Home » Conference Notes » Currently Reading:

Big Sky Notebook

February 1, 2007 Conference Notes No Comments



Big Sky Conference Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

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.

     

Comment on this Article:







Phil Kasiecki on Twitter

Michael Protos on Twitter

Your Phil of Hoops

Not a season to remember for Wake Forest

March 8, 2012 by

wakeforest

Although it wasn’t quite as bad as last season, this was hardly one for the books for Wake Forest. After an 82-60 blowout loss against Maryland on Thursday, the Demon Deacons finished 13-18 overall. That doesn’t seem so bad, and a few teams had worse records, but look deeper and you see a team that, quite simply, was not good.

Ron Hunter a wonderful addition to the CAA coaching ranks

March 7, 2012 by

georgiastate

Ron Hunter is a terrific addition to the Colonial Athletic Association coaching ranks. That could have been said before the season given his track record and the impression he made on Media Day in October, but after the CAA Tournament it bears repeating because it was so obvious.

Bruiser Flint won’t be stressing out the next few days

March 6, 2012 by

drexel

In theory, the next six days should be quite stressful for Drexel and head coach Bruiser Flint. As the regular season champions of the CAA, they are guaranteed a bid to the NIT, but naturally hope the NCAA Tournament comes calling. Flint doesn’t seem stressed at all about it, however, and his experience is a key factor in that.

Northeastern has promise next season, but clear room for improvement

March 4, 2012 by

northeastern

Northeastern fought turnovers often this season, and had relatively mixed results with some streaks along the way. The Huskies should be better next season, but there is clear room for improvement and that was evident on Saturday night in the season-ending loss.

Despite the quarterfinal loss, the tournament is a positive ending for UNCW

March 3, 2012 by

uncwilmington

With UNCW’s season over, there’s a look toward a brighter future that was helped by this weekend in Richmond. The young Seahawks had some bright spots during the season in trying to rebuild, and capped it off with something else they can take with them.

James Madison fights the injury bug together and to the end

March 3, 2012 by

jamesmadison

James Madison came into the season as an interesting team to project. There was not a lack of talent, and it wasn’t a young team, but there were intangibles questions. In the end, injuries were the biggest problem, but the Dukes kept fighting right to the end no matter how demoralizing the injuries were.

2012 CAA Tournament – First Round Notes

March 3, 2012 by

colonial

Notes on the first round of the CAA Tournament, where the seeds held to form, the first 20-20 game in tournament history occurred and a team that went bowling to help get ready for the opening game of the day came out on top.

Quick Hitters – March 2, 2012

March 2, 2012 by

author_kasiecki

We check in with some quick hitters on a couple of America East teams, a contrast of freshmen from an earlier game, Georgia Tech’s defense against Boston College and the Missouri Valley.

Kyle Casey deserves a better ending

February 27, 2012 by

harvard

The last decisive play in Harvard’s 55-54 loss to Penn on Saturday night will stay in many people’s minds. For the Crimson player who was involved in it, one hopes the college basketball gods have a better ending in store later on.

Ivy League showdown looms between old rivals

February 18, 2012 by

ivy

The stage is set. Saturday night at Lavietes Pavilion will be a potentially epic battle with first place on the line after Friday night’s results. Old rivals Yale and Harvard will battle for the top, with Harvard hoping for a repeat of the result the last time these two teams met.

Conference Coverage

Idaho State makes a decision

March 15, 2012 by

Last Thursday, Idaho State finally made it’s choice, hiring Montana assistant Bill Evans as it’s head coach. So far, reaction has been mixed by at least one of the couple of forum posts dedicated to the decision as well as the local scribe’s feelings. Here’s the traditional “welcome to town” …

The Big Sky Championships: who’s gonna win

March 6, 2012 by

This is what the head honchos wrote on Monday: Big Sky (March 3) Top seed: Montana. The Big Sky regular-season championship came down to the final game, in which the Grizzlies avenged their only loss in Big Sky play by beating Weber State in Missoula. Tournament stakes: Although Weber State …

Playing catch-up: the Big Sky all-conference team & “first-round” analysis

March 5, 2012 by

bigsky

We take a look at the award winners, from the two-time conference Player of the Year to the Newcomer of the Year, as well as a couple of early tournament games.

What Was The Reason Behind Cleveland State’s Five Game Losing Streak?

February 26, 2012 by

clevelandstate

Why did the Cleveland State Vikings recently have a five game losing streak? It’s simple–whenever a team loses their most valuable player, they’re going to suffer. The Cleveland State Vikings have had their fair share of above-average talent on the roster over the past few years. Cedric Jackson played briefly …

Cleveland State Vikings Use Solid Contributions By Freshmen To Defeat Detroit Titans, 77-64

February 24, 2012 by

horizon

The Cleveland State Vikings and Detroit Titans squared off on Thursday evening at the Wolstein Center in a matchup with major ramifications for seeding in the Horizon League Tournament. Both the Vikings and the Titans headed into Thursday’s matchup riding drastically different five-game streaks. Picked by many preseason analysts to …

Much Is At Stake In The Final Week Of Horizon League Play

February 21, 2012 by

horizon

The last week of conference play has arrived in the Horizon League. Over the past few years, the battle for the top seeds in the Horizon League has not been decided until the final game of conference play. This year is no exception, with multiple teams having a legitimate chance …

Cleveland State Loses To Drexel Dragons 69-49 In ESPN BracketBusters Matchup

February 18, 2012 by

horizon

The Cleveland State Vikings and Drexel Dragons squared off on Saturday morning at the Wolstein Center as part of ESPN’s BracketBusters series. Saturday’s contest marks the second straight year in which the Vikings have participated in the BracketBusters series. Last season, the Vikings dropped a hard-fought contest to Old Dominion …

Butler Bulldogs Hang On To Defeat Cleveland State Vikings, 52-49

February 11, 2012 by

horizon

Although the rivalry between the Cleveland State Vikings and Butler Bulldogs may not be as nationally known as the rivalry between Duke and North Carolina, the intensity that is in the air whenever these two Horizon League rivals square off is just as strong. In fact, the animosity between these …

Valparaiso Crusaders Dominate Cleveland State Vikings 59-41

February 9, 2012 by

horizon

The Cleveland State Vikings and Valparaiso Crusaders squared off on Thursday night at the Wolstein Center in one of the most important games of the season for both teams. While the Vikings’ season-opening victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores may have been extremely important with regards to quality wins that are …

Big Sky Conference update – Jan 26, 2012

January 26, 2012 by

bigsky

JUST IN TIME FOR TONIGHT’S GAMES… All the news you ever wanted to know about the Big Sky, the weekly edition. YOUR WEEKLY DAMIAN LILLARD IS A STUD LINK-FEST: A Salt Lake Tribune story on his success. USA Today also jumped in sometime in the last week to talk about …

Cleveland State Vikings Overwhelm Milwaukee Panthers 83-57

January 22, 2012 by

horizon

In a game with major implications for the regular season Horizon League championship and seeding for the Horizon League Tournament, the Cleveland State Vikings dominated the Milwaukee Panthers by a score of 83-57 in a game in which the Panthers never led. The Vikings and Panthers began the day in …

Big Sky Conference update – January 18, 2012

January 18, 2012 by

bigsky

One team stands alone atop the standings for now, with another a little behind them and a logjam near the middle of the pack.

Cleveland State Use Barrages from Outside to Defeat Loyola

January 7, 2012 by

horizon

The Cleveland State Vikings started 2012 off on a winning note with a 69-48 victory at home on Saturday afternoon over the visiting Loyola Ramblers. In his pregame radio comments, Vikings coach Gary Waters stated that the Ramblers’ 5-10 record heading into Saturday’s matchup was deceiving and that the Ramblers were …

Big Sky roundup, week 1

January 5, 2012 by

bigsky

Opening weekend in the Big Sky Eastern Washington Record: 7-7, 1-1 Weekend: 1-1 Major superlatives: Won by 16, lost by 8; 76.5 ppg for, 72.5 against; plus-4 scoring margin; 52-112 FG; 20-53 3pt; 29-43 FT. Summary: One night, the lead stuck. The other, it didn’t. The Eagles made an early …

Your Big Sky Conference primer

December 28, 2011 by

bigsky

The Big Sky is about to dive in to conference play, and so far, the season has unfolded pretty much as expected, with Sacramento State looking like the one surprise.