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This Week’s Highlights
Just seven conference games remain in the 2010 regular season. One postseason bid is still up for grabs, as are four of the six seeds. Weber State has already clinched the No. 1 seed, and can clinch an outright regular-season title with one more win. The Wildcats are at Eastern Washington and close against Portland State on Sunday on Altitude...Northern Colorado can secure the No. 2 seed with a win on Saturday over Sacramento State...Montana and Montana State meet in Missoula on Saturday. Montana will be the No. 2 seed with a win and a Northern Colorado loss, and if Portland State finished ahead of Idaho State. Montana State will be the No. 3 seed with a victory and the No. 4 seed with a loss. Northern Arizona has secured the No. 5 seed. The Lumberjacks close the regular season at Sacramento State on Friday...Portland State is in sixth place and can clinch the sixth and final spot with one victory. Eastern Washington and Idaho State have not been eliminated from postseason contention, but need victories and help The Eagles are at home against Weber State and Idaho State...Northern Colorado and PSU both play non-conference games. The Bears are at home against Johnson & Wales on Tuesday. PSU closes at Seattle on March 2.
This Week’s Sky Schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 23............................................................................. Time
Johnson & Wales at Northern Colorado (Big Sky TV)....................... 7:05
Friday, Feb. 26................................................................................ Time
*Weber State at Eastern Washington (Big Sky TV)(SWX).................. 7:05
*Idaho State at Portland State (Big Sky TV)....................................... 7:05
*Northern Arizona at Sacramento State (Big Sky TV)........................ 7:05
Saturday, Feb. 27........................................................................... Time
*Montana State at Montana (Big Sky TV)(KPAX)............................... 7:05
*Northern Colorado at Sacramento State (Big Sky TV)...................... 7:05
*Idaho State at Eastern Washington (Big Sky TV).............................. 7:05
Big Sky Game of the Week on Altitude
Sunday, Feb. 28.............................................................................. Time
*Weber State at Portland State (Big Sky TV)...................................... 1:05
TV: Altitude Sports & Entertainment, Comcast Sports NW
Tuesday, March 2............................................................................ Time
Portland State at Seattle (Fox NW)..................................................... 8:05
End of regular season
*Big Sky Conference Game
Game Times Local to Site/Subject to Change
Around the Big Sky
BACK-TO-BACK: For the second straight season, Weber State has earned the right to host the Big Sky Conference Championship. The Wildcats clinched the No. 1 seed and at least a share of the regular-season conference title with an 89-64 win over Idaho State on Saturday. Weber State is the first time since Northern Arizona in 1997 and 1998 to capture the No. 1 seed in consecutive seasons. Weber State has now won or shared three of the last four regular-season championships, and has 18 overall regular-season Big Sky Championships. Weber State will play in the second semifinal game on Saturday, March 9.
NAU RETURNS: Northern Arizona clinched a spot in the postseason tournament with a 74-71 overtime victory over Eastern Washington on Saturday. The Lumberjacks missed the tournament last season after advancing to the championship game the three previous seasons. Northern Arizona enters the final week 7-8 in conference play, and is locked in as the No. 5 seed. The Lumberjacks will either play at Montana State or Montana in a quarterfinal game on Saturday, March 6. Northern Arizona has now played in a school-record three straight overtime games, and has gone to OT in four of its last five games. On Thursday night, Northern Arizona beat Portland State 86-85 in two overtimes. The teams played a four-overtime thriller in Flagstaff last season, with the Vikings winning 92-91. NAU freshman Gabe Rogers had a big week, scoring a career-high 20 points in the win over Portland State and adding 18 and the game-winning 3-pointer against Eastern Washington.
THE SEEDS IN BLACK AND WHITE: Five teams (Weber State, Northern Colorado, Montana, Montana State and Northern Arizona) have clinched spots in the Big Sky Championship. Portland State, Eastern Washington and Idaho State are still alive for the sixth and final spot in the tournament. Below of a rundown of where the teams can still finish.
Weber State: Clinched the No. 1 seed. Will be the outright champion with one win or a Northern Colorado loss.
Northern Colorado: No. 2 or No. 3 seed. Will be the No. 2 seed with a victory over Sacramento State OR a loss by Montana to Montana State. Will be the No. 3 seed with a loss to Sacramento State and a Montana win over Montana State. If Montana and Northern Colorado tie at 11-5, Northern Colorado will et the No. 2 seed if ISU finishes ahead of PSU.
Montana: No. 2, 3 or 4 seed: Montana will be the No. 2 seed with a win over Montana State and a Northern Colorado loss. Will be the No. 3 seed with a win and a Northern Colorado win. Will be the No. 4 seed with a loss to Montana State. If Montana and Northern Colorado tie at 11-5,Montana will get the No. 2 seed if PSU finished ahead of ISU.
Montana State: No. 3 or No. 4 seed. Will be the No. 3 seed with a win over Montana. Will be the No. 4 seed with a loss to Montana. Montana State will host a quarterfinal game on Saturday, March 6.
Northern Arizona: No. 5 seed: The Lumberjacks are locked is as the No. 5 seed and will play a quarterfinal game at either Montana State or Montana on Saturday, March 6.
The No. 6 seed: Will go to either Portland State, Eastern Washington or Idaho State. Sacramento State could still tie the other three teams at 5-11 but would lose a tiebreaker. Portland State can clinch the No. 6 seed with a win over Idaho State on Friday. Eastern Washington can only gain the No. 6 seed with two victories and two Portland State losses. Idaho State needs a win over Portland State on Saturday to have a chance.
RPI REPORT: The Big Sky fell one spot in the conference RPI this week, falling from 17th to 18th. The Big Sky is just behind the Southern Conference and just ahead of the Big West. Weber State moved up one spot to No. 72 this week. Northern Colorado dropped 11 spots to 113 despite two victories. Montana remained at 114. Weber State’s rating of 72 is currently better than the top team from 12 conferences who figure to send one team to the NCAA tournament. Weber State is five RPI spots behind Oakland of the Summit Conference.
WILDCATS, VIKINGS ON ALTITUDE: Weber State and Portland State will meet in the final regular-season game on Altitude Sports & Entertainment on Sunday at the Stott Center. Action begins at 1 p.m. Pacific. Jeff Friedman will handle the play-by-play duties with Rashad Floyd on color commentary. Weber State has not played on Altitude this season. Portland State is 0-1 on Altitude this season. Portland State could be playing for a spot in the postseason tournament depending on action on Friday and Saturday. Altitude will air Big Sky Semifinal action on Tuesday, March 9, and will also air the women’s championship game live on Saturday, March 13 at 3 p.m. Mountain.
1,000 FOR JOHNSON: Montana’s Anthony Johnson scored his 1,000th career point on Saturday, becoming the 26th player in Grizzly history to accomplish the feat. Johnson, however, is the first two-year player, to reach the milestone in school history. Johnson scored needed 12 points entering Saturday’s game, and he finished with 16. He joins Idaho State’s Amorrow Morgan and Northern Colorado’s Will Figures as players who’ve joined the 1,000-point club in the Sky this season. Johnson has played in 56 games, scoring 1,004 points for an average of 17.9 points per game. Northern Arizona’s Cameron Jones is 36 points away from reaching 1,000.
Tip-ins: Montana’s Ryan Staudacher became the 11th player in Big Sky history to make 200 career 3-pointers. Staudacher has 201 entering the final week of regular-season play…Portland State has lost five straight for the first time since a six-game slide midway through the 2005-06 season…Weber State’s Nick Hansen hit 7-of-11 3-pointers in the Wildcats win over ISU. He’s now made 13 of his last 17…Nick Larson pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds in NAU’s win over Portland State…ISU’s Broderick Gilchrest sat out the WSU game after sustaining an injury against Cal State Bakersfield...NAU dished out 42 assists in its two victories, including 18 by Julian Olubuyi….Weber State has won 48 conference games in the past four seasons...….The Big Sky has not had three 20-win teams since the 1995-96 season. Northern Colorado has 22 victories. Montana has 19, while Weber State has 18...Montana shot 64.3 percent from the floor in the second half and 61.5 percent for the game in its win over Sacramento State.