Wayne Tinkle and the second-place Montana Grizzlies battle Eastern Washington and Portland State on the road this week.
MBB Notes - Jan. 23
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This Week’s Sky Schedule
Thursday, Jan. 26 Time
*Montana at Eastern Washington (Big Sky TV) 6:05
*Weber State at Sacramento State (Big Sky TV) 7:05
*Montana State at Portland State (Big Sky TV) 7:05
*Northern Colorado at Idaho State (Big Sky TV) 7:05
Saturday, Jan. 28 Time
*Montana State at E. Washington (Big Sky TV) (SWX) 6:05
*Weber State at Idaho State (Big Sky TV) 7:05
*Northern Arizona at Sacramento State (Big Sky TV) 7:05
Sunday, Jan. 29 Time
*Montana at Portland State (Big Sky TV) 1:05
Game will be televised live on Altitude and Comcast Sports Net Northwest.
*Big Sky Conference Game
Game Times Local to Site/Subject to Change
This Week’s Sky Highlights
League-leading and undefeated Weber State hits the road this week for a pair of conference games. The Wildcats, 7-0 in conference and riding a nine-game winning streak, head to Sacramento State on Thursday night. WSU beat Sacramento State 74-63 earlier this month in Ogden. On Saturday, the Wildcats take on rival Idaho State in Pocatello…Second-place Montana puts its 6-1 conference record on the line on Thursday at is travels to Eastern Washington. The Grizzlies are at fourth-place Portland State on Sunday in the Altitude Sports & Entertainment Game of the Week...Third-place Montana State (5-2) also takes the EWU-PSU road trip, battling the Vikings on Thursday and the Eagles on Saturday. The Bobcats have won three straight…Montana State beat Portland State, but lost to Eastern Washington in Bozeman earlier this season…Northern Arizona returns to action on Saturday at Sacramento State. NAU will look to snap a seven-game slide. Sacramento State enters the week on an eight-game losing streak.
Around the Big Sky
MIDWAY POINT: Northern Arizona has reached the midway point in the conference season, while the other nine teams will reach that mark this weekend. Weber State is 7-0 in conference, marking the second straight season a team has won its first seven games. Northern Colorado started 7-0 last season before a loss at Weber State. Weber State is just the fourth team in the last decade to win its first seven conference games. The three previous all won the regular-season conference title and hosted the Big Sky Championship. In 2002-03, Weber State went 14-0 in conference. In 2005-06, Northern Arizona won its first eight conference games en route to a 12-2 league mark. Northern Colorado went 13-3 last season. Weber State can become the fist team to win its first eight conference games since NAU in 2005-06 with a win on Thursday against Sacramento State, which is 0-7 in conference. WSU is 7-0 in conference for the seventh time in history. Just twice have the Wildcats made it to 8-0. Both of those years, 1968-69 and 2002-03, the Wildcats went undefeated in conference play. The top six teams qualify for the Big Sky Championship, which begins on Saturday, March 3 with quarterfinal games. The regular-season champion will host the semifinals and championship on March 6-7. Montana won home games against Northern Colorado and Sacramento State last week, to move to 6-1 in conference. Montana State has won three straight and sits in third place at 5-2. This could be the week fourth-place PSU and EWU, which is tied for fifth, can make a move. PSU and EWU play host to UM and MSU.
1,600 AND COUNTING: Weber State’s Damian Lillard scored his 1,600th career point in the Wildcats 81-67 win over Northern Arizona last Thursday. Lillard moved into 19th place on the Big Sky’s all-time scoring list with 1,601 career point. Barring injury, Lillard will quickly move up 12th on the all-time list, as he is just 63 points from that spot. Montana’s Kevin Criswell is currently 12th with 1,663 points. Lillard will first pass former Boise State great Chris Childs (1,602), followed by Weber State’s Jermaine Boyette (1,613), Montana’s Andrew Strait (1,617), Weber State’s Jimmy DeGraffenried (1,624), Brian Heinle of Cal State Northridge (1,641) and Cameron Jones of Northern Arizona (16,46). Lillard also had 213 career 3-pointers which is 10th on the Big Sky’s all-time list. Montana’s Matt Martin is ninth with 215, and Criswell is eighth with 218.
WILL HE GET THERE?: Montana junior Will Cherry scored 27 points in a win over Northern Colorado, and 12 in a win over Sacramento State last week to increase his career point total to 972. He needs just 28 points to become the second active player in the league with 1,000 career points. Cherry also recorded five steals last week, including four against Northern Colorado, to increase his career total to 183. Cherry ranks 12th on the Big Sky’s all-time list, and needs just three more to move past Boise State’s Doug Usitalo, who amassed 185 from 1986-88.
RPI REPORT: Despite a 14-point win over Northern Arizona, Weber State dropped 10 spots in this week’s RPI report from 72 to 82. Weber State still maintains a big lead on other Big Sky teams in the RPI. Montana is 137. Portland State improved 50 spots this week, moving to 159. Eastern Washington dropped 51 spots to 209. Syracuse is first, followed by Duke, Baylor, Michigan State and Kentucky. The Big Sky moved up one spot among conferences to No. 24. The Big Sky is just behind the Southern and just ahead of the Big West.
LILLARD UP FOR THE WOODEN: Last week, Weber State’s Damian Lillard was named one of the candidates for the John R. Wooden Award. The John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 was announced by The Los Angeles Athletic Club on ESPNU’s The Experts sports talk show. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the list is made up of 25 student-athletes who, based on their performances in November, December, and the beginning of January, are the frontrunners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor.
NCAA LEADERS: Weber State’s Damian Lillard continues to lead the nation in scoring with an average of 25.1 points per game. Oakland’s Reggie Hamilton is second at 23.7, followed by Creighton’s Doug McDermott at 23.2. Dillard is also seventh in the nation in 3-point field goals per game (3.4), 13th in 3-point field-goal percentage (45.5) and fifth in free-throw percentage (90.9 percent). Eastern Washington’s Collin Chiverton is sixth in 3-point field goals per game (3.4). Weber State continues to lead the nation in free-throw shooting, hitting 80.9 percent. WSU is 19th in the nation in scoring offense, seventh in 3-point field goals per game, eighth in 3-point field-goal percentage and fifth in turnovers per game. EWU is third in the nation in 3-point field goals
Tip-ins: Montana State’s Tre Johnson recorded his first double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Sacramento State…Sacramento State freshman Dylan Garrity scored a career-high 18 points in the loss to Montana State…Weber State center Kyle Tresnak scored a career-high 22 points in an 81-67 win over Northern Arizona…Montana recorded 15 steals and forced 28 turnovers in a 78-58 win over Northern Colorado. Will Cherry scored 27 points with six assists and four steals in the victory…Idaho State’s Chase Grabau scored 19 points with nine assists and seven rebounds in a 78-62 win over Northern Arizona…Montana shot 65.1 percent from the floor in its 85-56 win over Sacramento State…Home teams won seven of the eight league games last week. Home teams are now 19-13 in conference play...Pairings for the BracketBusters games will be announced next Monday.