MONTANA (5-2) -- NOTES: The Grizzlies lead the Big Sky in scoring defense (58.4), scoring margin (+6.4), and assist-to turnover ratio (-0.6). In a huge turnaround from last season, the Grizzlies are ranked a league second in 3-point field goal defense (31%). Last season the Griz were dead last, allowing opponents to shoot 40% from long range.
NORTHERN ARIZONA (3-2) -- A rebuilding year for Mike Adras’ Jacks? Forget that. Adras has his relatively young NAU squad playing solid ball early, with solid home wins over Adams State and Missouri-Kansas City and a convincing 9-point road win over Mississippi Valley State, a team the Grizzlies squeaked past by seven, 69-62, on the neutral Spokane Arena court last Sunday. Sure, Kansas thumped the Jacks 87-46 last Thursday, but NAU played tough in an early-season loss to Arizona, 76-69. A good measure of the Jacks and the MSU Bobcats will be Pepperdine, which beat the Lumberjacks 93-87 in Flagstaff tonight (Nov. 28) and which may play the Cats this weekend, depending on the first-game results of a Bobcat-hosted four-team tourney this weekend. Fans in Flagstaff should be truly ‘jacked,’ since their team will host Division 1 opponents Western Kentucky and UNLV, before also hosting a tough Cal Poly squad. Wow. Great home schedule. NOTES: The Jacks are ranked at the top of the Big Sky in several statistical categories, most notably free throw % (1st), field goal % (2nd), three point field goal % (1st) and defensive rebounds (1st. One weakness: a -7.4 turnover ratio to their opponents.
PORTLAND STATE (3-3) -- In perhaps the major surprise of the week for me (I consider PSU a conference favorite), the Vikings were thumped by UC Davis, 76-68, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. The Aggies catapulted to an early 23-7 lead, which they extended to as many as 23 points during the first half. The Vikings had a 16-6 run early in the second half, but could pull no closer than 11 until late in the game when the score was trimmed to the final 8-point margin. Earlier in the week PSU beat Div. II Linfield 93-50. Wednesday (tonight) the Vikings visit cross-town Div.I opponent Portland. (As I post this, the Vikings have eked out a 5-point win over the Pilots, 78-73) NOTES: The PSU-Portland game might be instructive to Montana, since the Grizzlies will host the Pilots on Dec. 7. The Vikings are getting solid floor play out of their starting guards and are among the conference leaders in assists (1st), turnover +margin (3rd), assist-to-turnover ratio (2nd) and 3-point field goals made (1st).
MONTANA STATE (2-3) -- After a nice jump start, the Cats lost road contests to Fresno State (86-74) and UC Santa Barbara (76-61). The Cats have been paced in scoring by center Divaldo Mbunga (37 points in the two games) and Carlos Taylor (38 points). Freshman sensation Bobby Howard of Great Falls has seen considerable action in every Cat game, but scored only 13 points in the two games. The Cats will host Alcorn State Nov. 30 and either Univ. of Texas Pan American or Pepperdine the next night. The Bobcats are evidently hosting a four-team weekend tournament, but no detailed info was available on the tourney on the MSU Athletics website. NOTES: The Cats lead the conference in scoring average (72.0) and blocked shots (2nd with 3.2 per game)
WEBER STATE (2-5) -- The Wildcats rebounded from surprising neutral court losses to Div II Cal State Bernadino and Youngstown State to claim a road win over a solid Cal State Bakersfield squad, 61-56, Nov. 19. Weber State forward Arturas Valekia notched his fourth straight double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the win. The Wildcats hit 56 percent of their field goals, but turned the ball over 22 times. The schedule gets brutal for WSU this week, with a (just finished) 72-52 home loss to Utah, and road games at Illinois, Brigham Young and San Francisco. The Wildcats -- in a good preview of Big Sky-level opponents -- play Cal Bakersfield in home-and-home games, like Montana does with a strong Cal Fullerton squad. NOTES: The Wildcats have by far the best field goal shooting percentage in the Big Sky at 50.8%.
NORTHERN COLORADO (3-2) -- After an impressive UNC 64-46 home win over Denver U. on Nov. 17, Bears coach Tad Boyle held three players -- seniors Kirk Archibeque and Sean Taibi and sophomore Will Figures -- out of the lineup against non-NCAA school Johnson + Wales and the Bears subsequently struggled to an 11-point win, committing 31 turnovers in the process. The non-start by the three was attributed to “getting banged up” in practice. Denver had just beaten Wyoming by 11 and later lost to Colorado by 11. The Bears will host Colorado State Saturday. Despite three returning seniors (including point guard Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos) Boyle has been playing a sophomore-laden lineup so far. Archibeque has seen limited action (injury?). NOTES: The Bears have a solid scoring offense vs. scoring defense combo, scoring 67.8 points per game while giving up 64.8, placing them at a league second in scoring margin (+3) behind Montana’s +6.4.
EASTERN WASHINGTON (2-5) -- The competition was as tough for the Eagles, who lost 82-68 at Seattle against Washington before going 1-2 in the Great Alaska Shootout, finally eking out a 2-point, 64-62 win over host Alaska-Anchorage. The Eagles dropped a 17-point 69-52 decision to Virginia Tech and battled Michigan, but eventually fell 61-53. NOTES: The Eagles have the second-most Big Sky Conference three-point shots made per-game at 7.43, but are the poorest field goal shooting team in the conference with a 37% average and have the lowest per-game scoring average at 56.3. The Eagles are ranked toward the bottom of the Big Sky in several team defensive categories.
IDAHO STATE (1-5) -- The Bengals notched their first win of the season, then went winless in Portland with back-to-back losses to Oregon State (56-41) and Portland (76-52) in the Thanksgiving Oregon State Classic Nov. 23-24. Idaho State is 1-5 on the young season, their only win a game-long struggle for a 76-69 final edge over the visiting Northern Montana Lights. Shooting woes have hurt the Bengals, who were held to 35% in the two-game Portland tourney. ISU led Oregon State through the first half, but was held to just 15 second half points by the Beavers in a 56-41 loss. Portland then ran roughshod over the Bengals, surging to an 11-point halftime lead, steadily extending the lead to the final 24-point 76-52 margin. NOTES: The Bengals are ranked eighth in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (39%) and last in three-point field goal percentage (22.5%).
SACRAMENTO STATE (1-6) -- The Hornets are 1-6, and have struggled with injuries to several guards. But shooting woes and defensive struggles have also taken a toll. In a 75-62 road loss against Pacific, the Hornets were out scored 23-9 over the first 8 minutes, but battled back to trail by nine at halftime before Pacific took a comfortable 15-point lead that held up for the win. Santa Clara 77, Sac State 65 -- Loren Leath led the Hornets with 21 points and the Hornets led until the final 12 minutes before the visiting Broncos surged with a 21-2 run to claim their fourth win against 1 loss. In a 26-point, 84-58 loss to Stanford, the Hornets made just 9 of their first 32 shots and were out of contention early. NOTES: The Hornets are allowing opponents to score 77.8 points per game and have been out-rebounded by an 8.5 per-game average. The Hornets are ranked last in the conference in seven team categories, mostly related to defense and rebounding.
