Big Sky Conference Notebook
Player of the Week: Scott Morrison, Portland State
Eastern Washington Eagles (5-8 overall)
Dec. 27: BYU 97, Eastern Washington 66
Dec. 29: Boise State 76, Eastern Washington 72
Jan. 1: San Diego 97, Eastern Washington 78
Rodney Stuckey scored 21 points with four assists and three steals in the loss at BYU. BYU shot 64.5 percent from the field in the game and got 45 points from their bench… Stuckey scored a collegiate-high 34 points with eight rebounds, however had 10 turnovers in the loss to Boise State… Stuckey came up big again against San Diego, scoring 19 points with seven assists. Paul Butorac scored 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
Up next: The Eagles open Big Sky play Thursday at Northern Arizona.
Idaho State Bengals (7-4)
Dec. 27: Idaho State 102, Rocky Mountain 76
Dec. 29: Binghamton 59, Idaho State 46 (Utah State Gossner Foods Classic, Logan, Utah)
Dec. 30: Arkansas-Little Rock 73, Idaho State 72 (Utah State Gossner Foods Classic, Logan, Utah)
Matt Stucki scored a collegiate-high 23 points in a reserve role in a dominating victory over Rocky Mountain. Slim Millien scored 19 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season… at the Gossner Foods Classic, the Bengals faltered. ISU scored 46 points in their loss to Binghamton. Six times this season prior to that game, ISU had scored 46 points in a half. Kasey Winters was the lone highlight with nine points. ISU committed 21 turnovers in the game… Tim Henry scored 23 points in a losing effort in the consolation game.
Up next: ISU opens conference play with a two-game road trip at Montana and Montana State on Thursday and Saturday respectively.
Montana Grizzlies (10-2)
Dec. 30: Wisconsin-Milwaukee 78, Montana 74
The Grizzlies had their 10-game win streak snapped as they lost to 2005 Sweet 16 qualifier UW-Milwaukee in Missoula. Andrew Strait scored 23 points in the losing cause. The game was played in front of 7,213 fans, the second 7,000-plus attendance game this season.
Up next: Montana opens Big Sky play when ISU comes to town Thursday.
Montana State Bobcats (7-7)
Dec. 29: North Dakota State 76, Montana State 75
Dec. 30: Montana State 75, San Jose State 71
Jan. 2: Montana State 78, South Dakota State 73
The Bobcats lost for the first time in the semifinals of their own tournament against NDSU. Casey Durham, who scored nine points and had six assists and five steals, missed a 30-foot shot at the buzzer. Al Beye scored 18 to lead MSU… Marvin Moss scored 16 points with nine rebounds over SJSU. Beye added 13… Ja’Ron Jefferson scored 21 points with seven assists over SDSU. Derrick Edmonds scored 19.
Up next: MSU opens league play against Weber State Thursday and then host ISU on Saturday.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (8-6)
Dec. 29: Northern Arizona 96, Pacific Lutheran 59
Dec. 31: Northern Arizona 100, Johnson and Wells 52
Ruben Boykin, Jr. scored 21 points in 24 minutes against Pacific Lutheran. Steve Sir scored 17 points off the bench… Boykin, Jr. scored 20 points and had 13 rebounds in a stomping of Johnson and Wells. NAU shot 54 percent from the field in the game. Sir scored 12 points on four 3-pointers. NAU out-rebounded JW, 54-24.
Up next: NAU opens Big Sky play at home against the Eagles on Thursday and Portland State on Saturday.
Portland State Vikings (7-6)
Dec. 27: Portland State 54, Oregon 52
Dec. 30: Portland State 81, Idaho 48
Scott Morrison scored 15 points off the bench in an upset of Oregon. It was the fourth straight victory by PSU and it was the second victory by PSU over the Ducks in eight tries… PSU made it five-in-a-row in an easy victory over the Vandals. Ryan Sommer scored 18 points. Morrison added 10 and had seven rebounds off the bench.
Up next: PSU opens up conference play at Sacramento State Thursday and Saturday at NAU.
Sacramento State Hornets (9-5)
Dec. 29: Sacramento State 79, Denver 65
Jason Harris scored 10 points with 10 rebounds in a victory over the Pioneers. DaShawn Freeman had 21 points and five steals. The Hornets improved to 5-0 on their home floor. SSU finished non-conference with their best record since moving to Division I in 1991. In 1988, the Hornets were 9-5.
Up next: The Hornets look to continue their winning ways at home Thursday against PSU and Saturday against EWU.
Weber State Wildcats (6-7)
Dec. 28: Weber State 69, Utah Valley State 62
Dec. 31: Wyoming 58, Weber State 48
The Wildcats made it three-in-a-row with the victory over Utah Valley State. Coric Riggs led the Wildcats with 18 points. He has scored double-figures in all 12 games he has played in this season… Weber State shot just 32.7 percent from the field in their loss to the Cowboys. Riggs and Nick Covington each scored nine points. Weber State is 0-7 this season when shooting less than 45 percent.
Up next: Weber State is at MSU on Thursday and then Montana on Saturday.
