With seven seconds remaining in what would become an 85-82 win over Portland State, Ahmaad Rorie stepped to the free throw line in a very familiar situation. Just two days before Saturday night’s victory, Rorie missed two critical free throws as Montana lost by two to Sacramento State. On Saturday, Rorie didn’t hit both, but did enough to capture an important win.
It was a break from the self-inflicted ails that pained Montana on Thursday, and was an encouraging sign for head coach Travis DeCuire and his coaching staff, who delivered a lengthy postgame lecture following the disturbing trends that crept up against the Hornets.
“As well any team could based on where we’ve been mentally,” said DeCuire, assessing his team’s bounce-back performance. “This has been a hell of a rollercoaster ride — probably the longest rollercoaster ride I’ve ever been on. We have a tendency to beat ourselves a little bit and that’s why we’re tied for fourth, or fifth or whatever it is when you look at the standings tomorrow.
UM head coach Travis DeCuire/ by Brooks Nuanez
“Tonight was the best the response we could have got.”
Contrary to Thursday, when Montana couldn’t stop Sacramento State in the paint and couldn’t get points in crucial situations, Montana was crisp offensively during the opening 20 minutes, and then stingy defensively. Then when Portland State made it final charge, cutting a 14-point Montana lead to one with 2:32 left in the Grizzlies’ final home game, DeCuire’s team responded with two of its most unselfish plays of the night, resulting in back-to-back 3-pointers to quell the momentum Portland State was building.
The three-point Senior Night win, which wasn’t decided until Rorie’s free throws with a couple seconds on the clock, provided Montana the win it needed to stay in contention for a first-round bye in the Big Sky Conference tournament. Montana remained in a tie for fourth-place with rival Montana State, which will host the Griz on Saturday with just three games remaining to decide how the tournament will set up. Both teams are 9-6 in league play, 14-14 overall.
Rorie, who scored 28 after a difficult shooting night Thursday, was instrumental throughout. His effortless jumper cut through the net with regularity in a 20-point first half, oftentimes in response to Vikings baskets. Then in the second, he went to the hoop and made plays the Grizzlies desperately needed.
UM guard Ahmaad Rorie (14)/by Jason Bacaj
“It’s really big, we definitely want to get a top-four seed,” said Rorie, who 9 of 15 and contributed five assists and four rebounds in 37 minutes. “Tonight was like a must win, so I think we’ve got a lot of momentum going into next week.”
As Portland State, which relied on its athleticism and attacked the rim without abandon during its frantic rally, cut the lead to 69-68 with minutes remaining, senior Walter Wright sliced into the teeth of the defense and found sophomore Michael Oguine in the corner for a three. On the next possession, after junior Fabijan Krslovic blocked De’Sean Parsons at the rim, Rorie worked the right side of the court, cut to the hoop and skipped a pass to Bobby Moorehead for another three that electrified the 4,428 fans at Dahlberg and gave Montana the breathing room it would need.
“In that situation I just wanted to make the right play,” said Wright, who finished his final game at Dahlberg with eight points and four assists in front of a large contingent of family who made its way from the East Coast. “Whether it was me getting to the basket or me finding Fab on the roll. I saw Mike in the corner and he made the shot.”
Added DeCuire, “I was gonna let Walter and Ahmaad go make a play. In the past go make a play meant go shoot — or to them it did. Tonight — we’ve been talking do the right thing, make the right play — they knew if there was someone open make the right play.”
Facing the seven-point deficit with time becoming an opponent for the Vikings, they kept charging. PSU senior Zach Gengler drove in for a layup and junior Deontae North hit a three to cut it to four with 16 seconds left after a pair of Rorie free throws. Khari Holloway converted a layup to pull within 82-79.
After Rorie went 1 for 2 at the line, North came down and forced a three from the corner with two seconds on the clock. It was short, but Oguine was called for a foul sending North to the line where he hit all three to make it 83-82.
Stay with the ‘Cats & the Griz at Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada March 5-12
Rorie got the ensuing inbound and knocked down the freebies to preserve the win.
“For me, it was incredible sign to weather the storm because we haven’t done that,” DeCuire said. “Most of the games we’ve lost we’ve blown a lead because we didn’t score for long stretches or we stopped defending; our offense affected our defense. For once we weathered the storm and got the right shot. Hopefully we learn from it and we build on it.”
NOTES: Montana out-rebounded Portland State 38-32, with Krslovic leading the way with 11. Four Grizzlies had at least five rebounds. … North led the Vikings with 23. Parsons finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. … Before fouling out, Oguine had 15 points. Moorehead also scored 10. … Montana got 29 points from its bench, including nine from Jared Samuelson. … Montana celebrated seniors Wright, Mario Dunn, Brandon Gfeller and Jack Lopez.
