We’re back and slightly better than before, and we have the latest Big Sky notes.
Eastern Washington
Record: 9-9, 3-3, t5th
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Won by 5, lost by 1; 67.5 ppg for, 65.5 against; plus-4 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 4th scoring offense (72.2 ppg), 6th scoring defense (68.5 ppg), 3rd scoring margin (plus-3.7). Percentages: 145-347 FG (7th), 61-171 3-point (6th) 82-116 FT (4th).
What it means: Middle of the pack after nearly halfway through, with the upper hand on Northern Arizona, Sac State and Montana State. Only MSU is above the Eagles in the standings, which makes a Jan. 28 home date with the Bobcats the most crucial game the rest of the month, even as they host Portland State on the 21st.
Idaho State
Record: 4-14, 2-4, 6th
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Won by 1, lost by 12; 68 ppg for, 73.5 ppg against; minus-5.5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 9th scoring offense (61.2 ppg), 6th scoring defense (70.2 ppg), 8th scoring margin (minus-9).
What it means: One step forward, one step back. Down 14 with under 5 to go, win on a four-point play with 8 seconds left had people in Pocatello happy until they went to Portland and somehow the Vikings took 36 foul shots. They’ve got two road wins, one over a team picked highly by coaches & media (Northern Colorado). That’s big, but they’re 0-3 at home in the conference. Anomaly city for interim head coach Deane Martin.
Montana
Record: 11-6, 4-1, 2nd
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Won by 25, lost by 16; 61.5 ppg for, 67.5 against; minus-6 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 5th scoring offense (69.6 ppg), 7th scoring defense (71.8 ppg), 6th scoring margin (plus-10.4). Percentages: 128-248 FG (1st), 34-74 3-point (2nd), 74-101 FT (3rd).
What it means: For now, it means the Wildcats stand alone. UM played without center Derek Selvig, who can shoot and defend both outside and inside. Another post, Art Steward, fouled out with 16 minutes to go in the game. The Grizzlies are still on the path to finish top-2 right now, and shot a not horrible, but not great, 20-52 (38.5%) in the game to drop to 51.6% shooting in Big Sky play. You read that right – 51.6% despite a near-40% game in Ogden.
Montana State
Record: 8-8, 3-2, t3rd
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Lost by 14, won by 2, ; 71 ppg for, 66.5 against; plus-4.5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 8th scoring offense (60.4 ppg), 4th scoring defense (68.2 ppg), 8th scoring margin (minus-7.8). Percentages: 126-269 FG (4th), 38-87 3-point (3rd), 58-89 FT (7th).
What it means: One, the team is perimeter oriented. Nearly as many 3-pointers as free throws, and a better percentage from beyond the arc. Two, things are relatively as they should be for the Bobcats. MSU owns roadies over ISU and Northern Arizona now, but needed late heroics from a player or two to offset the fact it let a 15-point lead slip away. Suffice to say, crunch-time defense is not a current strong suit of the Bobcats’. Big game looms Saturday when Northern Colorado comes to Bozeman, but can’t overlook Sacramento State, as bad as the Hornets are.
Northern Arizona
Record: 5-13, 1-5, 7th
Weekend: 0-2
Major superlatives: Lost by 25, lost by 2; 62.5 ppg for, 76 against; minus-14.5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 7th scoring offense (63.8 ppg), t8th scoring defense (75.7 ppg), 9th scoring margin (minus-11.8). Percentages: 135-337 FG (8th), 30-93 3-point (8th), 83-119 FT (5th).
What it means: The honeymoon for interim head coach Dave Brown is over. Since the Arizona Styate upset at the buzzer, NAU has posted one victory, a 9-point win over fellow bottom-feeder Sac State. The next chance comes in Pocatello on Saturday, because they’re not losing in Ogden on Thursday. Outside of MSU, the losing streak margin is minus-18.75.
Northern Colorado
Record: 6-10, 3-2, t3rd
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Lost by 11, won by 1; 73 ppg for, 78 against; minus-5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 6th scoring offense (68.4 ppg), 3rd scoring defense (66.0 ppg), 4th scoring margin (plus-2.4). Percentages: 112-223 FG (3rd), 32-62 3-point (1st), 86-133 FT (8th).
What it means: If Portland State makes a charge, UNC will feel the pain of a loss. Staved off a Washington state sweep, barely, to stay above sea level after 5 BSC games. It’s been flip, flop since conference started and this weekend’s trip into Montana marks a four-game, two-weekend(ish) road trip for B.J. Hill’s team. They own a win over NAU, but ISU owns a win over them and hosts the Bears – after they get through playing UM and MSU.
Portland State
Record: 9-9, 3-3, t5th
Weekend: 0-1
Major superlatives: Won by 1, won by 12; 83 ppg for, 71.5 ppg against; plus-11.5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 1st scoring offense (77.7 ppg), t8th scoring defense (75.7 ppg), 5th scoring margin (plus-2).
What it means: The Washington teams are both on equal footing at this point, which was sort of expected but also seems strange in a way. This Saturday, they duke it out to get separation from each other in Cheney. PSU has a little momentum after two wins in a row, but Tyler Geving’s team seems mercurial at this point – like Hayford’s Eagles squad or both MSU and UNC.
Sacramento State
Record: 5-11, 0-5, 9th
Weekend: 0-2
Major superlatives: Lost by 5, lost by 1; 63.5 ppg for, 66.5 against; minus-3 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 8th scoring offense (61.4 ppg), 4th scoring defense (68.2 ppg), 8th scoring margin (minus-7.8). Percentages: 106-245 FG (6th), 24-81 3-point (9th), 71-112 FT (9th).
What it means: People are starting to finally get fed up with Katz’s stagnancy and appalled he still has three years left on his contract. Second last in ppg (61.4), mid-pack in points allowed (68.2) and in the bottom four in most of the metric statistical categories. There’s not much more to say about a team on a six-game skid.
Weber State
Record: 14-3, 6-0, 1st
Weekend: 2-0
Major superlatives: Won by 14, won by 16; 71.5 ppg for, 56.5 against; plus-15 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 2nd scoring offense (76.5 ppg), 2nd scoring defense (65 ppg), 1st scoring margin (plus-11.5). Percentages: 145-321 FG (5th), 54-132 3-point (5th), 115-138 FT (1st).
What it means: The cheese stands alone. The Wildcats turned a 21-19 deficit into a 16-point rout, outscoring the Griz 61-43 from the 9 minute mark of the first half onward. Weber’s lead was 27-22, then ballooned to 49-36 at the half. Kyle Bullinger and Frank Otis came back to play, with Otis chipping in seven points in 11 minutes off the bench. They’re starting to get healthier, which means problems for the rest of the Big Sky.
