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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)

Game photos of Lady Griz' 82-54 win over Weber State

 Game photos of the Montana Lady Griz' 82-54 victory over the Weber State Wildcats are now posted at the Grizzly Journal flicker photo site.

PHOTOS: (Top) Shaunte Nance-Johnson passes the ball off for an assist after dribbling into the key and collapsing the Weber State defense. Nance-Johnson had seven assists, five points and five rebounds in Montana's 28-point win over the Weber State Wildcats Saturday.

(Bottom) Montana senior post Britney Lohman snares one of her six rebounds against the Wildcats. Lohman had 6 points and four assists as well.

NOTE: Grizzly Journal will feature a post-game recorded interview with Nance-Johnson within the next day or two!

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.

Game photos of Lady Griz' 70-48 win over ISU

Game photos of the Montana Lady Griz' 70-48 victory over the Idaho State Bengals are now posted at the Grizzly Journal flicker photo site.

PHOTOS: (top) Lady Griz forward Sarah Ena gets congratulated by teammates after her 14-point, eight rebound performance against ISU. (bottom) Lady Griz center Britany Lohman drives to the bucket for two points during Montana's 70-48 win over the Bengals.

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?

Lady Griz corner Idaho State Bengals, 70-48

It was one of the strangest post-game interviews I’ve attended in some 28 years of sportswriting. It was over within two minutes because...

Well, because none of the sportswriters, myself included, had much to ask. And coach Robin Selvig, though very gracious toward the Idaho State Bengals, didn’t have much to say either.

“It was a tough night for them,” said Selvig of the Bengals. “They’re way better than they looked, the way that went.

“You know I, I didn’t anticipate anything like this tonight,” said Selvig. “Boy, watching them on video they looked awfully good the last couple of games.”

Not on this night.

The Montana Lady Griz’ throttling of the overmatched Bengals was so thorough, in so many aspects of the game, that the win was in the pocket for Montana before the game was barely eight minutes into the first half.

In a game that Montana could have won by 30-plus points, they won by 22. That’s because Selvig awarded liberal playing time to his entire bench, which held its own against the Bengals. No single sub played less than eight minutes and 10 of the 12 Lady Griz scored.

And Selvig noticed, crediting his entire bench, but singling out Stephanie Stender – who scored eight points on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field with two of the makes beyond the arc – Tamara Guardipee (six points), Misty Atkinson (four points), and Jessa Linford (three points).

The Lady Griz played with energy and efficiency early, slapping a tight man-on defense on the Bengals and – at the other end of the floor – scoring repeatedly from within the paint, usually on quick entry passes to sophomore forward Sarah Ena or senior post Britney Lohman. Ena paced Montana wit 14 points, most coming in the first half, and eight rebounds. Lohman had eight points and seven rebounds.

Midway through the first half Montana broke from a 16-12 lead on a jumper by Stephanie Stender and then exploded on a 22-6 run from there to halftime.

It was a Montana team effort by both starters and reserves. And it was businesslike. Montana’s run was so decisive, the 20-point lead seemed to be a precursor for more. But while the Lady Griz expanded the lead to as many as 29 points (55-26) with 13 minutes remaining, the Bengals started chipping away as Montana’s lead.

Also in double figures were senior guards Sonya Rogers (14) and Mandy Morales (10).

It was Montana’s vise-tight defense that spelled the difference quickly. The Lady Griz held the Bengals to 30.8 percent from the field and held ISU to 18 points by halftime. The Lady Griz held Bengals leading scorer, Chelsea Pickering, to only eight points on 2-for-14 shooting from the field.

Michelle Grohs led the Bengals with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field, but only went 1-for-4 from beyond the arc. Devin Diehl scored nine points.

Other areas of the game were equally lopsided. Montana out-rebounded the Bengals 44-31 and shot 45.3 percent from the field compared to the Bengals’ 33.3 percent. The Lady Griz had a 42-20 scoring margin in the paint, and got 23 points from its bench, compared to six by the Bengals.

PHOTOS: (TOP) Point guard Shaunte Nance-Johnson drives between a pair of defenders in second half play. (Upper middle) Jessa Linford made three points. (Lower middle) Sarah Ena looks for a pivot move. Ena led Montana in scoring with 14. (Bottom) Mandy Morales scores two o her 10 points against the Bengals.

Montana, which moved to 4-0 with the win, hosts Weber State Saturday, while the Bengals play MSU in Bozeman.

BOX SCORE

Check back Friday for a complete game action slide show.

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.

Lady Griz tip off Big Sky conference play with power & balance

The Montana Lady Griz proved quickly in their opening Big Sky Conference game of the season that balance and depth – not any single player – will be keys for another successful run at the league crown.

Four of five Lady Griz starters – led by Sony Rogers who scored 30  – reached double figures in scoring on an afternoon thrashing of the Montana State Lady Bobcats that was Montana’s best shooting effort (62.5 percent) in some time.

The shooting success was due in part to six assists, delivered adeptly by point guard Mandy Morales (photo at right from a game earlier this year). But Morales’ six dishes were not even one-third of the 19-total assists delivered by Montana passers. The result, delivered to the players at the scoring end of those passes – was simply too much for a talented, but for this afternoon, over-matched Lady Bobcat team.

The stat-line tells it all. Rogers scored 30 on 10-of-14 shooting, 5-of-7 from three-point range, and 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Morales notched 21 points on a blistering 10-of-11 makes from the field. And forward Sarah Ena scored 19 on 9-of-14 shooting, many of them mid-range jumpers from near the free throw line. Only Britney Lohman shot below 50 percent, scoring 10 points on 4-of-9 makes.

And only one starter – forward Lauren Beck – scored fewer than 10 points. But Beck has proven herself a capable scorer in in several games this year. So, if any Lady Griz opponent tries to shut down one of those top scorers, it’s a certainty that Beck will get her offensive opportunities.

In this game the Montana bench didn’t score many. But a very promising sign is that senior post player Tamara Guardipee is returning to form in a slow recovery from a nagging chronic injury. Guardipee scored seven points on 3-of-5 shooting in only six minutes of playing time.

Bench players Shaunte Nance-Johnson, Jessa Linford and Stephanie Stender are steadily providing solid play off the bench.

The signs point solidly to a Montana team that may have more depth than it has for several seasons. And they’re getting better game by game.

Montana coach Robin Selvig, a normally cautious team analyist, almost (and I mean almost, not actually) marveled at his squad’s depth in Montana’s win over Nevada earlier in the year.

That’s not to say he’s getting complacent. That can be seen with Montana’s steady game-by game improvement on defense, particularly man-on defense. Since Montana’s known for its air-tight zone defense, that’s saying something.

If there are any soft spots in Montana’s attack, few teams have found them yet. But the Lady Griz will hit the road for games at Northern Arizona and Sacramento State.

Both teams have shown signs of improved play. But NAU and Sac State currently share the Conference cellar, with five wins and 25 losses split almost evenly between them.

If there’s any such thing as “good” way to start conference road play – and this is certainly not meant as a slight against either the Lady Jacks or the Hornets – then it’s a road swing against the two teams still searching for some answers.

LISTEN HERE: Grizzly Journal caught up with Ena Download 1.3.SarahE after Saturday’s game.

VIEW GAME PHOTOS HERE.

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.

Johnson's 31 points leads Montana to a 73-59 win over Bobcats

Anthony Johnson kick-started a sputtering Montana offense with a heady combination of deadly pull-up jumpers, steady free throw shooting and gritty defense to lead the Montana Grizzlies to a 73-59 win over the Montana State Bobcats in the Big Sky home opener at Dahlberg Arena Saturday night.

Johnson scored 31 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 15-of-16 from the free throw line to pace the Grizzly offense after his jumper midway through the first half broke an 11-11 deadlock for a lead the Grizzlies would not relinquish.

The Grizzlies, behind four assists from Johnson and four more from guard Michael Taylor, took gradual but firm control of the classic physical Big Sky game with 46-points in the steady second-half charge. Taylor and Johnson also led both teams in rebounding (along with MSU post Divaldo Mbunga) with seven apiece.

 When Johnson wasn’t slicing down the right lane on quick drives to the bucket, he would pull-up quickly for smooth quick-release 15-foot jumpers. And when he did neither, he found power forward Jordan Hasquet along the baseline. Hasquet responded with perhaps his best game of the season for 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field.

CLICK TO VIEW GAME SLIDE SHOW.

Senior Kyle Sharp, in his first start of the season, responded with six points andsix rebounds.

But the Grizzlies may well have won the game with their best defensive effort of the season, limiting the frustrated Bobcats to a frigid 19-of-58 shooting from the field for 32.8 percent. The Cats weren’t much better from the free throw line, making only 17-of-34 for a 50 percent mark.

PHOTOS: Anthony Johnson drives on MSU's Branden Johnson. AJ scored 31 points to lead Montana. Jordan Hasquet (bottom) drives the baseline past cat defenders Bobby Howard (#15) and Divaldo Mbunga. Hasquet scored 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field.

Johnson’s steadily improving point-guard play as a stand-in for senior point guard Ceylon Elgin-Taylor, on probation for a violation of team rules, was also a factor. Montana commited ony a11 turnovers and had 10 assists ons the evening.

MSU guards Will Bynum (14 points) and Erik Rush (13) led the Bobcats in scoring, while Cat forward Bobby Howard shot a poor 4-of-9 from the field and 1-of-7 from the free throw line.

The teams were even in rebounds at 38, but Montana – behind Johnson’s 16 free throw shots – had a 25-30 edge from the line compared to MSU’s 17-21.

Because of Saturday’s two-game Big Sky Conference home opener, coverage of the two games, including more photos and interviews, will continue on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Check back for further updates.

Lady Griz thump MSU 95-75 in conference opener

The Montana Lady Griz took several steps to demonstrate – with authority – that they're ready to reign as defending Big Sky Conference champions with a 95-75 walloping of the MSU Lady Cats at Missoula's Dahlberg Arena before 4320 pleased fans.

Four of Montana's five starters scored in double figures, led by shooting guard Sonya Rogers' 30 and point guard Mandy Morales' 21. Forward Sarah Ena added 19 while pulling down 9 rebounds, and Britney Lohman scored 10, while grabbing 6 rebounds.

Game photos are now available.

PHOTOS: Lauren Beck (top) fights Anne Phippard for a rebound. (Middle) Sarah Ena puts up a shot for two of her 19 against Phippard and Jamie Thornton. (Bottom) Co players of the game, Sonya Rogers and Mandy Morales chat with Montana coach Robin Selvig just prior to a post-game television interview.

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.