MISSOULA, Mont. -- Montana's Jordan Gregory scored a game-high 21 points and the Grizzlies used a late 10-2 run to eventually defeat Sacramento State, 63-52, in a Big Sky Conference men's basketball game Thursday evening at Dahlberg Arena.
The outcome had major Big Sky Tournament implications for Sacramento State (14-14, 8-11) as the Hornets still cling to their playoff hopes. Sacramento State will play its final regular season game on Saturday afternoon at Montana State. In fact, the entire league's final day of the regular season will come Saturday, and four spots have now been clinched for the seven-team field. Montana, Weber State, North Dakota and Northern Colorado have all clinched a spot.
That means there is a five-team race for the final three spots between Montana State (9-10), Sacramento State (8-11), Northern Arizona (8-11), Southern Utah (8-11) and Eastern Washington (7-12). Below are the tiebreaker scenarios that would get the Hornets into the Big Sky Tournament:
- With a win on Saturday, Sacramento State would qualify for the tournament as either the 5, 6 or 7 seed.
- With a loss on Saturday, Sacramento State would need a Southern Utah loss at North Dakota AND a Northern Arizona win at Montana
Sacramento State is attempting to claim a spot in the Big Sky Tournament field for the first time the 2005-06 season. In addition, the Hornets are attempting to finish a season above the .500 mark for the first time in the Div. I era (1991-pres.).
Should the Hornets clinch a spot in the Big Sky Tournament, they would play a quarterfinal game one week from today in either Missoula, Mont., or Ogden, Utah.
With so much at stake, the Hornets hung with Montana (22-6, 18-1) the majority of the evening, trailing by seven points or less the first 17:20 of the second half. In fact, it was a John Dickson layup with 4:12 remaining that got the Hornets within, 47-44. However, Montana immediately responded with what turned out to be the game-clinching 10-2 run over the next two and a half minutes to take a 57-46 lead with 1:43 to play. During the Montana spurt, the Grizzlies scored on four straight possessions, including three-pointers from Kevin Henderson and Mike Weisner.
The Hornets would get no closer than within seven points of the Griz lead the rest of the way. The 11-point win for Montana also happened to be its largest lead of the night.
Sacramento State, which never led in the game, shot 35.8 percent (19-53) from the field, 17.6 percent (3-17) from the three-point line and 68.8 percent (11-16) from the free throw line. In addition, the Hornets were outrebounded by a 35-27 margin. Sacramento State kept itself in the game by forcing Montana into 15 turnovers, and outscoring the Grizzlies by a 14-9 margin in points off miscues.
Conversely, Montana shot well from the field (.465, 20-for-43), three-point line (.412, 7-for-17) and free throw line (.941, 16-for-17).
Sacramento State had three players score in double figures, comprised of Dickson (15 points), Mikh McKinney (11 points) and Jordan Salley (10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, and three steals). Salley is now averaging 11.0 points over his last three games after averaging 0.8 points during his first 22 games of the season. Joe Eberhard added seven points and a team-high five rebounds, and point guard Dylan Garrity had six points, four rebounds and four assists in a game-high 38 minutes.
For Montana, Gregory scored 10 points in the first half and 11 more in the second half while finishing 5-of-11 from the field, 3-of-7 from the three-point line and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Joining Gregory in double figures for the Grizzlies was Kareem Jamar, who finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, although he did have seven turnovers. Spencer Coleman added seven points and nine rebounds, and Andy Martin had four points, three blocks and six rebounds.

June 24, 2013
DICKSON GETS SECOND WORKOUT WITH THE SACRAMENTO KINGS

May 20, 2013
MEN'S HOOPS TO HOST SIGNING PARTY ON MAY 23

February 28, 2013
WEBER STATE USES THE THREE BALL TO DEFEAT MEN’S BASKETBALL, 70-55

February 26, 2013
MEN'S HOOPS HOSTS BIG GAME THURSDAY NIGHT VS. WEBER STATE

February 26, 2013
WHITEOUT PLANNED FOR THURSDAY NIGHT'S MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME

February 23, 2013
LATE VETETO BASKET GIVES MEN'S BASKETBALL A 51-50 WIN OVER UCSB

February 16, 2013
MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS AT NORTHERN COLORADO

February 15, 2013
MEN'S BASKETBALL TRAVELS TO NORTHERN COLORADO ON SATURDAY

February 14, 2013
ANOTHER ONE-POINT LOSS FOR MEN’S HOOPS, THIS TIME AT NORTH DAKOTA, 49-48

February 13, 2013
MEN'S BASKETBALL BEGINS IMPORTANT ROAD TRIP THURSDAY AT NORTH DAKOTA


February 6, 2013
MEN'S BASKETBALL HOSTS EASTERN WASHINGTON ON THURSDAY

February 4, 2013
NORTHERN ARIZONA USES LATE RUN TO DOWN MEN’S BASKETBALL, 62-61

February 3, 2013
MEN'S HOOPS BEGINS HOMESTAND MONDAY NIGHT AGAINST NORTHERN ARIZONA

January 30, 2013
MEN'S HOOPS LOOKS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN THURSDAY AT SOUTHERN UTAH

January 23, 2013
MEN'S HOOPS OPENS BIG HOME STRETCH THURSDAY VS. NORTH DAKOTA

January 18, 2013
MEN'S HOOPS CONCLUDES ROAD TRIP SATURDAY AT WEBER STATE

January 17, 2013
MEN’S HOOPS LOSES IN BRUTAL FASHION AT IDAHO STATE, 60-59

January 16, 2013
MEN'S HOOPS TRAVELS TO POCATELLO FOR THURSDAY TILT WITH IDAHO STATE

January 6, 2013
MEN'S BASKETBALL HOSTS SOUTHERN UTAH ON MONDAY NIGHT



December 19, 2012
MEN’S BASKETBALL OPENS BIG SKY PLAY WITH 62-57 WIN OVER MONTANA STATE


December 12, 2012
Q&A WITH FORMER HORNET BASKETBALL PLAYER JAMEEL PUGH


December 1, 2012
ARIZONA STATE BURIES 11 THREE BALLS, DEFEATS MEN’S BASKETBALL

November 27, 2012
MEN'S BASKETBALL RETURNS HOME TONIGHT FOR GAME AGAINST DOMINICAN


November 21, 2012
MEN'S BASKETBALL TRAVELS TO CENTRAL ARKANSAS ON SATURDAY

November 20, 2012
POINT GUARD DYLAN GARRITY NAMED THE BIG SKY CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK

November 19, 2012
TUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL’S NICK HORNSBY SIGNS WITH MEN’S BASKETBALL

November 16, 2012
MEN’S BASKETBALL UPSETS UTAH, OFF TO FIRST 3-0 START SINCE 1999-00

November 15, 2012
MEN'S HOOPS LOOKS FOR 3-0 START ON FRIDAY AT UTAH

November 15, 2012
CLARK’S CORNER TO TELEVISE FRIDAY’S MEN’S BASKETBALL’S GAME AGAINST UTAH

November 14, 2012
MEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS CASA ROBLE HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCT ERIC STUTEVILLE


November 12, 2012
MEN'S BASKETBALL HOSTS CSU BAKERSFIELD ON WEDNESDAY

November 9, 2012
THIS YEAR’S MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS FOR MEN’S BASKETBALL

November 9, 2012
MEN’S BASKETBALL OPENS SEASON WITH A 96-62 VICTORY OVER UC MERCED

November 5, 2012
2012-13 MEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON OUTLOOK

October 26, 2012
MEN’S BASKETBALL 2012-13 SEASON TICKETS ON SALE

October 19, 2012
MONDAY NIGHT MADNESS KICKS OFF THE MEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON TONIGHT

October 18, 2012
BIG SKY MEN’S BASKETBALL COACHES AND MEDIA PRESEASON POLLS RELEASED

September 20, 2012
MEN’S BASKETBALL TO INDUCT 10 ALUMS INTO COACHES CIRCLE

July 6, 2012
MEN’S BASKETBALL RELEASES 2012-13 SCHEDULE