Big Sky Conference Notebook
ISU coach suspended
First-year Idaho State men’s basketball coach Joe O’Brien was suspended for one game by the Big Sky Conference, following comments he made about the officiating during the Bengals’ 67-65 loss to Portland State on Saturday.
“I don’t think you call a foul with 25 seconds left in the game and put a player on the free-throw line,” O’Brien said after the game. “I don’t think you do that unless it’s a foul, a hard foul, an obvious foul. I think there were too many soft fouls.”
Shortly after ISU took a 65-64 lead in the second half, ISU’s David Schroeder was called for a foul that put PSU on the line. That ultimately provided the difference.
O’Brien did not shake Portland State head coach Ken Bone’s hand following the game, but said that he forgot to do so.
O’Brien will sit Thursday’s home game against Northern Arizona, but he can return to action for the Bengals’ game Saturday at home against Sacramento State. O’Brien can coach the team up until Thursday, including the game-day shoot-around. Though O’Brien cannot have any contact with the team during the game, and is not permitted to sit in the stands.
ESPN BracketBusters pairings announced
Four Big Sky teams found out their respective match-ups for the fifth annual ESPN BracketBusters Saturday weekend.
With teams being determined prior to the start of this season, two Big Sky teams will host the games which were created to give mid-majors a chance to play on national television in hopes to improve their NCAA tournament resume. Two more Big Sky teams will travel.
Montana will host Pacific and Northern Arizona will host San Jose State in home games for Big Sky teams.
Both Montana and Pacific lost to Boston College in last season’s NCAA tournament. Pacific lost to the Eagles in overtime in the first round, while Montana lost in the second round. This season Pacific is 7-12, as of Jan. 29, and is 3-3 in the Big West Conference.
San Jose State is struggling at 2-18, and NAU is the reigning Big Sky Conference regular season champion.
Portland State will travel to play Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly is 7-1 at home thus far this season, while Portland State sports a 14-9 overall record. The Vikings average 77.4 points per game, 36th-best in the nation.
Eastern Washington will travel to play UC-Santa Barbara. It will be a match-up of two of the nation’s best scoring guards. EWU features Rodney Stuckey, the reigning Big Sky player of the year, who averages 24 points per game. UCSB is lead by junior Alex Harris, who averages 21 points per game.
All four games will be played on Saturday, Feb. 17 with game times being announced later.
Player of the week: David Patten, Weber State, and Andrew Strait, Montana
Eastern Washington Eagles (11-11 overall, 5-5 conference)
Last week’s results
At Sacramento, Calif., Jan. 25: Eastern Washington 100, Sacramento State 85
At Ogden, Utah, Jan. 27: Weber State 93, Eastern Washington 84
This week’s games
Feb. 1 at Montana State
Feb. 3 at Montana
Against the Hornets, Rodney Stuckey scored at least 30 points for the 12th time in his collegiate career, as he scored 31. EWU rallied from a 15-point deficit at halftime to win. Paul Butorac scored 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Against the Wildcats, Stuckey picked up a double-double with 29 points and 10 assists, adding six rebounds and four steals in the losing effort. Butorac scored 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting.
Idaho State Bengals (10-11, 5-3)
Last week’s results
At Pocatello, Id., Jan. 25: Weber State 71, Idaho State 58
At Pocatello, Id., Jan. 27: Portland State 67, Idaho State 65
This week’s games
Feb. 1 vs. Northern Arizona
Feb. 3 vs. Sacramento State
The Bengals lost their first home game of the season against the Wildcats. David Schroeder scored a team-high 20 points. The Bengals shot just 30.8 percent for the game, including 23.3 in the first half. Against the Vikings, ISU struggled to shoot from the floor for the second game in a row, shooting 22.2 percent in the first half. ISU trailed by as many as 18 points in the second half. Matt Stucki missed a pair of free throws with three seconds remaining that would have given ISU the lead at the time. Schroeder scored a team-high 21 points.
Montana Grizzlies (11-10, 5-3)
Last week’s results
At Flagstaff, Ariz., Jan. 25: Montana 74, Northern Arizona 71
At Greeley, Colo., Jan. 27: Montana 68, Northern Colorado 51
This week’s games
Feb. 1 vs. Portland State
Feb. 3 vs. Eastern Washington
Against the Lumberjacks, Andrew Strait was perfect from the field, going 11-for-11, to finish with 23 points. Jordan Hasquet added 12 points and six rebounds in a rematch of last season’s Big Sky tournament championship game, which was won by Montana in Flagstaff. Against the Bears, Hasquet scored 17 points with 11 rebounds, and Matt Dlouhy scored 16 points.
Montana State Bobcats (7-14, 4-4)
Last week’s results
At Greeley, Colo., Jan. 25: Montana State 58, Northern Colorado 57
At Flagstaff, Ariz., Jan. 27: Northern Arizona 86, Montana State 76
This week’s games
Feb. 1 vs. Eastern Washington
Feb. 3 vs. Portland State
Against the Bears, MSU won its third-straight game, rallying from a 14-point deficit. Nick Dissly and Casey Durham each scored 15 points to lead the way. The Bobcats shot just 33.3 percent from the field, but were 13-of-15 from the free-throw line. Against the Lumberjacks, MSU struggled again from the field, shooting 35.5 percent. Dissly scored 24 points. Branden Johnson and Carlos Taylor each scored 11 points.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (11-10, 6-4)
Last week’s results
At Flagstaff, Ariz., Jan. 25: Montana 74, Northern Arizona 71
At Flagstaff, Ariz., Jan. 27: Northern Arizona 86, Montana State 76
NAU shot 54.2 percent from the field against the Grizzlies, but made just two 3-pointers. The Lumberjacks went into the game averaging a league-best 7.9 3-pointers made per game, a number that also ranks NAU among the nation’s best. Tyrone Bazy scored a team-high 18 points. Against the Bobcats, Bazy scored 18 points off the bench, and Stephen Sir added 14 points, also off the bench.
Northern Colorado Bears (3-19, 1-9)
Last week’s results
At Greeley, Colo., Jan. 25: Montana State 58, Northern Colorado 57
At Greeley, Colo., Jan. 27: Montana 68, Northern Colorado 51
This week’s games
Jan. 31 at Sacramento State
Feb. 1 at Weber State
Against the Bobcats, Northern Colorado lost a conference game by a single point for the third time this season. UNC shot just 39.6 percent for the game, including 3-20 from 3-point range. Kirk Archibeque and Sean Taibi combined to scored just nine points; the two combine to average 30. Tommie Clark scored 12 points off the bench against the Grizzlies, and Chris Kaba added 10, also off the bench. UNC’s starters combined for just 23 points.
Portland State Vikings (14-9, 5-5)
Last week’s results
At Sacramento, Calif., Jan. 26: Sacramento State 97, Portland State 93
At Pocatello, Id., Jan. 27: Portland State 67, Idaho State 65
This week’s games
Feb. 1 at Montana
Feb. 3 at Montana State
Dupree Lucas scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds against the Hornets, while Scott Morrison had 13 points and four blocks. Against the Bengals, the Vikings led by 18 in the second half, then withstood a late rally. Paul Hafford hit six 3-pointers to finish with 21 points.
Sacramento State Hornets (8-13, 3-5)
Last week’s results
At Sacramento, Calif., Jan. 25: Eastern Washington 100, Sacramento State 85
At Sacramento, Calif., Jan. 26: Sacramento State 97, Portland State 93
This week’s games
Jan. 31 vs. Northern Colorado
Feb. 3 at Idaho State
Against the Eagles, the Hornets led by as many as 15 points in the first half. Alex Bausley scored 23 points with six steals, five assists and five rebounds, and Loren Leath added 16 points off the bench. The loss was Sacramento State’s fifth in a row. Against the Vikings, Leath scored 23 points, and Kris Groce scored a collegiate-high 20 points with seven assists. Bausley added 17 points with six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Weber State Wildcats (14-9, 7-3)
Last week’s results
At Pocatello, Id., Jan. 25: Weber State 71, Idaho State 58
At Ogden, Utah, Jan. 27: Weber State 93, Eastern Washington 84
This week’s games
Feb. 1 vs. Northern Colorado
Feb. 3 vs. Northern Arizona
Weber State shot 54 percent from the field to hand ISU its first loss of the season at home. David Patten hit 10-of-15 shots from the field en route to a 23-point effort. Weber then State shot 67.3 percent from the field against the Bengals. Patten scored 21 points with five rebounds, while Arturas Valeika added 13 points and 12 rebounds for the double-double.
