick it up right from the start when I got in there in the second half,” said Hasquet. “And I was able to do it a little bit,” he said.

Game photos of Montana's 68-59 win over Northern Colorado

Game photos of Montana's 68-59 win over the Northern Colorado Bears are now available at the Grizzly Journal Flickr photo site, which you can access HERE.

Junior Anthony Johnson led the Montana Grizzlies to a 68-59 win over the  Bears before 3594 fans in Missoula on Sunday, Jan. 25.

Johnson scored 18 points to lead the Grzzlies in scoring. Senior forward Jordan Hasquet scored 13 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had four assists in the nine-point Griz win.

On Monday, Johnson was named Co-Big Sky Player of the Week with Sacramento State guard Loren Leath.

From the Big Sky release:

Johnson, a 6-2 junior from Tacoma, Wash., averaged 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and two assists per game as Montana won two games to move to 5-3 in conference.

Johnson scored 21 points with five rebounds and three assists in a 63-50 road win over Eastern Washington on Wednesday. Johnson made 9-of-16 field goals, and went 2-of-3 from the free-throw line.

Johnson scored 18 points, hitting 9-of-11 free-throws in a 68-59 win over Northern Colorado in Missoula on Sunday. Johnson had two rebounds and an assist.

Johnson made 52 percent of his field goals, 50 percent of his 3-pointers, and 78.6 percent of his free throws in the two games. 

PHOTO: Montana point guard Anthony Johnson takes the ball upcourt on early offense during first half action. Northern Colorado forward Mike Proctor defends. The Grizzlies moved to 5-3, good for third place in the Big Sky Conference at the halfway mark in league play. Montana hosts the league leading Portland State Vikings in Missoula, Thursday, Jan. 29.

Read the game story HERE.

Quick-start offense, steady defense give Montana 68-59 win over Northern Colorado

For the second-straight Big Sky Conference game, the Montana Grizzlies parlayed relaxed shooting and defensive intensity into a quick jump start, a big early lead, and a 36-minute, 27-second performance that produced.

The last 3:33 – when sloppy Montana play nearly backfired, though it irked several Griz starters – ended up not mattering.

And so the final result was a 68-59 win over the Northern Colorado Bears that positioned the Grizzlies at 5-3 (11-9), good for third place through the first half of league play behind league leaders Portland State (6-1) and Weber State (6-1).

“To me it’s Portland State, Weber State and Montana right now,” said Northern Colorado coach Tad Boyle.  “They’re the contenders in this league, and everybody else is just pretenders. I really think that.”

It won’t take long to find out because the going gets tougher Thursday for the Grizzlies, who now must focus on the defending champ Vikings, a team that has beaten the Griz by a combined score of 180-101 over teams’ the last two conference clashes. The Vikings’ 108-52 thrashing of the Griz in Dahlberg Arena last year was one of the three worst losses in Montana history.

“We’re five and three. we’re a win away from the leaders,” said Montana coach Wayne Tinkle. “We’ve played at three of the tougher places in the league to play. So now we’re going to...  just focus on Portland State.

“We’ve got to put together a game plan that will give us the best chance to win here on Thursday night,” said Tinkle.

PHOTOS: Junior wing Jack McGillis scores in traffic during first half action. McGillis had five points, eight rebounds and two steals. (bottom) Senior point guard Ceylon Elgin Taylor returned to action after an absence (personal issues) of more than a month.

Montana’s impressive play came from a suddenly much deeper squad at every position, thanks to a businesslike return performance from senior point guard Ceylon Elgin-Taylor, who’d been sidelined by personal issues since mid December. 

Though Elgin-Taylor’s stat-line didn’t show much, his steady play as junior point guard Anthony Johnson’s backup gave the Griz the muscle and leadership ET had provided before his month-long ineligibility.

Elgin-Taylor seemed more relieved than anything during the post-game celebration.

Montana gets huge road breakthrough with 63-50 win over EWU

The Montana Grizzlies got a huge breakthrough in Big Sky Conference play with a 63-50 win at Eastern Washington Wednesday.

With the win, the Grizzlies move into third place in the standings and join three other teams with a plus-win score of +1, an important measure to gauge a team’s position to qualify for the Big Sky’s post season tourney.

PHOTO: Montana sophomore post Brian Qvale (against Sac State) had perhaps his best game as a Montana Grizzly against the Eastern Washington Eagles Wednesday. Qvale scored 10 points, pulled down nine rebounds and had two blocks.

At this point (halfway) in conference action, the plus-win score is actually a better early indicator of a team’s chances to make the tourney, than win-loss standings.

The loss gives the Eagles a score of -2, which severely jeopardizes t heir chances to qualify for the post-season tourney.

Two of the teams with plus-win scores – Portland State at 5-1 (+1) and Weber State at 4-1 (+1) – have the inside track to either host the post-season tourney and/or to get a first-round bye.

But a significant factor for both teams is that their lone losses come at home, the Vikings losing to WSU and the Wildcats losing to Montana State.

That means that any Big Sky team that beats either the Wildcats or the Vikings at home, stands a solid chance of maintaining a solid chance to at least make the post-season tourney.

The fourth place Bobcats are the other team with a plus-win score of +1.

Two teams - fourth place Idaho State and eighth place Northern Arizona - are at 0.

Northern Colorado, with a home-court loss to Portland State on Sunday, has a score of -1. Sacramento State has a score of -4 and has already been eliminated from qualifying for the post-season tourney.

However, the Hornets can have a say in which other teams might join them among the bottom three teams not to make the tourney. Though the Eagles have already won at Sacramento, any team to lose to the Hornets in Sacramento would have to win an extra road win somewhere else to keep pace with the four teams to notch wins at Sacramento.

Not only was Montana’s win a road breakthrough, but it was perhaps the best game of the year for the team still searching for an offensive identity. Montana shot the ball up from long range early, and finally made them. That forced the Eagles to expand their offense.

The Griz responded by then pounding the ball inside and went on a 19-3 run to take a 36-21 halftime lead and virtually sew-up the win.

The Griz extended their lead to as much as 23 points (51-48 and 57-34) before the Eagles made a late run that was too little and too late.

Every Montana player to see action scored, led by junior guard Anthony Johnson’s 21.

There were several notable factors in the win:

Montana coach played his entire lineup (minus senior Ceylon Elgin Taylor) liberally. Every player responded with quality minutes.

Sophomore post Brian Qvale had his best game of the year and perhaps his best-ever game as a Griz with 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots on dominant inside play.

Montana had its most dominant rebounding game of the year, outboarding the Eagles 40-30.

The game was a textbook example of how dominant Montana can be if it can get the ball into the paint.

Montana had its first solid assist-to-turnover plus ratio game in some time, notching 14 assists to 11 turnovers, many of those coming in the final three minutes of action.

Montana has positioned itself to challenge for the conference lead with three-straight home contests, the second one against the league leading Vikings.

NOTE: Eastern Washington radio announcer, Larry Weir, was extremely critical of Montana's coaches for not redshirting freshman Shawn Stockton, a Spokane native. In a paraphrase, the announcer said it seemed a waste of young talent to not redshirt Stockton and then not play him at least an average of eight-to-ten minutes per contest.

BIG SKY CONFERENCE STANDINGS AND +/- WINS
1.  Portland State            5-1   (+1)
2. Weber State                4-1   (+1)
3. Montana                     4-3  (+1)
4. Idaho State                 3-2  (0 )
5. Montana State            3-3  (+1)
6. Northern Colorado      3-3  (-1 )
7. Eastern Washington    3-4  (-2)
8. Northern Arizona        2-4  (0 )
9. Sacramento State       0-6 (-4)

Lady Griz defense shuts down Weber State 82-54

The Weber State Wildcats had the Montana Lady Griz on the ropes and coach Robin Selvig had seen enough.

In what was probably one of the earliest timeouts ever called by Selvig, only two minutes and four seconds had lapsed with the score tied at 7-7 after Wildcat guard Caitlin Anderson had knocked down a quick-trigger jumper for the tie.

From that animated timeout lecture on, however, the Lady Griz knuckled down with one of their better defensive efforts of the year – a combination of an active, switching man-on bear-trap defense... with a stretch or two of the patented Lady Griz zone.

“I thought we did a poor job to start with,” said Selvig. “And they (Weber State) do good things and they’re hard to guard. But the last 10 minutes of the first half we really had intensity, we were talking, we were doing what we were supposed to be doing, and it was real good.”

For the second-straight conference game, the Lady Griz blew out their Big Sky Conference foe early, this one an 82-54 thrashing of the Wildcats before 4030 raucous Montana fans, in which the final result was only a question of “by how much,” not “if.”

On this night every Lady Griz player scored, with senior center Tamara Guardipee logging the fewest on-floor minutes at seven.

But Guardipee made those minutes count, scoring six points – one on a crowd electrifying, rumbling drive that started at the free throw line and culminated with a layup. The imposing Montana post – gradually getting more minutes while steadily healing up from a season-long chronic hip injury – also pulled down four rebounds and dished out a nifty assist to point guard Mandy Morales in the process.

PHOTOS: (Top) Reserve point guard Shaunte Nance-Johnson slices into the paint on a dribble enter. Nance-Johnson had seven assists. (Middle) Shadra Robison (left) and Jessa Linford battle for a rebound during second half action. Linford had four points and Robison had two. (Bottom) Point guard Mandy Morales drives for two of her game high points for Montana.

“Tam’s been playing well in practice,” said Selvig. “And since she’s started playing, she’s given us positive minutes almost every time. She did it this week in particular. We’ve gotta just make sure we take it easy and not overdo it because of her hip.”

Morales – Montana’s golden senior point guard – led Montana with 18 points, many from the forward position while posting up low in the paint. In the process, her seven rebounds paced Montana’s 45-38 rebounding margin over the Wildcats and only slightly overshadowed her two steals and two blocked shots.

Young Griz fan... Future star?

In attendance at Thursday's Lady Griz game against the Idaho State Bengals was young Joerel Old Person. He was there with his mother, Trena and his older sister.

Judging by his obvious excitement about Montana basketball... well, who knows?

Wouldn't it be great to have a Joerel Old Person starring for the Montana Grizzlies some day in the not so distant future?

What does Kellis Robinett know?

... that the rest of us Big Sky Conference men's basketball fans don't know?

That was the question I asked this afternoon as I perused Robinett's Week #2 Big Sky Men's Basketball
Power Rankings.

I've followed Robinett's analysis for the past year and consider him an astute observer of the Big Sky.

And I agree with most of Robinett's ranking order for this week.

But placing the Idaho State Bengals Eighth? One slot above the perennial cellar dwellers? (You know who they are)

Ouch. Gonna be some ISU Bengal fans trash-talking with Kellis tonight when the Bengals host the Montana Grizzlies.

Despite ISU's record (I look at the scores as well and I see a solid team), the lowest I'd rank the Bengals would be sixth.

But maybe Robinett figures the loss of Bengal point guard Kai Bay to a hand injury will take its toll tonight.

Montana followers know how much an absent senior (Montana's Ceylon Elgin-Taylor) point guard can hurt.

We'll see. Every team has it's dynamic balance. Certainly this is the week that any team with serious plans to challenge for the Big Sky conference crown will have to put up (the numbers). Or shut up.

For the record, I'd Invert two other teams by switching the NAU Lumberjacks with the MSU Bobcats. I've seen both teams: NAU will only get better. I can't say the same about the Cats, which are again appear to be a one-dimensional team.

Other than that, check out Robinett's blog. He's always got something worth reading.

Within a few hours we'll know more.

In the meantime, as a Montana Grizzly fan, I'm hoping that Robinett's weekly ranking is "spot on!"

Wildcats forge early Plus-win lead in Big Sky standings

Big Sky conference standings are used to determine four essential outcomes in Big Sky Conference play:

1. the regular season championship and the right to host the post-season tourney;
2. second place and a first-round tourney bye;
3. qualification for post-season play and the right to host a first-round game; and
4. elimination from post-season play.

But early standings are poor predictors of the above final outcomes. That’s because a team can have more home games over the first half of conference play and APPEAR to be leading the standings, only to lose all their road games during the second half of season play and drop rapidly in the standings.

PHOTO: Montana's Kyle Sharp (#40) scores on a tip-in over Michael Stelling of Sacramento State in Montana's 80-63 Big Sky Conference win Saturday.

One excellent early season measure is called the plus-win factor. Any plus-win ranking after the first round of league play usually means a team is a solid bet to qualify for post-season play and/or to host the tourney.

Plus-wins are easy to cound: road wins count as a plus and home losses count as a minus.

Plus rankings are usually factored after the third week of conference play. Any team with a plus-ranking is considered a good bet to qualify for post-season play. Any team with a negative ranking is in danger of elimination. This year, the plus-ranking is already in evidence.

One team – with a significant plus-2 ranking – is already an inside favorite to host the tourney.

The big surprise, perhaps, is that the team is

Game photos of Montana's 80-63 win over Sac State

Game photos of Montana's 80-63 win over Sacramento State Saturday can be VIEWED HERE.

STAT NOTES: The Montana Grizzlies (3-1) have sole possession of second place after the second full week of Big Sky Conference action, Jan 11.

Montana embarks on a three-game road trip to Idaho State, Weber State and Eastern Washington over the next 10 days.

Montana's first road match is Thursday against the Bengals in Pocatello. The Grizzlies went 1-3 against the Bengals last year, but split their two games in Pocatello.

Weber State, with road wins at Portland State and Eastern Washington, has firm grasp on first place in conference with a 4-0 mark, +2 in road games so far.

Montana guard Anthony Johnson's 15.3 per game scoring average is second in conference to Eastern Washington's Benny Valentine at 16.7 per game. Photo, above: Johnson drives past Justin Eller and Randy Adams for two of his game-high 18 points against Sacramento State.

Shooting guard Ryan Staudacher's .545 shooting average from three point range is second best in the Big Sky behind NAU's Cameron Jones (.561).

The Grizzlies lead the Big Sky in scoring defense (67.1) and are ranked second in field goal defense (.439) to Weber State (.435).

After struggling from the free throw line early in the season, the Grizzlies are now shooting .717 from the stripe, good for second in conference behing Weber State at .725. Johnson is ranked only fourth in conference in free throw average (.860), but his 80-for-93 mark is far more than any of the other top 10 Big Sky players in attempts and makes.

Montana's average per-game attendance mark of 3230 is the second highest in the Big Sky behind Weber State at 3756. Sacramento State (789), Northern Arizona (847) and Portland State (992) have by far the worst attendance averages in the conference.

First-half surge catapults Montana to 80-63 win over Sac State

The rewards of Montana’s 80-63 walkaway win over the Sacramento State Hornets before 3510 fans Saturday went well beyond the 17-point margin for Grzzly coach Wayne Tinkle and several of his players.

The victory over the projected cellar-dwelling Hornets was not unexpected. But the ease with which Montana broke from a 17-15 lead in the game’s first early stages seemed to set the stage for breakout performances by several Montana players who – it seems – had been playing with the weight of the world on their shoulders.

For Montana players Jack McGillis, Brian Qvale and Michael Taylor, key plays triggered quick success, which in turn seemed to be the catalyst that allowed the players to relax and clock-in their best games of the season.

McGillis – the junior transfer from Oregon State, but Missoula native – nailed his first trey barely a minute into the game and proceeded to score 10 first-half points (he finished with 13). McGillis shot a perfect 3-of-3 from the field, which included two treys. He added 5-of-6 shots from the free throw line.

His relaxed play in front of his home-town fans, was, he admitted, a relief.

“I’m starting to adjust to the atmosphere here,” said McGillis. “I knew it was just a matter of time, but you know, I just wanted to stay positive and just keep with it. It’s just a part of getting back into it after sitting out a year.

“My confidence is definitely growing as the season has progressed, and it’s all coming with the wins,” McGillis added. 

Sophomore 6-11 post Qvale had struggled with tough-luck missed shots and turnovers in several pre-holiday games and had seemed to visibly lose confidence in recent games. It all added up to Qvale losing his starting role to senior Kyle Sharp a week ago.

But Saturday Qvale made an impact the minute he stepped onto the floor midway through the first half. He scored six points and ripped down five rebounds and then settled-in as the mid-key anchor to Montana’s increasingly effective zone defense. Qvale led both teams with 10 boards and dominant defensive play in 23 quality minutes, finishing with eight points.

Qvale shrugged off any suggestion that he’s had confidence issues.

“I just go out and play hard,” said Qvale. “I don’t mean to have any confidence struggles. It’s just something I’ve got to play through.”

Qvale added that he doesn’t mind playing off the bench. “I like sitting back for the first few minutes and watching how the game’s going and then getting to come in and play hard.”

Sophomore transfer Taylor had played well in recent games, steadily earning more minutes at the shooting guard and wing spots. Though he is regarded as an excellent outside shooter, Taylor has struggled with his shooting in recent games.

But Saturday’s bonus for Taylor was the return of his shooting touch.

His timing was perfect.

PHOTOS (TOP) Montana forward Jack McGillis battles Loren Leath of Sac for possession of the ball. (middle) Brian Qvale goes up for two of his nihe points. Qvale also had 10 rebounds. (Bottom) Michael Taylor shoots one of his three treys in first-half action. Sac State's Jared Stigall defends.

Game photos of Montana's 61-60 win over NAU

Game photos of the Montana Grizzlies' 61-60 win over Northern Arizona are now posted. Photos can be viewed HERE.

Young Northern Arizona fans shake-up Griz den

Although the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks fell a point short when Montana's Jack McGillis scored the go-ahead free throw with 6.8 seconds remaining in the Grizzlies' 62-61 win, these young NAU fans did all they possibly could to cheer-on their team.

The young fans (top photo, from left) are Jack Burns, Brendan Thompson and Charles Burns, and they had a lot to cheer for early on as the Lumberjacks jumped the Griz from the opening tip and surged to 37-24 first-half lead that swelled to 16 at one point early in the second half.

Montana coaches made two changes at halftime that eventually turned the tide for the Grizzlies. A stingy, trapping 1-3-1 Montana zone slowed NAU down and – on several possessions – forced the Jacks to take hurried shots as the game clock wound down.

But just as importantly, the Griz unleashed junior guard Anthony Johnson, who scored 20 points and repeatedly slashed past Jacks defenders on quick drible-enter drives where he scored, or was fouled. Johnson sank 18-of-19 free throws and dished an assist to forward Jack McGillis for the game-tying trey with 1:04 remaining.

Saturday Northern Arizona travels to Bozeman to face the MSU Bobcats, who beat the Sacramento State Hornets 61-42 Thursday.

Montana hosts the Hornets Saturday in Dahlberg Arena at 7:05. A  Montana win against the Hornets could move the Griz as high as second place in the Big Standings after two weeks of conference action.

Bottom photo: Another young Jacks fan, Will Burns (younger brother of Jack and Charles) cheers-on his team in first-half action.

Will is supported by his father, former Florence H. S. standout Brian Burns, who played basketball for the Lumberjacks under coach Ben Howland in the 1990s.

"All of my siblings are Griz grads and my youngest brother is currently attending UM," said Brian Burns.

"It’s not easy holding the NAU flag up here in Missoula, but as you can see I’m giving it my best shot," said Burns.

Considering how the young Burns men love basketball, It's a likelihood Missoula (or Florence) fans may someday soon see a Burns playing basketball for a local high school.

I certainly hope so.

Late Montana rally nips Northern Arizona 62-61

The game clock registered the first tie of the game with 1:04 remaining.

The next score – which signaled Montana’s first lead of the game – was netted 57 seconds later, when Griz forward Jack McGillis made one of two free throws for a 62-61 Montana lead.

That one-point lead – the ONLY Montana lead of the game – was enough, as NAU guard Cameron Brown’s trey attempt bounced left as time expired to cap off a Montana rally for the Big Sky Conference win before 3005 fans Thursday.

PHOTOS: Anthony Johnson drives the right baseline for two of his game-high 32 points. (below) Jack McGillis notches a tip-in during second half play. Mcgillis scored 11 pounts.

Montana moves to 2-1 in conference while the Lumberjacks – who have lost three conference contests by a total of five points – fell to 1-3.

Until Montana guard Anthony Johnson ignited a furious Montana rally over the game’s final 11 minutes, the Lumberjacks had dominated the momentum and the score, leading by as many as 15 points in the first half, by 16 midway through the second half, and by 51-38 before an eight-point Montana charge pulled the Griz within 51-46 with 7:31 remaining.

It was a ringside slugfest from there, with the Griz delivering the knockout flurry.

During the game’s final stretch, Johnson – who registered his second straight 30-plus point game – was unstoppable. The junior guard scored 20 second-half points on slashing drives to the bucket on both the left and right baseline.

Or, when he didn’t make the buckets, he was fouled. So he calmly sank 18-of-19 free throws.

But it was Montana forward Jack McGillis’ trey on the let elbow, directly in front of the Montana bench... off of Johnson’s feed at the 1:04 mark, that capped the Grizzlies’ momentum swing. 

It happened quickly.

The Jacks stole an errant pass, but Lumberjack forward Zarko Comagic muffed the early-offense point-blank dunk. Johnson pushed the ball in transition quickly up the floor, saw McGillis open, and fed the Griz forward for the wide-open shot.

It was a back-breaker, said Northern Arizona Coach Mike Adras.

I thought the big swing of the game was when we stole the ball, and went down and Zarko missed the dunk and they came down and scored that three-pointer at the other end of the court,” said Adras.

“So, you know, that was a five-point shift and now the crowd’s in it.”

Johnson said he saw McGillis immediately and then dished the pass. From there, it was all Jack, said Johnson.

Montana coach Wayne Tinkle agreed.

“Jack stepped up and made some huge plays for us on both ends,” said Tinkle. “He had a couple tips and blocked shots on the defensive end and obviously the baskets on the offensive end.”

Though he missed the final shot, Lumberjack guard Jones paced NAU with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. No other Lumberjack player scored in double figures, thouth eight players scored.

Statictically, the teams played on even terms. Both teams grabbed 30 rebounds. The Jacks had nine turnovers, the Griz 10. NAU shot 45 percent from the field, compared to Montana’s frigid 36.4 percent.

Simply put, the game swung on Montana’s rally. And NAU’s tough luck.

“I tell you what,” said Adras. “My guys are practicing well. We’re playing well... I guess if you can say we’re a little snake-bit a little right now. I dare say that, but that’s truly how it is. We have the will to win, we’re just not getting it done.

“We had our chances. There’s no question. We walked out of here feeling we gave one away,” said Adras.

POSTGAME NOTES:

Tinkle was puzzled by his team’s slow start. “As tough and energetic as we were in the second half, we were awful in the first half,” said Tinkle.

“But, our rally at halftime was... let’s throw caution to the wind, in not so many words. And our guys responded. It was nice to fight all that way, and get over the top and pull out the win. So many times we’ve fought, fought, fought, fell up short. It was great. And I think that’s what you saw as the horn went off, was the excitement of coming from that much of a deficit and closing it out.”

While Tinkle was pleased with his team’s defense, he’s concerned about offensive efficiency. “I don’t know what’s wrong offensively,” said Tinkle. “We’ve got to get better. We’re not making shots we normally do. I think it starts with pounding it inside. We’re getting nothing in the paint. We’re going to challenge our bigs to do some damage in there and I think that’s going to free up our shooters.”

PSU’s Bone, NAU’s Adras, deserve “Player of the Week” honors

 Player of the week awards to two coaches? I’m joking of course.

Perhaps Portland State men’s basketball coach Ken Bone and Mike Adras of Northern Arizona should get some recognition for simply surviving the four-overtime donnybrook between the Lumberjacks and the Vikings Sunday.

The added emotional, nervous and physiological strain of an EXTRA 20 minutes in the 92-91 four-overtime win by the Vikings in Flagstaff most likely took a few volts out of each coach’s battery.

I know, I know. It’s the players who make the plays and decide the game. But any contest waged on such evenly combative terms through four extra periods is most likely the result of two coaches with a plan... who refused to let their players quit either the plan or the game.

I had never watched a four-overtime game. But the overriding final impression I took from this classic game – which I viewed on Big Sky TV – was that no one gave in or gave up for an instant. Not the players. Not their coaches.

Overtime games will often end with a dramatic momentum swing to one team. A deadlocked score after one, or possibly two extra periods frequently pivots on a key play or two. And one team flinches. Suddenly the floodgates open, and one team breaks away, often surging to a final margin near 10 points.

Not Sunday.

INTERVIEW: Anthony Johnson talks about Montana's win over Cats

I'm introducing a new AUDIO (see below) feature which – if it works – will become a regular feature at Grizzly Journal. Listen to the post-game interview of Montana junior guard Anthony Johnson below.

Regardless of who is selected as the Big Sky Conference men's Player of the Week, Montana guard  Johnson's 31-point effort in the Grizzlies 73-59 win over the Montana State Bobcats was a huge morale boost for a Montana team that's struggled since senior point guard Ceylon Elgin Taylor was placed on temporary parole.

Elgin-Taylor was present at the end of the Montana bench during the win over the Cats, and there's a chance he could return to the team as early as this week.

But Johnson's steady improvement in Elgin-Taylor's absence may well be a critical factor in Montana's overall strength as the season progresses.

Listen to Johnson's post-game comments after Montana's 14-point win over the Bobcats. In the interview, Johnson emphasises the team's defensive improvements as much as his growing comfort with his expanded role as Montana's floor general.

LISTEN HERE: Download AJ-Jan308e

Game slide shows now available at Grizzly Journal

Though I've always posted game photos to accompany stories at Grizzly Journal, I've had numerous requests to post those photos in slide shows. I've also had numerous requests for video and audio post-game interview feeds.

Slide shows are now available. I'm still working on this, however. Some of the photos load slowly, so I'll probably have to make my photos smaller so that it doesn't take too long for viewers to watch an entire set.

I probably won't be offering video feeds, simply because I work primarily with photos, not video. However, I've also made headway on audio feeds and should be able to offer post-game interviews this week sometime.

In the meantime, you can view slide shows of the Montana Lady Griz 95, MSU Lady Bobcats 75 and the Montana Grizzlies 73, MSU Bobcats 59, by clicking on the highlighted links.

If you have any suggestions for site improvement, let me know.

Matt Martin quits Leicester Riders of British Basketball Pro league

Could former Grizzly guard Matt Martin (2005-08) be headed back to Montana?

According to announcements by the British Basketball League web site and the web site of Martin’s former team, the Leicester Riders, that may be the case.

Martin reportedly quit the Leicester squad at the midway point of the season. The  announcement on the BBL league page and the Leicester team page indicate Martin will be assuming a coaching position. But the articles do not specifically identify Montana as that school.

However, the brief statement in the announcement refers to Martin returning to his “Old US College,” and “taking up a basketball coaching appointment.”

Martin joined the Riders in September and played in 11 tames with the team through Wednesday. Martin had been featured on the Riders’ website, and wrote a Riders blog that was also featured on the site. Martin’s last blog entry was Nov. 6th, so no mention of recent developments is made on his blog.

In the team statement,  Leicester Head Coach Rob Paternostro said, “We are disappointed with Matt’s decision but we will not stand in his way if he wants to go another way with his career.”

Thanks to Grizzly Journal reader "Gar" for this tip!

I’ll post more on this story as I dig it up. In the meantime, if any readers have more details, please drop us a note at grizzlyjournal.com, either as a comment or in the "contact us" section.

Bone's Vikings appear ready to defend Big Sky crown

Though I bleed Griz maroon as much as any Montana fan, I admit I’m almost as much of a supporter of the Big Sky Conference, which I believe has been universally, and wrongly underrated in past years.

And so I don’t come across with trash talk very well. Because, with only a couple of exceptions over the years, I’ve often found myself rooting for players, teams and coaches from Montana’s league competitors. Never while they face the Griz, of course.

Such is the case with Portland State University men’s basketball coach Ken Bone who I would have named conference MVP for last season, if such an award could be given to a coach, no disrespect intended for the Big Sky’s true MVP, point guard Jeremiah Dominguez.

Of course Bone was named the Big Sky’s best coach last season, an award he deserved on several levels, prime of which was his ability to “get the best and the most” out of Dominguez and center Scott Morrison.

Bone is a member of that coaching fraternity that – instead of making his recruited players fit into HIS program – will yearly (or more often) adjust his own coaching philosophies to best match the skills his players bring to the program and the floor. And since those players change year by year, so does the the style of play of the team.

PHOTO: Montana's Kyle Sharp goes up for a shot in action from last season.

I suppose the year-to-year ideal for any coach would be to recruit players who best fit into his program. But it rarely happens that way (witness why so many players transfer to other schools nowadays). And though there are many successful coaches where their “My way or the highway” concept has worked very well, it’s always been fun (or frightening) to see what kind of team Bone will whip into shape as conference play rolls around.

Bone’s Vikings of 2008-09 already look more than capable of defending their conference title. The Vikings are already ranked as significantly stronger than any other Big Sky school, with a College Insider Mid-Major ranking of 17 and a USA Today Sagarin Ranking of 158. Only Weber State is close to PSU in the early rankings.

Saturday’s extra-early Big Sky conference matchup between Montana and PSU in Portland (read the Portland Oregonian account here) will give an early indication just how tough the Vikings will be this season. It will not be the best time or venue for Montana to have to “prove” that the teams’ last meeting was a fluke. But it may not be as important for Montana to prove something as it will be for the Vikings, charged with defending their home court record.

But Wayne Tinkle’s Montana Grizzlies – lest any critics overlook – did reasonably well against Bone’s defending champ Vikings last season, particularly in Portland. Everyone seems to focus upon PSU’s 108-56 dismantling of Montana at Dahlberg Arena last year. They conveniently forget that the Grizzlies’ 70-68 loss in Portland a month earlier could well have gone Montana’s way.

Montana looks for second road win at Big West leader Cal Riverside

Before the Montana Grizzlies embarked on their annual pre-Christmas California road trip, I had concluded that the Griz would have their best opportunity for a road win against Wednesday’s opponent, Cal Riverside, NOT the Fresno State Bulldogs, which the Griz beat 69-65 after leading by as many as 15 points.

Currently ranked as the Big West Conference team with the best non-conference record at 6-2, the  Highlanders had only beaten Big Sky schools Sac State by 12 (61-49), NAU by seven (59-52) and common Montana foe Southern Utah by four (67-63).

Those comparative scores are, I believe, within a range the Griz have measured up to so far this early season. On paper at least, Montana should be competitive with the Highlanders on their home floor.

Those Riverside home-court wins, however, all came before Southern Cal super soph transfer, guard Kyle Austin, became eligible to play. Austin played his first game for Riverside Monday, scored 20 points and led his steam to a 59-52 road win over Loyola Marymount.

Marymount is winless so far this season. But any road win is a special accomplishment and this one should bolster Riverside’s hopes to compete in the Big West this season.

Further research indicates that second-year coach Jim Woolridge (former head coach at Kansas State) is highly regarded for demanding top caliber defensive play from his teams.

Woolridge’s Highlanders have responded, and lead the Big West in scoring defense (54.0 per game), scoring margin (+3.1) and rebound margin (+6.4). Additionally, the Highlanders have limited opponents to 45 percent from the field and 30 percent from three point range.

A significant number of Woolridge’s coaching peers evidently believe the second year coach will make an impact this season and have given Riverside votes in the coach-voted Mid Major Poll (11). No other Big West school received any votes in this week’s poll.

Along with Austin, two JC transfers – Javon Borum and Brandon Dowdy) have played well so far.

PHOTOS: Montana point guard Anthony Johnson, going up for two against Texas Arlington. Ryan Staudacher (bottom) leads the nation in three-point field goal percentage and scored 15 points Sunday against Fresno State.

Nonetheless, Montana seems to match up well with Riverside. I’ve been writing about Montana’s size advantage in the low blocks for two full years and there are glimmers that the Griz are starting to make smaller teams pay in the paint.

Montana's 4-point road breakthrough: another 'view'

Though most college teams will happily settle for a win of "any" kind on the road, it's encouraging to see that the Montana Grizzlies did a lot of things right in their four-point, 69-65 road breakthrough at Fresno State Sunday.

The win might be a matter of perspective, I guess. Did the Griz "barely hold on for the win?" Or did they "weather a furious Fresno rally?" A little of both, perhaps. But I'll take the latter in a breakthrough against a young team fresh off of a road win against Pacific.

Leading by 54-39 with just over nine minutes remaining, Montana was outscored 26-15 by Fresno over the final eight minutes. But there's an interesting account in the Fresno Bee that credits Montana's game-long defensive intensity. And that's exactly what Montana needs to build upon if it intends to challenge for the Big Sky title.

Most interesting, however, is that Montana beat the Bulldogs by making 11-of-14 freethrows, nine during the last 56 seconds of play. Junior wing Jack McGillis sank 7-of-8 while junior Anthony Johnson made two. Missesd freethrows contributed directly to a home loss to Santa Clara just a week earlier.

But there were encouraging stats in a number of other areas which support the account in the Bee. More on those stats later.

Semester finals over, Griz face final pre-season road-trip exams

At the completion of finals week the Montana Grizzlies move on to a two-game semester-ending exam which will help determine their standing heading into an extra-early start of conference play at Portland State next Saturday, Dec. 20.

 Sporting a 5-4 preseason record so far, one that could easily be 6-3 – if not for a last-shot loss to Santa Clara –  the Grizzlies have shown signs that seven newcomers are finding their roles and that defensive intensity – a weakness last season – is slowly providing the Griz the catalyst for competitive play.

The single setback this week – the probationary loss of senior point guard Ceylon Elgin Taylor for at least two games – may actually end up benefitting the team in the long run, even though it will hurt the team’s chances at notching a road win or two.

PHOTO: Montana's success in Big Sky Conference play may well depend upon continued development by newcomers Jack McGillis (#44) and Anthony Johnson (#23). McGillis was the catalyst on this play: he knocked the ball loose, allowing Johnson to take it the distance for an early-offense layup in Montana's 67-65 win over Texas Arlington. Montana's Kyle Sharp is in the background.

That’s because two of the positions with questions remaining to be answered – point guard and shooting guard – will see some new lineup combos in contests on the road against Fresno State and Cal State Riverside because of Elgin-Taylor’s absence.

And the more on-court experience that back-court backups, JC transfer Anthony Johnson and sophomore transfer Michael Taylor get, the more versatile Montana’s attack will become by the time Big Sky play cranks up full-steam in early January.

Junior two-guard Ryan Staudacher – the Big Sky’s best three-point shooter with 2.67 per game at 63% – has improved his defensive game steadily as the starter at shooting guard.

But both Johnson and Taylor have played well enough to earn more time on-court, and both have rotated between the point and shooting guard slots. Each guard gives the Montana offense a unique look. That's good, of course, but it’s been confusing at times. Still, it’s been fun to watch unfold, since each guard takes a unique set of skills onto the court that makes defending the Griz a tough task. The competition among the four guards has been intense. The roles have yet to be solidified.

Though the Griz will surely miss ET’s experience and leadership (Montana coach Wayne Tinkle did not specify why the senior is not accompanying the team) both Johnson and Taylor are capable of strong play at both positions. The road trip unfolds another dimension in the back-court as well... the steady improvement (in practice) of freshman point guard Shawn Stockton.

Though assistant coach Nate DuChesne told me that Stockton’s “frosh” physical conditioning has limited his playing time, Stockton has steadily worked his way into the guard-mix and possesses unique point-guard skills, particularly as a passer. Since Stockton is the single Griz guard whose skillsets are closest to the definition of a “classic” point guard, his continued development will surely help the Griz as the season progresses.

The best thing to see against Fresno State and Cal Riverside would be the kind of combined guard play that leads to at least one road win from the two games. Fresno State will be a very tough opponent... but no tougher than Santa Clara. A breakout game from Johnson, Taylor or Stockton could be the catalyst – not only for a win or two – but for team depth going into conference play.

There are other concerns, particularly at wing where juniors Jack McGillis and Vanny Bassy have struggled at times. When Montana gets offensive production from either or both of those quick, physical players, they’ll be tough to beat, no matter how things shake out at the two guard spots.

In the meantime, the last two nonconference road games, minus their senior point-guard Elgin-Taylor, will be a semester final of sorts for the Griz. How well Montana does against Fresno State and Cal Riverside, may well determine how the Griz fare against the 6-1 defending Big Sky champ Vikings on Saturday.

There’s still time. Montana has two nonconference games (Utah Valley State in Missoula and Washington in Seattle) before things really crank up. But the first week in January is looming with three-straight conference home games.

By then there’ll be no looking back; the Griz will have to have their “A-Game” ready. 

Pendulum swings Montana's way in 67-65 win over Texas Arlington

In a game with as many double-edged pendulum swings as some gothic horror story, the Montana Grizzlies somehow survived three blown Texas Arlington shots in a chaotic fray under the Mustangs’ basket during the final five seconds of play, and escaped with a 67-65 heart-stopper in the final game of the Karl Tyler Chevrolet Grizzly Classic before 2597 fans Saturday.

The Mustangs’ final foray at the basket came after Griz guard – and tourney MVP – Anthony Johnson lost the ball out of bounds with 15 seconds remaining on a baseline scramble as he attempted to drive the baseline for an insurance bucket.

The Mustangs got the ball quickly to their workhorse Anthony Vereen in the paint. Vereen - who had been good as gold for the Mustangs all night – posted up for a rare miss, followed by a rebound and miss by forward Tommy Moffit, and finally a block of Moffit’s second shot by Griz Kyle Sharp before Montana forward Jordan Hasquet snared the rebound with a mere tick left to secure the Montana win.

The final episode was no more climactic in pace and drama than the previous 39-plus minutes were in a wildly shifting game where the lead changed 16 times, was tied four times, saw each team lose grasp on eight-point leads, and even saw Montana Coach Wayne Tinkle rip his sports jacket off in classic Jud Heathcote fashion and toss it over the Montana bench.

The sports jacket didn’t return to its rightful position on Tinkle’s frame until after the awards ceremony, when Hasquet, all-tourney team trophy in hand, assisted Tinkle by straightening a sleeve and helping his coach put the jacket back on.

PHOTOS: Montana point guard Ceylon Elgin Taylor drives past Texas Arlington's Marquez Haynes for two of his seven points. (Bottom) Montana post Brian Qvale had three blocks and two assists to go with his six points and four rebounds.

That’s because a seemingly comfortable eight-point 63-55 Montana lead with 3:20 remaining – built by point guard Ceylon Elgin Taylor’s efficient management of the Griz passing game for buckets by post Brian Qvale, wing Jack McGillis and Johnson - disappeared in the span of 50 fleeting seconds.

The Montana lead had been built up while Vereen and Haynes took their only breathers of the night. When they returned to action, the Montana lead vanished. Haynes quickly nailed two treys from the tip of the key, the second a four-pointer when he was fouled by Montana forward Jack McGillis. Suddenly Montana’s lead was down to one, at 63-62.

Qvale scored moments later from a laser-sharp feed by Elgin Taylor and Hasquet made two free throws seconds later. The four points would be enough on this night.

“You know, we certainly didn’t feel like it should have come down to the last possession.,” said Tinkle after the awards ceremony. “We’ve got an eight point lead with three minutes to go and we made a couple of errors.

Denver nips Texas Arlington 67-65 in Montana hoops classic

 Kyle Lewis hit a driving jumper under pressure in the key  ith three seconds remaining to lift the Denver Pioneers to a 67-65 win over the Texas Arlington Mavericks in the second game of the Karl Tyler Chevrolet Grizzly Classic men’s basketball tourney Friday night at Dahlberg Arena.

A three-quarter court shot launched by a Texas Arlington player at the 1.9-second mark was disallowed because Mavricks’ coach Scott Cross had been granted a timeout by referees. The Mavericks did not get a shot off when play resumed.

Lewis’ basket broke what had been the only tie of a game where the Pioneers led throughout, and by as many as 13 points midway through the first half.

Denver held a 10-point, 35-25 lead at halftime.

PHOTO: Denver forward Travis Hallam pulls down a rebound against Texas Arlington's Roge'r Guignard.

Second-half full-court pressure and a trapping half-court zone by the Mavericks, and dominant Inside play by Texas Arlington center Anthony Vereen, who scored 21 points, triggered a late rally that just fell short.

Led by sharpshooting guard Nate Rohnert, the Pioneers made nine-for-20 first-half treys over a passive Texas Arlington zone. It was a different story in the second half as the Mavericks held the Pioneers to only 3-for-9 from beyond the arc.

At that point, Denver forward Kyle Lewis converted on several post-up moves. Lewis finished with 16 points. Forward Justin Couglin had 10.

Guards Roge’r Gyignard and Marquez Haynes scored 13 and 11 points respectively for the Mavericks.

The win was the first of the young season for the Pioneers, now 1-5, while Texas Arlington slips to 4-2.

Texas Arlington now faces the tourney host Montana Grizzlies Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7:05 p.m. in Dahlberg Arena.

Sharp kick-starts Montana to a 63-44 tourney win over Denver

Montana forward Kyle Sharp scored 13 points on a dominating 5-for-6 shooting performace in the paint and the Grizzlies used a suffocating zone defense to transform a 27-26 halftime lead to a 63-44 walk-away over the Denver University Pioneers in the first game of the Karl Tyler Chevrolet Grizzly Basketball Classic before 3054 fans Thursday.

The game’s first 10 minutes were still a struggle for Montana, which played its third game in four days. Denver jumped to a quick 11-5 lead behind the dead-eye shooting of guard Nate Rohnert and forward Rob Lewis. Rohnert scored on several quick back-door plays down the key and two treys from the tip of the key.

With 11 minutes remaining and a media timeout, Montana coaches substituted four players into the game. That’s when Sharp made his first impart.

Sharp literally kick-started the sluggish Montana offense with several nifty pump-fake and pivot moves for scores in the paint, which then quickly opened things up on areas of the floor as the Grizzlies pulled even with young Pioneers for the remainder of the half.

PHOTOS: Kyle Sharp posts up against Denver player Nate Rohnert for two of his 13 points against. (below) Reserve power forward Derek Selvig drives past a high post screen by Sharp for two of his seven points.

Though Montana maintained a lead in the early going of the first half, it was Sharp again who had a hand in a 20-5 run midway through the second half. The Grizzlies did it in the paint and on high post drives to the bucket.

“With the posts we needed to duck and seal more,” said Sharp. “If we’re standing around it’s tough for the guards to penetrate and get us the ball. So when we’re moving around and get things moving, we can make plays.”

A power post-up layup and free throw by Sharp at the 11:37 mark of the second half gave Montana a 41-32 lead, which was quickly extended to 44-32 on a Jordan Hasquet trey and the Grizzlies pulled away to a 49-32 lead before the Pioneers would score again.

When Sharp wasn’t scoring off of post-up moves, he was often in the middle of the action, setting a screen near the free throw line which resulted in dribble-enter plays by several teammates who were playing the high post.

“The high posts did a great job. Jack (McGillis), Jordan, Derek (Selvig),” said Sharp.  “They get the ball in the high post. And they’re like guards out there passing the ball. If they can do that every time I’ll seal them and try to get easy baskets for us,”Sharp said.

Hasquet, Staudacher, Sharp lead Griz past North Dakota, 83-63

Power forward Jordan Hasquet scored 22 points on a variety of power moves in the low blocks while off-guard Ryan Staudacher nailed 6-of-7 shots from three-point range to lead the Montana Grizzlies to an 83-63 victory over the North Dakota Sioux at Dahlberg Arena Tuesday.

Hasquet credited Montana’s win to its defensive effort, particularly in light of the struggles the team had in a three point loss to Santa Clara on Sunday.

“Overall our focus was mainly defense,” said Hasquet. “But we were a lot more focused this game, this time around.

“We really wanted to come out,” said Hasquet. “Because... a few games we’ve had here we haven’t come out with the intensity we need and we were battling back and by the time it gets to that point in the second half we’re already down too much. We needed to come out and set the tone early and get the early lead.”

PHOTO: Montana's Kyle Sharp (#40) and Ceylon Elgin Taylor grab a reound over North Dakota's Daniel Harkins in Montana's 83-63 win over the Sioux Tuesday. Sharp had eight rebounds in the game.

Hasquet credited reserve post Kyle Sharp for providing an instant kick start on the defensive end early in the game.

“Sharp really set the tone there,” said Hasquet.

Hasquet's final trey off-mark as Montana falls to Santa Clara 71-68

Santa Clara University’s All-WCC center John Bryant dominated the paint while freshmen Kevin Foster and James Rahon scored a combined 6-of-8 shots from beyond the arc and the Broncos withstood a second half Montana rally to claim a three-point, 71-68 win over the Montana Grizzlies in non-conference action Sunday.

The homestanding Grizzlies had a chance for a last-second tie.

Montana forward Jordan Hasquet’s wide-open three point attempt from the corner with three seconds remaining clanged out and bounced to the floor at Missoula’s Dahlberg arena before 3176 fans.

“We drew up a play in the time out,” said Montana coach Wayne Tinkle. “We executed it perfectly and got a great look and, you know, on this night it didn’t go in.”

PHOTO: Santa Clara center John Bryant grabs one of his game-leading 13 rebounds over Montana's Brian Qvale (#41) and Ceylon Elgin Taylor. The Broncos outrebounded the Grizzlies 33-23.

For Santa Clara, the win erases the memory of four-straight losses by 16 total points for the Broncos and earned them their first road win of the young season.

Bryant, Santa Clara’s 6’-11” senior post, paced the Broncos with his 27th career double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Montana reserve guard Anthony Johnson led the Grizzlies with 21 on several slashing drives, followed by Hasquet’s 20.

PHOTO: Montana forward Jordan Hasquet looks o score two of his 20 points against Santa Clara's John Bryant. Bryant had two blocks in the game.

With the Grizzlies often double-teaming Bryant in the key in the game’s early stages, the Broncos’ freshman duo  converted a blistering 6-for-7 first-half treys on 85.7 percent Broncos' shooting from long range (52.4 percent overall) before "cooling off" to an even 50 percent for the game.

Seventeen of the 29 total points scored by the freshman guards came in the first half and triggered a run that catapulted the Broncos from a 22-21 deficit to a 36-26 margin with 2 minutes left in the first half.

Montana recovered quickly from the deficit, getting a steal and a bucket from Johnson, a bucket from Hasquet and a trey from guard Ryan Staudacher with four seconds remaining in the first half, to draw within 36-33.

SCOUTING REPORT: Santa Clara at Montana, Nov. 30

Although the Santa Clara University Broncos are winless so far this season, statistics indicate that the Montana Grizzlies may nonetheless be underdogs on their home court against the West Coast Conference visitors in Sunday’s 2 p.m. matchup at Dahlberg Arena.

The Broncos lost their first four games of the season at the NIT Tipoff Classic... by the sum total of 16 points. In three of the losses – 64-61 to Alabama Birmingham, 65-61 to Florida Atlantic, and 69-66 to first-round host Arizona – the Broncos lost the game in the final minute of play. Consolation round host Georgia beat the Broncos by six, but had to rally from a deficit for the win.

PHOTO: Montana's 6'-11' sophomore center Brian Qvale (#41) will have his hands full against Santa Clara's WCC all-conference 6'-11' 245 lb. center John Bryant.

The Grizzlies are quite familiar with the Broncos and their outstanding WCC All-Conference center, 6’-11’ senior John Bryant, who averaged 18 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks as a junior. Bryant scored 14 points and had four blocks against the Grizzlies in a 60-49 win at Santa Clara last December.

In that game the Broncos played a very patient passing-game offense, led by seven at the half and gradually pulled awat to the 11-point win. Ryan Staudacher scored 9, Jordan Hasquet scored 8 and Kyle Sharp 7 in a game where the Broncos limited Montana to 33 percent shooting from the field and outrebounded the Griz 37-28.

Gone from last season’s Bronco squad is versatile point guard Brody Angley and seven other players. The two teams have the identical task of integrating seven newcomers into the lineups this season.

SCOUTING REPORT: Montana at Utah Valley University

For all the hype involved with Montana’s Sunday 78-58 loss at Duke, it’s the second game of the Grizzlies’ short road trip – a matchup with Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah Tuesday – that holds the most intrigue for me.

Because it is this game –  and the two teams’ rematch Dec. 20 in Missoula – that will be this preseason’s most accurate game-action predictor of how Montana will fare in conference play this season.

The Wolverines – in their relatively short tenure since 2004 as a Division 1 basketball program – have demonstrated emphatically over the past four years that, not only can they compete in the Big Sky Conference, they’d be ranked solidly among the league’s upper tier teams

PHOTO: A key to the game will be Montana's ability to score points in the paint. Here, Griz post Brian Qvale scores against Misissippi Valley State.

Montana’s two-game schedule with the Wolverines continues a recent trend of scheduling a home-and-home series with a team considered of Big Sky Conference caliber (similar to last season’s series against Cal State Fullerton). Like last year, the series will be a strenuous test for the Griz.

Montana already has a comparison to make, since the Wolverines beat Montana Western 90-80 one day after the Griz eked-out a 75-67 win over the Bulldogs in their home opener.

Four days earlier the Wolverines opened their season with a home-court 68-62 win over Northern Arizona in the first of a home-and-home series with the Lumberjacks.

Bedeviled Griz still looking for transition-game solitions

Certainly most postgame-analysis of Duke University's 78-58 win over Montana Sunday afternoon will focus on a six-minute stretch midway through the first half where the Griz turned the ball over seven times.

NOTE: There are some nice game photos here, with the game box score here.

The result? Cataclysmic: A 13-9 Montana lead at the 13:10 mark evaporated into the cacophony of Cameron Arena and into a commanding 36-20 Duke lead (a 27-7 point swing) with 4:49 remaining in the half. Overall, eight Griz committed turnovers.

Montana’s temporary collapse under pressure was the stat that Griz play-by-play announcer Mick Holien noted several times during the broadcast and was emphatically underscored by Montana coach Wayne Tinkle in the postgame interview with Holien.

That the Grizzlies regained composure, and then played a competitive second half, is the encouraging news. Subsequent aggressive Montana defense early in the second half resulted in a quickly narrowed deficit of 13 points (54-41) at the 14:53 mark before the Blue Devils hurriedly called time and then gradually pulled away for the final margin.

Jordan Hasquet was the only Griz in double figures (15 points), but eight Griz scored, while Jack McGillis, Anthony Johnson, and Kyle Sharp played well.

All of which led to Tinkle being upbeat about his team’s play. The Griz faltered; but they didn’t collapse.

The game is easy to read in the stat sheet and reveals where work is required:    

• A 14-4 Duke margin in steals, which led to a 31-6 Duke advantage in points-off-turnovers.   
• A 20-11 turnover advantage overall by Duke That contrast easily accounted for the 20-point final spread and reveals a Griz floor game weakness first exposed by Colorado State.

Montana had better expect opponents to apply full-court pressure on the transition game. It’ll certainly continue Tuesday at Utah Valley State in an arena that’s been tough on Big Sky teams over the past five years.

The game’s other glaring statistical contrast was the Blue Devils’ 17-7 offensive rebounding margin, most of which led to a 16-4 second-chance points advantage. But that kind of low block power is something you’d expect from a nationally ranked powerhouse.

Otherwise Montana kept pace statistically, outshooting Duke from the field and recording strong bench play with a 26-17 advantage in bench points, which might be the brightest point of the game and a hint of better games to come.

That brings me to Tinkle’s emphasis that his team is still working on lineup dynamics... how his players are jelling and which lineups work best in specific situations. As a result, the most intriguing aspect of this game for me was not the final outcome but a hint at what might be a transformation in Montana’s guard lineup, particularly during the first substitution rotation.

It’s something I’ll follow with interest over the next several games. There’s no doubt that the fiercest competition in Griz practice is among the six guards. Don’t be surprised to see some new-look back court lineups over the next several games.

Montana players, coaches anticipate Sunday clash with Duke

The Montana Grizzlies will walk onto Cameron Indoor Stadium on the campus of Duke University at Durham, North Carolina Sunday for the first-ever matchup between the two schools.

Tipoff is at 11 a.m. and will be broadcast on Montana’s flagship station, KXGZ-FM (101.5), with
Mick Holien calling the play by play.

 Saturday the Blue Devils swept-away the Michigan Wolverines 71-56 in the 2K Coaches Against Cancer Classic. They're 5-0 on the season and currently ranked 10th in the Nation.

The Blue Devils, as most college basketball fans are aware, are a perennial Men's College Basketball power. The Blue Devils have won 47 straight November games and 62-straight non-conference home games.

PHOTO: Griz wing Jack McGillis goes up for two of his 12 points against the MVSU Delta Devils in Thursday's 82-65 win.

The only other Big Sky team to face Duke was Portland State, in 1997. Duke won that game 89-39.

Despite the odds, Montana players are anticipating the matchup. Here's what Griz players and coaches had to say about the game:

RYAN STAUDACHER, junior two guard: "Man, what an experience to get to go play Duke. And I get to go back home and play the University of Washington. I think it’s great for us to, you know... we want to play those big-name teams and I think it only gets us better for the Big Sky conference. It’ll be good for us. We’ll enjoy it."

JACK McGILLIS, junior wing: "It’s going to be a dream come true for me, and I know the staff and the other players as well. We’re just going to go there and focus on the game and try to do the best we possibly can... see what happens. It’s going to be an awesome experience."

JORDAN HASQUET, senior power forward: "It’s kind of one of those things you dream about when you’re a kid. Any time you turn on the tube it seems like during an average week, Duke’s on national TV. You know you just kind of grow up watching them. And getting the opportunity to play there will be pretty special."

MICHAEL TAYLOR, junior backup point guard: "Very excited.  I think it’s great. I think it’s awesome. It’s a once in a lifetime type of thing. You know, we’re going to have to battle through some stuff... with all our preseason road games. Playing good teams, dealing with fans, you know maybe referees. It’ll just provide mental toughness and character for us. It’ll go a long ways to help."

NATE DuCHESNE, assistant coach: "We’re going to continue trying to play Grizzly basketball. Playing hard defensively, rebounding and executing on offense and sharing the ball. They’re obviously one of the top 10 teams year in, year out. They play at an extremely high level intensity wise and we need to be able to match that or it’s going to be an extremely long afternoon. So, we need to play hard and play together and do the little things."

WAYNE TINKLE, head coach : "You know, I haven’t thought even one second about Duke. I know you’d like to have an answer to that... We just said in the locker room that we’re going to go down there to one of the more storied programs in the country and we’re going to play 40 minutes of disciplined Grizzly basketball, and compete for 40 minutes, no matter what happens. You know, we’re going down there with a purpose. It’s not a.... field trip. We’re going to go down there and try to play our style of ball and try to see if we can get a win. But it’s going to be a great experience for everybody involved."

Grizzlies swat Delta Devils 82-65, play at Duke Sunday

The relaxed and aggressive Montana Grizzlies got the ball early and often to power forward Jordan Hasquet, who responded in appropriate fasion with 23 points and seven rebounds to lead the Griz to a decisive 82-65 win over Mississippi Valley State Thursday.

 Junior wing Jack McGillis was instrumental in setting up Hasquet early in the game and finished with 7 assists.

"We knew we had to come out and make a little bit of a statement," said Hasquet. "Jack found me a couple of times early and really got me going. He definitely got us jump-started early because he was drawing all the defense and finding guys for easy ones."

The result contributed to McGillis’ best game as a Griz. He added 12 points to his bundle of assists and had two steals.

"We wanted to come out and be aggressive," said McGillis. "That’s when we play our best basketball. We wanted just  to play solid, and then things would happen for us.

"The first couple games of the season were out of character for me, McGillis added. "I was pretty rusty, you know I hadn’t played in a couple of years. But I just wanted to go out and my main focus was to make plays for my teammates."

PHOTO: Montana big men Brian Qvale (#41) and Derek Selvig (#24) battle for a rebound against Delta Devils Shannon Behling (#15), Lakendrick Allen (#21) and Eric Petty (#34).

Montana pounced quickly on the Delta Devils, building an 18-point, 26-8 lead with 10:37 remaining in the first half. From there Montana maintained a comfortable margin over the Devils, extending it to 45-23 at the 1:27 mark before settling on a 17-point 47-30 halftime lead.

“We wanted to come out of the gates early, but we focused on defense and it created some good offensive opportunities for us,” said assistant coach Nate DuChesne.

“Hasquet and McGillis played really well early and that kind of led us. They fed off of each other. They’re leaders of this team, too and it’s not just each other but the other guys picked it up too.

“We need to start games that way all the time,” said DuChesne.

Montana’s one-two point guard tandem of Ceylon Elgin-Taylor and Michael Taylor took over from there and directed an efficient inside-outside game that highlighted a powerful low-block attack by Hasquet, McGillis and post Brian Qvale (9 points, 6 rebounds) with a potent outside attack that featured long range sharpshooting from two-guard Ryan Staudacher, who scored 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

SCOUTING REPORT: Mississippi Valley State at Montana, Nov. 20

The school name, uniform colors and three of the players on the roster of the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils will be familiar to the host Montana Grizzlies in Thursday’s rematch between the teams, scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Dahlberg Arena.

Otherwise, much has changed with a team the Grizzlies beat 69-62 a year ago in the final tilt of the Thanksgiving Cougar Challenge Invitational in Spokane, Washington.

Third-year MVSU head coach James Green led his 07-08 squad to the regular season title in the South West Athletic Conference before Devils fell to Jackson State in the postseason tourney title game.

And then Green promptly packed his bags and headed 83 miles west, where he assumed the head coaching duties at.... yep, Jackson State.

PHOTO: Montana forward Jordan Hasquet scored 13 points against the Delta Devils in Montana's 69-62 win in the final game of the Cougar Challenge Invitational in Spokane, Washington last season.

Montana squeaks past Montana-Western 75-67

 The Montana Grizzlies survived 17 turnovers, an often sluggish offense and some downright breakdowns in composure to defeat a much smaller Montana-Western squad 75-67 in their home opener at Missoula's Dahlberg Arena Monday night.

In a game where statistics otherwise told a faulty tale, the Griz were out-quicked for the second-straight game, this time by the much smaller but loose and aggressive Bulldogs, who pushed the action through the entire first half and the early stages of the second.

"That’s a tough offense to guard," said shooting guard Ryan Staudacher. "They’ve got guys that can shoot it so you can’t help off. And then they’ve got a guy penetrating with no help so it’s a tough offense to guard and we had a couple of struggles with it tonight."

PHOTOS: (Top) Junior shooting guard Ryan Staudacher (#3) scored 21 points on 7-of-12 from the field, 5-of-7 from three point range. (Bottom) Sophomore point guard Michael Taylor had two assits and shot 5-of-6 from the field, while playing a solid floor game late in the second half.

It was Staudacher who paced the Grizzlies through most of the first half, scoring several quick-pivot jumpers from long range and leading the Griz to a three-point 34-31 halftime lead.  Staudacher finished the game with 21 points.

The Grizzlies started the second frame with several baseline drives and a couple from the paint. But, after claiming an 8-point lead midway through the second frame, the Griz were forced to regroup after a foul and a technical on Montana senior point guard Ceylon Elgin-Taylor led to a 4-point play and a quickly narrowed 48-44 Montana lead.

At that point, reserve point guard, sophomore Michael Taylor, subbing for Elgin-Taylor, who was evidently ejected from the game, took capable control of the Montana floor game, and directed Montana’s offensive flow for the eventual eight-point win.

"Coach said we were settling just a little bit in the first half, myself included," said Taylor.

"We were setting better screens (in the second half) not as many moving screens," said Taylor.

California prep point guard will play for Montana

Sport.com announced this afternoon that a third prep standout has announced his intent to play basketball for the Montana Grizzlies.

Will Cherry, a 6-foot point guard from Oakland, California McClymonds H. S., “has signed with Montana, according to a source close to the recruitment,” in a brief story posting this afternoon by Sport.com West Coast Recuiting Analyst, Greg Hicks.

Cherry is the third prep senior this fall to announce his intent to play for Montana.

Center Eric Hutchison, currently a 6’-9” senior at Mark Morris H. S. in Longview, Washington and Thurman Woods a 6’-5” wing from Dominguez High School in Compton, California, signed with Montana on Nov. 14.

Cherry is described in ESPN.com prep player profiles as capable of playing, “at a relentless pace and is a tenacious defender as well... He is extremely quick and does a nice job breaking down opponents to get to the basket.”

Cherry’s McClymonds H. S. basketball team was undefeated in 2007, his junior year.

Hicks has described Montana’s recruits as all having a very positive upside as future impact players in the Big Sky Conference.

The recruitment of Cherry continues Montana’s tradition of filling its roster primarily with high school players and gives a clear picture of the long-term future of third-year Montana coach Wayne Tinkle’s program.

Griz vs. Colorado State: first steps to a new defensive style

A first-game Montana road victory would be a welcome tonic for a remarkably talented Griz squad where seven newcomers – all of them skilled enough to warrant extensive playing time – will get the chance to make an early impression about Montana basketball.

But much more important for Montana – win or lose tonight against the Colorado State University Rams – is how well that still-meshing diverse lineup establishes a defensive style of play... an identity... a notoriety... against an imposing lineup of early season foes.

Montana’s lineup has the personnel, with a diverse array of skills, to be a sound offensive team. Inside. Outside. On the wing. In the post. Off the dribble. And with exceptional balance.

But it’s the defense – that part of the court Montana’s coaches have not-so-subtlety and repeatedly hinted about – that will be severely tested in several looming preseason challenges.

The stats are on paper from last season; that’s really all that’s left beyond the memories. And the exciting thing for Griz players and coaches is that tonight they can erase all those memories with a new stats sheet. How?

How better than with step-by-step improvement in defense and rebounding.

Forget that Montana ranked second in scoring defense last year (66.6 pga). That’s a line that reveals as much about a deliberate passing game offense as about defense.

More telling: last season’s Griz ranked dead last in steals (4.80), sixth in field goal shooting percentage allowed (45.1), sixth in defensive rebounds, seventh in offensive rebounds, and sixth in rebounding margin (-0.6). Oh. Better toss in a rank of eighth in free throw percentage (.674), where pecks of misses contributed to several losses.

Because of those smudge marks, a lot of fans forgot that Montana was a very efficient and steadily improving offensive team last year.

But that was then, as Griz returning starters – and all seven newcomers – remind us.

That’s because, exhibition games aside, the rumblings among Montana fans are precisely about a new snarl on defense, and hints that the Griz have been working hard on several “new looks” - in addition to a bearish “in your face” NON-switching man-on defense.

“Our secret weapons,” as Montana senior power forward Jordan Hasquet concisely, but cautiously predicted in a recent interview.

Montana coach Wayne Tinkle hinted as much in Missoulian writer Bob Meseroll’s game preview story this morning.

Montana players & coaches looking to raise the numbers

A BIG QUESTION MARK -- One area where the 2007-08 Montana Grizzlies struggled in crucial conference games was rebounding. A historically dominant rebounding team, Montana struggled more last year as the season progressed. Though Montana had two individuals -- forward Jordan Hasquet and center Andrew Strait -- ranked in the top 10 in rebounds, the Grizzlies ranked sixth in rebound margin, sixth in defensive rebounding and seventh in offensive rebounding.

Though the Grizzlies have one of the more imposing front-court lineups in the Big Sky this year, the loss of Strait will require that sophomore post Brian Qvale, (PHOTO, LEFT) senior backup center Kyle Sharp or a combination of wings Jack McGillis and Banny Vassy step up. Montana coach Wayne Tinkle noted several times last season that rebounding was a factor in more than one of his team’s close losses.

REVERSING GAME FLOW -- Another area where Montana struggled last season was in steals. The Montana per-game average of 4.8 steals per game was dead last in the Big Sky, significantly worse than seventh-ranked Weber State (5.23) and top-ranked Sacramento State (9.0).

So it was encouraging to see Montana notch 15 steals in their win over Great Falls University last week. A fluke? Nope. Look for wings McGillis and Bassy Vanny, either singly or together to beat last year’s dismal team mark. The important factor in steals is the quick change in the flow of a game, often leading to fast break points. Several other players are skilled at steals, most notably freshmen Derek Selvig and reserve guard Shawn Stockton.

Look for Montana’s improved numbers in this area to contribute directly to team wins.

ALL-POSITION DEPTH -- One factor that escaped the attention of many Montana fans last year was the crippling lack of depth at several positions. The weakest spot? It was at wing, where Montana was left without a single true #3 after JC transfer Sean Watson (a JC All-American) left school just prior to the beginning of non-conference play. Montana coach Wayne Tinkle was forced to juggle several players at the position. Jordan Hasquet manned the position acceptably, but when he did, Montana struggled defensively and in rebounding. No other Montana player, however, felt comfortable in the position.

No such problem this year. Junior transfer Jack McGillis is a natural three. He’s a capable long-distance sharp shooter and is perhaps the most energized of Montana defenders... unless you consider his backup, Banny Vassy. Look for Vassy to add a rarely seen defensive and rebounding dimension to the wing position for Montana this season.

Another area where Montana unexpectedly experienced depth issues was at point guard. After an early season injury to starter Cameron Rundles, Ceylon Elgin Taylor gradually worked his way capably into the position. That still left the Griz short at point backup. The problem was not in running the offense, where senior Matt Martin excelled, but on defense.

A RECRUITING COUP -- There’s broad consensus among Montana basketball fans that Wayne Tinkle is a top-caliber Mid Major recruiter. The results of Tinkle’s recruiting efforts since being named as head coach will likely start to bear fruit this season. We’ll discuss this in depth in a later post.

But what may well stand as one of Tinkle’s best “recruiting” coups, by my judgement, is his hiring of assistant coach Bill Evans. The former Southern Utah head coach of 15 years is widely acknowledged for his skill as a defensive coach. It may take a few games for the effects of Evans’ work with Montana players to start showing up on the court. But don’t be surprised if the Grizzlies start setting some ‘traps’ (imagine this in more than one dimension) against opponents. Montana has long had a reputation as a defensive-minded team, but struggled in critical games last season. PHOTO: Montana assistant coaches Andy Hill (left) and Bill Evans.

This will be an interesting Montana game dimension worth following. If we can measure success game by game, the results will be easily verified statistically.