Montana (19-8) at Portland State (12-14)
Published: 02/24/11 7:39 am | Updated: 02/24/11 7:39 am
... UM Grizzlies hit the road for the final two games of the 2010-11 regular season, their first stop being at the Stott Center tonight where they will tangle with the Portland State Vikings in Big Sky Conference action.
Montana has the best record in the Big Sky at the moment with an 11-3 mark, so closing out with two wins would likely give the squad the regular-season title. Over the weekend, the Grizzlies took a break from their conference schedule and matched up with Long Beach State on the road, an outing that resulted in a disappointing 74-56 loss that snapped a three-game win streak for the Grizz.
... the Vikings, their matchup against a non-league foe last weekend led them to Loyola Marymount, a home date versus the Lions in fact. Luckily the offense showed up for PSU as the hosts snapped a four-game slide with an 84-75 triumph. Nevertheless, the Vikings have still won just one of their last seven conference bouts and that has the squad at 4-9 versus the Big Sky as a result.
Montana won the first meeting of the season last month by a score of 77-70 at home, thanks to Brian Qvale who recorded a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds to go along with four blocked shots. With the triumph the Grizzlies moved to 26-20 in the all-time series and have now won four in a row over PSU. Brian Qvale showed up with his 17 points and eight rebounds, both of which were team highs last Saturday night, but he got very little production from his teammates as Montana suffered the double-digit loss on the road in the Walter Pyramid. Art Steward managed another 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor, but the other three starters combined to hit just 2-of-17 from the floor. As a whole, the Grizzlies converted a mere 38.2 percent from the field and 4-of-18 behind the three-point line. Qvale, who has scored in double figures in all but four games this season, has watched his scoring average progress significantly each year he has been with the program, starting at 4.0 ppg and now showing 15.1 ppg. While it doesn't get as much attention, Qvale also has 81 blocked shots this year and that gives him 233 for his career which sets a new school and Big Sky record. Defensively Montana is limiting opponents to just 59.8 ppg this season on 39.1 percent accuracy from the floor over 27 games.
The Vikings shot just 14-of-28 at the free-throw line against Loyola Marymount over the weekend, but that didn't stop the squad from putting up a nine-point win at home over the Lions in non-conference play. Except for Chris Harriel who finished with seven points, nine boards, six assists and three steals, every starter scored in double figures beginning with Melvin Jones with his 19 points. Charles Odum chipped in 15 points, Phillip Thomas and Phil Nelson 14 apiece and Chehales Tapscott 13 points to go along with a team-best 10 rebounds. Even though he has started just 14 of 26 games, Odum is at the top of the scoring chart for the Vikings with his 14.4 ppg, using 53.0 percent accuracy from the floor to get the job done. Harriel is in for another 13.3 ppg, but in his case he can't seem to find clear shots at the rim and is now converting only 37.1 percent from the floor for a team hitting on 43.5 percent overall as it produces 72.4 ppg. Qvale is the kind of player in the paint that few in the Big Sky can get a handle of and because of that he and the Grizzlies should be able to impose their will tonight on the road.
