Montana senior guard Anthony Johnson scored 19 points, had three assists and three rebounds, and made two clutch free throws with 11.9 seconds remaining to secure Montana's 68-63 win over the Northern Colorado Bears in the semifinal round of the 2010 Big Sky Conference post-season tournament, held in Ogden, Utah.
Freshman point guard Will Cherry nailed a floating jumper in the middle of the key with 24 seconds remaining to push the Griz to a 66-63 lead. Cherry dished four assists, grabbed tworebounds, and had two steals in the game.
Senior shooting guard Ryan Staudacher made 4-of-5 field goals, including two of three from three point
range and keyed the Montana defense on the perimeter against the Bears.
Senior center Brian Qvale and junior forward Derek Selvig keyed Montana's dominance in the key throughout the game. Qvale scored nine points and had six rebounds, while Selvig scored six points and had eight rebounds. Senior forward Vanny Bassy scored four points and grabbed eight rebounds. The Grizzlies pounded the boards, giving the Grizzlies a 36-25 edge, which included 13 offensive rebounds. Montana had an overwhelming 20-2 margin second-chance scoring margin over the Bears.
Junior guard Michael Taylor scored back-to-back three point shots during a critical first-half stretch, sparking Montana on a run that pulled the Grizzlies into a tie with the Bears. Montana went on to reclaim the lead and finished the first half with a 33-32 lead. The Girzzlies made 6-of-17 three point shots on the night.
The Grizzlies meet the host Weber State Wildcats in the Big Sky Championship game at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Ogden't Dee Events Center. The winner advances to the NCAA 2010 Post Season Tournament.
