Griz notch first win of the season against scrappy Bulldogs

The Montana Western men’s basketball team finished sixth in the nine-team Frontier Conference last season and the Bulldogs’ tallest starter is 6-foot-6. Montana was picked by the coaches and the media to finish second in an improved Big Sky conference and it starts three players over 6-foot-6.

But Wayne Tinkle knows you do not play games on paper. You play them on the hardwood for a reason.

“You can’t ever take anyone for granted,” said the Montana head coach after his team escaped with a 75-67 win over Western.  “I joked with them we are never going to play them again. They gave us a good test and it’s good to have that early in the season.”

Even after the game, on paper it appeared to be a Grizzly rout. Montana shot 54 percent (25-of-46) from the field and knocked down seven three pointers. Western shot 39 percent (24-62), hit one less three, and were out-rebounded 38-29 but still managed to hang with the Grizzlies throughout the game.

“I tip my hat to Western,” Tinkle said “They played with confidence. This is their Super Bowl and we are coming off a tough loss to start the season at Colorado State (85-55).  We played through some adversity in more ways than one in this ball game and Western played great. Our guys were able to rise above it all and get a win.”

“This was our third game in four days so we just wanted to show everyone in the stands we came to play,” said Steve Keller, who is in his second season at Western. “I told our guys if we play hard we would have a chance. We did just that. We just played awesome.”

In a tight first half in which the lead changed hands 11 times, Montana committed 10 turnovers. Western converted the Montana miscues into 13 points, yet still trailed 34-31 at intermission.

“Every time we threw a blow at them, they counterpunched right back,” Tinkle said.

Junior swingman Ryan Staudacher hit all three of his 3-point attempts on his way to 13 first half points. He finished 5-for-7 from downtown and converted 7-of-12 attempts overall to finish with a career-high 21 points. 

“More than anything, I think it was just us executing our offense,” said Staudacher of his hot-handed half.  “Guys were setting great screens, and I was just getting great passes from both the guards and the big guys. That’s how you get open looks, and it’s my job to knock them down.”

In the second half, Montana tried to blow open the game, but Western would not go away. A lob from junior Jack McGillis to senior Jordan Hasquet, a McGillis lay-up and a Staudacher 3-pointer constituted the first three possessions of the second half before Keller called a time out as the lead swelled to double digits, 41-31, the largest of the evening for either squad.

But Bulldog guards Lane Glaus and Terry Hauser, both of whom come off the bench for Keller, wouldn’t let the Bulldogs quit. Montana’s lead grew to nine points on three more occasions, but the scrappy backcourt duo kept bringing the Bulldogs back.

Montana led 58-50 when point guard Ceylon Elgin-Taylor committed his fourth personal foul on a drive by Glaus with just over eight minutes to play. Elgin-Taylor proceeded to use profanity toward the official and was whistled with a technical foul, also the fifth personal, and was forced to take a seat. Junior Anthony Johnson replaced Elgin-Taylor, who had a game-high six assists. Glaus knocked down all four free throws.

Two Hauser free throws and a lay-up by starting guard Brandon Lawson brought Western within one, 61-60, with just over five minutes to play. That was as close as the Bulldogs would get, as Johnson and sophomore center Brandon Qvale combined to knock down 7-of-10 free throws down the stretch.  Montana finished 18-of-26 from the line.  Western converted 13 of 14 free throw attempts.

Hauser finished with a team-high 15 points for a Western bench that scored 32 points.  Glaus finished with 13. 

“Our bench has been great,” Keller said. “We had 38 and 35 off our bench this weekend. We just have good depth right now, and I have no hesitation putting those guys in during crunch time.”

Accompanying Staudacher in double figures for the Griz was Johnson (14), Hasquet (11), and redshirt freshman Derek Selvig (career-high 11). Hasquet also had a game-high 11 rebounds. 

“Friday night has been weighing on us all weekend,” Staudacher said. “It was good to get a win and to get it going in the right direction again. We just need to carry it forward.”

colter.nuanez@umontana.edu