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This Week’s Skylights
League-leading Weber State and second-place Northern Colorado battle on Saturday night in Ogden, Utah, highlighting this week’s schedule of eight conference and one non-conference games. Before the Saturday showdown, Weber State and Northern Colorado face conference games on Friday. Weber State (9-2) takes on a dangerous Northern Arizona squad on Friday, while Northern Colorado (8-3) travels to Idaho State...Montana will try to run its winning streak to five games on Friday at Portland State. The Grizzlies, who enter the week in third place and having won seven of eight, take on Eastern Washington on Sunday in the Altitude Game of the Week...Fourth-place Montana State (7-5) hits the road on Friday to take on Eastern Washington. The Bobcats are at Portland State on Saturday night...Sacramento State takes a break from conference action this week. The Hornets travel to Seattle University of Saturday.
This Week’s Sky Schedule
Friday, Feb. 12................................................................................. Time
*Northern Arizona at Weber State (Big Sky TV)................................. 7:05
*Montana at Portland State (Big Sky TV)............................................ 7:05
*Northern Colorado at Idaho State (Big Sky TV)................................ 7:05
*Montana State at Eastern Washington (Big Sky TV) (SWX)............... 7:35
Saturday, Feb. 13............................................................................ Time
Sacramento State at Seattle................................................................ 1:05
*Northern Arizona at Idaho State (Big Sky TV)................................... 7:05
*Northern Colorado at Weber State (Big Sky TV)............................... 7:05
*Montana State at Portland State (Big Sky TV)................................... 7:05
Big Sky Game of the Week on Altitude
Sunday, Feb. 14.............................................................................. Time
*Montana at Eastern Washington (Big Sky TV)................................... 1:05
TV: Altitude, Comcast Sports Net Northwest.
*Big Sky Conference Game
Game Times Local to Site/Subject to Change
Around the Big Sky
WILDCATS IN: Weber State became the first team to clinch a spot in the postseason tournament, clinching one of the six spots on Sunday. Weber State moved to 9-2 in conference with a 75-71 win over Montana State on Saturday in Bozeman, but didn’t clinch the spot until Sunday. Sacramento State’s 74-67 win over Eastern Washington on Sunday assured Weber State a bid. Idaho State, Eastern Washington and Sacramento State all have at least eight conference losses and will not be able to catch Weber State. The Wildcats have advanced to the Big Sky Championship four consecutive seasons, and have missed out in the postseason just twice - 1981 and 2006 since the league began the tournament in 1976. Weber State has won or shared two of the past three regular-season titles and will position itself for a third title in four years with home victories this week. The Wildcats face Northern Arizona on Friday and second-place Northern Colorado on Saturday. WSU has won 24 of its last 27 Big Sky games. Weber State is 5-0 in conference home games this season and 12-1 the past two seasons.
TOURNEY TALK: Weber State is in the tournament, and Northern Colorado, Montana and Montana State are all on the verge of clinching postseason bids. Currently, a team needs nine victories to clinch a bid, but that number could shrink to eight by Friday night. Northern Colorado (8-3) will clinch a spot with a victory over Idaho State on Friday. Montana State (7-5) can clinch a spot with a win over Eastern Washington on Friday or a victory over Portland State on Saturday. Montana (8-4) will clinch with a win over Portland State on Friday, or losses by Eastern Washington and Idaho State. The top six teams qualify for the Big Sky Championship. The regular-season champion will host the semifinals on Tuesday, March 9, and the championship on Wednesday, March 10. Portland State is currently in fifth place at 5-5. The Vikings play four of their final six conference games at home. NAU is in sixth at 5-6. The Lumberjacks have three road games and two home games remaining.
STREAKING GRIZ: Since starting the conference season 1-3, Montana has won seven of eight and four in a row to return to the championship hunt. Montana notched a 75-61 win over Weber State on Friday and beat Idaho State 91-68 on Saturday. Montana takes it 8-4 conference record on the road to Portland State and Eastern Washington this weekend. Grizzly senior guard Anthony Johnson scored a season-high 30 points against Idaho State and netted 18 against Weber State, as UM snapped a six-game losing streak to the Wildcats. During the last eight games, UM is averaging 74 points per game and allowing 62. UM is shooting 51.9 percent from the floor and holding opponents to 40.7 percent shooting.
RPI REPORT: The Big Sky Conference remained 17th among Division I conferences in this week’s RPI, just ahead of the Southern Conference and just behind the Mid-American. Weber State jumped 12 spots to No. 84. Northern Colorado improved six spots to 98, and Montana jumped nine spots to 100.
Around the Big Sky
TWENTY IN SIGHT: Northern Colorado earned its 19th victory of the season on Sunday, downing Northern Arizona 70-63 in overtime. Northern Colorado can earn its 20th victory of the season on Friday against Idaho State. The Bears’ program, which began in 1901-02, has won 20 games in a season just twice. The 1965-66 team finished 21-6. The 1989-89 Bears finished 24-6, claiming a co-share of the Division II North Central Conference title. Since the 1988-89 season, the program never won more than 16 games in a season until this season. During Northern Colorado’s first three seasons in the Big Sky, the Bears won 31 games.
MORGAN GOES DOWN: An already difficult road swing through Montana became even more difficult just nine minutes into Idaho State’s Friday night game against Montana State as leading scorer Amorrow Morgan sustained an ankle injury. Morgan, who entered the weekend,averaging a league-best 22.9 points per game in conference play. Morgan sustained an injured ankle and did not play the rest of the game Friday night, or in Idaho State’s loss on Saturday at Montana. Morgan’s status for this week is questionable.
EAGLES, GRIZ ON ALTITUDE: Montana and Eastern Washington meet Sunday in Cheney, Wash., in the Big Sky Conference Game of the Week on Altitude Sports & Entertainment. It’s the season debut for Montana on Altitude. EWU is 1-0 this season on Altitude. Jeff Friedman will handle the play-by-play duties with Jay Tust on color commentary. The game will also air live on Comcast Sports Net Northwest.
Tip-ins: WSU’s Damian Lillard and NC’s Will Figures have each scored in double figures in 13 consecutive games…PSU’s Dominic Waters is now second in the nation in free-throw shooting percentage…Sacramento State blocked 10 shots, including four by freshman John Dickson, in its win over Eastern Washington…PSU’s Jamie Jones had 32 points, 18 rebounds, and nine blocks in two games last week. Jones ranks 11th in the nation in field-goal percentage…NC’s Devon Beitzel hit six 3-pointers, including two in overtime, in the Bears’ win over NAU…MSU’s Bobby Howard scored 25 points with nine rebounds in a loss to Weber State…UM shot 70.8 percent from the floor in the second half of its win over ISU...PSU’s Julius Thomas had led the Vikings in scoring each of the past two games.Over the first 110 games of his career, he never led PSU in scoring.