MBB Recap - Jan. 26

1/27/2012 12:27:36 AM

The Big Sky Conference men's basketball season officially reached the halfway point Thursday night. Three teams have begun to seperate themselves from the rest of the pack.

Weber State moved to 8-0 in conference and won its 10th straight game with a 75-60 win over Sacramento State at The Nest.

Montana improved to 7-1 in league and completed a season sweep of Eastern Washington with a 74-60 road win over the Eagles.

Montana State rallied from a double-figure second half deficit to beat Portland State at the Stott Center 75-70. The Bobcats won for the fourth straight time and improved to 6-2 in conference.

Maybe the biggest surprise so far is Idaho State. The Bengals moved into a tie for fourth place in the league standings with a 99-94 double overtime win over Northern Colorado. Idaho State completed a season sweep of the defending league champions.

In front of roughly 10 NBA scouts, Weber State's Damian Lillard scored a game-high 21 points with six rebounds and four assists to lead the Wildcats to their 10th straight win. Scott Bamforth added 17 in the win. John Dickson paced Sacramento State with 20. The Hornets dropped to 0-8 in league play.

Montana senior Art Steward scored 19 points with eight rebounds and five assists to lead UM. The Griz held EWU to 20.8 percent shooting in the first half as they forged a 40-27 lead. Sophomore Kareem Jamar scored 15 points with seven assists and six rebounds in the win. Collin Chiverton paced EWU with 22 points. The Eagles dropped to 3-5 in league.

Xavier Blount and Shawn Reid each scored 15 points to lead Montana State to the win over Portland State, completing a season sweep of the Vikings. Rod Singleton added 13 points for Montana State. Charles Odum paced PSU with 15 points. The Vikings are 4-4 in conference, tied for fourth.

Senior Chase Grabau scored 30 points in Idaho State's wild 99-94 double OT win over Northern Colorado. Melvin Morgan added 22 points, while Kenny McGowen netted 18 points with five steals. Grabau and Morgan each hit five 3-pointers. ISU shot 56.7 percent from the floor. Freshman Tevin Svihovec scored a career-high 30 points, while sophomore Emmanuel Addo scored 28 points with eight rebounds. ISU is 4-4 in league, while the Bears dropped to 3-5.

 For more on Saturday's games click on the links below:

Weber State 75, Sacramento State 60 | Stats

Montana 74, Eastern Washington 60 | Stats

Montana State 75, Portland State 70 | Stats

Idaho State 99, Northern Colorado 94 | Stats