MBB Notes - Feb. 28
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This Week’s Sky Schedule
Monday, Feb. 28.................................................. Time
*Northern Colorado at Idaho State (Big Sky TV).............................. 7:05
Wednesday, March 2........................................... Time
*Portland State at Northern Arizona (Big Sky TV)(NAU TV)............. 6:35
*Sacramento State at Northern Colorado (Big Sky TV)..................... 7:05
*Idaho State at Montana State (Big Sky TV)...................................... 7:05
*Eastern Washington at Weber State (Big Sky TV)............................ 8:05
Big Sky Championship
Saturday, March 5
Quarterfinals (at No. 3 and No. 4 seeds)
No. 6 seed at No. 3 seed
No. 5 seed at No. 4 Northern Arizona (NAU TV, Dish Network 9411)
Tuesday, March 8 (at regular-season champ)
Semifinals (Televised by Altitude)
No. 2 seed vs. Highest Remaining Seed
No. 1 seed vs. Lowest Remaining Seed
Wednesday, March 9
Championship, 7 p.m. MST (ESPN2)
This Week’s Sky Highlights
Five conference games remain before the Big Sky Conference Championship starts on Saturday. Idaho State and Montana State remain alive for the sixth and final berth. Northern Colorado, Weber State and Montana are still in the hunt for the No. 1 seed and the right to host the semifinals and championship March 8-9. Northern Colorado travels to Idaho State on Monday. A loss would eliminate the Bengals from postseason contention. Northern Colorado returns home Wednesday to take on Sacramento State. If the Bears win both games, it will win the outright Big Sky regular-season title and host the semifinals and championship...Weber State guns for its ninth straight conference win Wednesday against Eastern Washington. The Wildcats are in position for the No. 2 seed, but would win a tiebreaker for the No. 1 spot with a win and a Northern Colorado loss...Montana State plays host to Idaho State in a game that could determine the final berth in the tournament...Northern Arizona, already locked in as the No. 4 seed, closes at home against Portland State.
TOURNEY TALK: Northern Colorado, Weber State and Montana are still in contention for the No. 1 seed and the right to host the conference tournament. Northern Colorado will win the outright title with two victories. Weber State will gain the No. 1 seed with a win and one Northern Colorado loss. Weber State would win a tiebreaker against UM, NC or both thanks to a season sweep over No. 4 Northern Arizona. Montana needs Northern Colorado to lose both and Weber State to lose to garner the No. 1 seed. Northern Colorado is locked in as the No. 4 seed. Eastern Washington has also clinched a postseason bid. Montana State and Idaho State are vying for the final spot. Idaho State needs to win its last two games against Northern Colorado and Montana State, and also needs EWU to beat Weber State, to make the tournament. The top two seeds earn byes to the semifinals. Northern Arizona’s game on Saturday against the No. 5 seed will be televised by NAU-TV (Dish Network 9411).
EASTERN WASHINGON CLINCHES: Eastern Washington clinched a berth in the Big Sky Championship with its 59-55 overtime win over Montana on Saturday. EWU will be making its first appearance in the tournament since 2005-06, and the first under fourth-year coach Kirk Earlywine. Eastern Washington will either be the No. 5 or the No. 6 seed.
WIZARD OF WEBER: Under fifth-year coach Randy Rahe, Weber State has now won at least 10 conference games in a season for the fifth time. It marks just the fourth time in league history a team has won at least 10 conference games in five straight seasons. Weber State and Idaho each won at least 10 in six straight seasons. Weber State did it from 1967-68 through 1972-83. Idaho started it string in 1987-88 and is lasted through 1992-93. Weber State also won 10 in league five straight years from 1991-92 through 1995-96. Weber State won 62 conference games from 1968-69 through 1972-73, the most by any team during a five-year stretch. Weber State enters Wednesday’s home game against Eastern Washington with 60 conference wins in the last five years, the second-most in a five-year span. Weber State has won eight straight conference games, and has won 21 straight regular-season conference home games.
JONES CRACKS TOP 20: Northern Arizona’s Cameron Jones became the school’s all-time scoring leader, and is on the verge of cracking the top 20 all-time in Big Sky history in career points. Jones scored 47 points in two games last week, giving him 1,563 for his career, tying him for 20th place in Big Sky history with Willie Sojourner of Weber State. Jones surpassed Kelly Golob as NAU’s all-time leading scorer. Golob netted 1,650 points from 2002-06.
Around the Big Sky
1,000 FOR QVALE: Montana’s Brian Qvale became the sixth player in the league to score his 1,000th career point this season. Qvale scored 12 points in a loss to Eastern Washington, giving him 1,008 for this career. Qvale finished the regular season with 87 blocks, six shy of tying the single-season Big Sky record of 93. He holds the Big Sky all-time record with 239 career blocks. Qvale is also four rebounds away from 700 for his career.
BEITZEL MOVING UP: Northern Colorado senior Devon Beitzel made eight 3-pointers last week and has made 216 in his career. Beitzel ranks eighth in Big Sky history. Beitzel needs just three more 3-pointers to move into seventh place, past Montana’s Kevin Criswell (218).
RPI REPORT: The Big Sky jumped two spots to 24th among Division I conference in this week’s RPI Report. The Big Sky is now just behind the Sun Belt and ahead of the Big West. Montana is the top team with an RPI of 113, followed by Northern Colorado at 114. Weber State is at 129 and Northern Arizona is at 167. BYU is the No. 1 overall RPI team, followed by Kansas, Ohio State, San Diego State and Duke.
IN THE NCAA STATISTICS: Northern Arizona is one again the top 3-point shooting team in the nation, hitting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc. Weber State is second at 42.3 percent. NAU is second in the nation in field-goal percentage at 49.3 percent. Kansas is first at 52.3 percent. NAU is also eighth in assists per game (17.3) Northern Colorado is seventh in free-throw percentage (77.1 percent). Weber State is 10th at 76.8 percent. Weber State’s Scott Bamforth leads the nation in 3-point shooting percentage at 54 percent. Northern Arizona’s Gabe Rogers is second at 49 percent. Montana’s Brian Qvale is fourth in field-goal percentage (62.7 percent).
Tip-ins: Home teams are 47-20 in home games this season…Montana has won 20 regular-season games for the first time since 2005-06…Will Cherry became the first player this season to record a points/assists double-double with 24 points and 10 assists against Portland State on Thursday. Sacramento State’s Sultan Toles-Bey accomplished the feat on Saturday with 17 points and 10 assists in a loss to Weber State...Northern Colorado cracked the mid-major top 25 for the first time this season. The Bears are 25th. Montana dropped out of the poll.