Men's Basketball: Cats, Griz clash in Bozeman
BOZEMAN – The Grizzlies are trying to bring Missoula fans some hype, while the Bobcats hope to provide theirs with hope.
That's the backdrop for Saturday night's Bobcat-Grizzly men's basketball game, the 291st of which tips off at 7 p.m. (KFBB-TV).
The Griz of first-year coach Travis DeCuire are 13-4 in league play and 17-11 overall. Montana is tied for first place in the league with Sacramento State and Eastern Washington and, if things break right, could earn the right to play host to next week's league tournament.
A victory, of course, assures a piece of the Big Sky championship.
"It's been fun and gratifying for everyone who's a part of the program," DeCuire said.
DeCuire, who starred at point guard for the Grizzlies back in the day, knows what will be important for his club Saturday night.
"We've got to defend," he said. "Defense is always what wins games for us. Our offense is a little up and down, but I think it's getting better. But the defense sets the tone for us. We've got to keep those guys out of the paint and minimize their 3-point attempts."
Junior forward Martin Breunig (16.9 ppg) and senior guard Jordan Gregory (17.2 ppg) are two of the top players in the league. Sophomore guards Mario Dunn (9.1 ppg) and Brandon Gfeller (9.2 ppg) are also capable of fine production.
The Bobcats (4-13, 7-22) have had a tough season, but are 3-3 in their last six. Included are a pair of road victories.
"It says a lot about the kids. They've really competed and battled," said MSU first-year coach Brian Fish, whose team did not qualify for the Big Sky tournament. "That's the one thing that's made this year a lot of fun. These guys, you could never really see the record on their face. They're brought it every day and they're really good guys."
Fish has been starting freshmen Zach Green and Joey Frenchwood of late. Senior guard Michael Dison (14.5 ppg) has been a fixture in the lineup and is the team's leading scorer.
Senior Marcus Colbert (12.9 ppg) is also capable of putting up big numbers.
"Lately we've been getting a lot of help from our bench," Fish said. "Keeping guys' minutes down has really helped keep us fresher later in games."
Fish is hoping to spring a big upset, which would certainly buoy the spirits of Bobcat fans entering the postseason.
"I certainly understand the importance of this game for Bobcat Nation," Fish said. "When you get into rivalry games, I'm not sure it's as much about what this team does or that team does. It's dealing with and battling with emotions. It means so much to kids, and you've got to harness that. Battling those things and handling that will be the No. 1 deal."
The Grizzlies, who prevailed 63-48 on Jan. 17 in Missoula, have won nine straight in the rivalry. That's the longest UM winning streak in the series since World War II.
The Bobcats lead the all-time series 147-143.