BS Championship Game vs. Red Birds Game Thread

[griz71]

Good luck at the Big Dance Montana. :thumb:

Thanks!

 

[Fat Bruno]

Coach DeCuire, when asked in the post-game interview what he changed to turn things around so dramatically, he said: "Man Up." He said the coaches challenged every player to shut down their own man... and when they put Rorie on Bliznyuk, Ahmaad shut him down totally, forcing B into 6 second-half turnovers.

Hearty congrats to an incredible coaching staff and the team that believed in their coaches and themselves. I have pretty good feelings about this team's ability to compete in the NCAA tourney.

Well, there goes the Byrd/Bliznyuk analogy. Byrd would have had no more than 5 turnovers against Rorie.

 

[Colter_Nuanez56]

Peerless defensive effort leads Griz past EWU, into Big Dance
https://skylinesportsmt.com/peerless-defensive-effort-leads-griz-past-ewu-into-big-dance/

BIG SKY MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP PRESSER: Stifling defense leads Montana past EWU
https://skylinesportsmt.com/big-sky-mens-championship-presser-stifling-defense-leads-montana-past-ewu/

 

[PlayerRep]

...where is #4...

... :shock: ...

21 points on 6-8 shooting and 3-4 from 3 and 6-6 from the line. I hope you weren't complaining. Ha.

Oguine was the tournament MVP. 18 of his 21 came in the second half. He said: "Myself personally, I was really flat. We started getting stops and I started getting into a rhythm and it was big-time for us."

Zen, please know that I wasn't intending to pick on you. Just picked your post to post over when no. 4 came alive. I have noticed that no. 4 does his fairly often. Has a a slow or even slow game, and then explodes right after that.

 

[Potomac Griz]

...where is #4...

... :shock: ...

21 points on 6-8 shooting and 3-4 from 3 and 6-6 from the line. I hope you weren't complaining. Ha.

Oguine was the tournament MVP. 18 of his 21 came in the second half. He said: "Myself personally, I was really flat. We started getting stops and I started getting into a rhythm and it was big-time for us."

Zen, please know that I wasn't intending to pick on you. Just picked your post to post over when no. 4 came alive. I have noticed that no. 4 does his fairly often. Has a a slow or even slow game, and then explodes right after that.

Oguine is #0. Pridgett (who also played a HUGE part for the Griz in the tournament) is #4. So likely Zengriz was hoping for Pridgett to get back in the game or help take over like he did in OT against UNC

That said, Oguine well deserved tournament MVP. Between his defense and offense he was awesome. I'm so glad he's a junior and not a senior! Going to be great having him, Rorie and others back next year. Wish Fab was a junior too. He'll be missed. Glad he's getting a trip to the NCAA tournament though as a senior!

 

[PlayerRep]

Can't imagine EWU can continue to make so many 3's. EWU defense is frustrating the Griz. Not getting many easy scores. EWU D has forced some turnovers. Griz shooting percentage declined later in the half.

Griz in a bit of a hole against a good and hot-shooting team, but Griz should be able to make some adjustments and start coming back. Lots of time, but UM needs to figure out how to get some easier buckets and make more of the open ones.

EWU was 8-13 on 3's in the first half, to 1-10 in the second half.

Shifting Rorie to guard Bliz, allowed Krys and Moorehead to do more on other people and contribute to the help D, said Travis.

 

[PlayerRep]

Did Nicholas not get in the game at all?

 

[Potomac Griz]

Did Nicholas not get in the game at all?

Not in the championship game, no. He still seemed very very happy by the results and was cheering his ass off on the bench. I hope he knows that he's a HUGE part of the Griz team an will be next year and the years after.

I hope he looks back at Pridgett's minutes last year and sees the similarities. There were some games where Pridgett only played a few minutes (or none at all). Now he's the best 6th man in the conference averaging well over 20 minutes a game and would start for any other Big Sky team.

Nicholas needs to trust the process. We're lucky to have him and I hope he sees that DeCuire is building something special that's built to last. Nicholas will be a huge part of that next year too (as he was this year) and likely starting his Junior and Senior year kicking ass in the Big Sky along with Falls and others.

 

[AZGrizFan]

Can't imagine EWU can continue to make so many 3's. EWU defense is frustrating the Griz. Not getting many easy scores. EWU D has forced some turnovers. Griz shooting percentage declined later in the half.

Griz in a bit of a hole against a good and hot-shooting team, but Griz should be able to make some adjustments and start coming back. Lots of time, but UM needs to figure out how to get some easier buckets and make more of the open ones.

EWU was 8-13 on 3's in the first half, to 1-10 in the second half.

Shifting Rorie to guard Bliz, allowed Krys and Moorehead to do more on other people and contribute to the help D, said Travis.

Dead legs, baby. They went into the locker room on such a high, they totally lost focus and started booking tickets....

 

[dayday]

Did Nicholas not get in the game at all?

Not in the championship game, no. He still seemed very very happy by the results and was cheering his ass off on the bench. I hope he knows that he's a HUGE part of the Griz team an will be next year and the years after.

I hope he looks back at Pridgett's minutes last year and sees the similarities. There were some games where Pridgett only played a few minutes (or none at all). Now he's the best 6th man in the conference averaging well over 20 minutes a game and would start for any other Big Sky team.

Nicholas needs to trust the process. We're lucky to have him and I hope he sees that DeCuire is building something special that's built to last. Nicholas will be a huge part of that next year too (as he was this year) and likely starting his Junior and Senior year kicking ass in the Big Sky along with Falls and others.

I think he knows that. Coaches always tighten up their rotations and bench come tourney time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[62GRIZ]

It's all about defense! The players who commit to playing DeCuire's defense are the ones who are going to be on the floor. Tight defense leads to good offense. Tape of the second half should be required watching for anyone who doesn't believe. :clap:

 

[michaelsol]

I attended my first UM Griz Basketball game in 1957. Much later, I was a Sports Reporter when Jud Heathcote was there. I really learned about the sport of collegiate basketball directly from Jud, every Monday morning at about 10. The second half last night may be the best "half" I've ever seen.

 

[Mousegriz]

...where is #4...

... :shock: ...

21 points on 6-8 shooting and 3-4 from 3 and 6-6 from the line. I hope you weren't complaining. Ha.

Oguine was the tournament MVP. 18 of his 21 came in the second half. He said: "Myself personally, I was really flat. We started getting stops and I started getting into a rhythm and it was big-time for us."

Zen, please know that I wasn't intending to pick on you. Just picked your post to post over when no. 4 came alive. I have noticed that no. 4 does his fairly often. Has a a slow or even slow game, and then explodes right after that.

Oguine is #0. Pridgett (who also played a HUGE part for the Griz in the tournament) is #4. So likely Zengriz was hoping for Pridgett to get back in the game or help take over like he did in OT against UNC

That said, Oguine well deserved tournament MVP. Between his defense and offense he was awesome. I'm so glad he's a junior and not a senior! Going to be great having him, Rorie and others back next year. Wish Fab was a junior too. He'll be missed. Glad he's getting a trip to the NCAA tournament though as a senior!

It's only numbers #0, #4.......#4 had a great tourney also. Love the way he can take and post bigger players, knock down midrange jumpers, draw a charge, get a big rebound and on occasion handle it out front.

What's "a slow or even slow" game? Sounds like a Pearl Jam song.

 

[grizzlyjournal]

It's all about defense! The players who commit to playing DeCuire's defense are the ones who are going to be on the floor. Tight defense leads to good offense. Tape of the second half should be required watching for anyone who doesn't believe. :clap:

The Montana philosophy. Every player, at some point, recognizes they'll only see floor time if they can play defense. Last season, Sayeed Pridgett was the kid toward the end of the bench, warmup jersey off & ready to play... who ended up sitting more than playing. In a story for GoGriz, Pridgett explained his transformation to this season (quote from the GoGriz story):

"Coach Trav challenged me," Pridgett said. "My defense is what it is because, after my freshman year, Trav challenged me to focus on my defense. So I took the challenge seriously to work all summer to come back ready as a sophomore. Every game I want to make a statement on the floor that I can guard and play defense."

http://gogriz.com/news/2018/3/4/mens-basketball-pridgett-brings-energy-fire-to-grizzlies.aspx?path=mbball

 

[PlayerRep]

21 points on 6-8 shooting and 3-4 from 3 and 6-6 from the line. I hope you weren't complaining. Ha.

Oguine was the tournament MVP. 18 of his 21 came in the second half. He said: "Myself personally, I was really flat. We started getting stops and I started getting into a rhythm and it was big-time for us."

Zen, please know that I wasn't intending to pick on you. Just picked your post to post over when no. 4 came alive. I have noticed that no. 4 does his fairly often. Has a a slow or even slow game, and then explodes right after that.

Oguine is #0. Pridgett (who also played a HUGE part for the Griz in the tournament) is #4. So likely Zengriz was hoping for Pridgett to get back in the game or help take over like he did in OT against UNC

That said, Oguine well deserved tournament MVP. Between his defense and offense he was awesome. I'm so glad he's a junior and not a senior! Going to be great having him, Rorie and others back next year. Wish Fab was a junior too. He'll be missed. Glad he's getting a trip to the NCAA tournament though as a senior!

It's only numbers #0, #4.......#4 had a great tourney also. Love the way he can take and post bigger players, knock down midrange jumpers, draw a charge, get a big rebound and on occasion handle it out front.

What's "a slow or even slow" game? Sounds like a Pearl Jam song.

Oops, blew that one. Thanks for correction. Posting from my phone on an airplane makes problems like this even worse.

 

[AllWeatherFan]

I attended my first UM Griz Basketball game in 1957. Much later, I was a Sports Reporter when Jud Heathcote was there. I really learned about the sport of collegiate basketball directly from Jud, every Monday morning at about 10. The second half last night may be the best "half" I've ever seen.

Agreed.