With a chance to end its non-conference revenge tour 2-0, the Montana Grizzlies instead experienced a harsh case of deja vu with perhaps its most challenging opponent of a brutal pre-conference slate on the horizon.
Once leading by six with 8:57 to play at Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Montana instead was subdued by a late-second 3-pointer that dropped it to 3-7 and 0-2 against border rival Wyoming. Following Jack Lopez’s three from the corner that tied the game at 82 with 37 ticks left, the Grizzlies defended Wyoming deep into the Pokes’ penultimate possession. But with the shot clock, which nearly mirrored the game clock exactly, ticking down to one, Louis Adams fired a triple over hard-charging Bobby Moorehead to complete the Wyoming comeback, 85-83, in front of 4,749 people.
Montana head coach Travis DeCuire/ by Brooks Nuanez
“We had them where we want them. They should have finished the game with seven made threes and 20 attempts, but they finish with 23 attempts, and they make that one at the end,” DeCuire said in a UM press release
“We fell asleep down the stretch… All we had to do was stay solid, and we win that game.”
Montana’s loss, the fourth in five games decided by six points or less, was eerily reminiscent of its home-opening loss suffered at the hands of the Cowboys on Nov. 14. The Grizzlies led by nine midway through the second half in that one, but Wyoming stormed back for a 73-72 win in Missoula.
Wyoming’s catalyst earlier this season again showed up to torment the Grizzlies. Jason McManamen, who scored a team-high 20 points in November, reached the number again. He scored 10 in a start-and-stop first half and then added 10 more in the second, none more important than a couple free throws late that demanded Lopez’ accuracy from the arc. With the Griz up 80-79 with under one minute to play, McManamen let loose from the perimeter and missed, but was granted three free throws when the ref deemed Montana freshman Sayeed Pridgett guilty of smacking the Wyoming senior guard on the left arm. McManamen stepped to the line and hit the first two before missed the last.
Moorehead grabbed the rebound and fired it up court to Lopez, who hit the last of his three triples with 37 seconds on remaining.
Wyoming began operating with 30.9 on the clock and diligently worked the ball around, forcing Montana to chase. The Griz did so, disrupting multiple scoring opportunities until Justin James kicked it to Adams from the baseline for the winning bucket, the eighth lead change of the half and 20th of the game with 0.8 seconds on the clock.
Wyoming was then whistled for a technical when a player left the bench, allowing Lopez to hit a free throw and get the Griz within two. But Fabijan Krslovic’s full-court pass to Michael Oguine was just off the mark and bounced out of bounds ending the Grizzlies chance to get a win with a game at No. 24 Oregon awaiting Tuesday night.
Tied at 37 at the half, Montana built a seven-point lead with 14:21 to go on the strength of a Moorhead three, a couple Wright free throws and a jumper and one-handed dunk by Jared Samuelson. They essentially traded baskets from there until Wyoming made its final charge.
The second half was the antithesis of the first when both teams struggled to find a rhythm, but scored points from the free throw line. Montana and Wyoming marched to the line to combine for 28 attempts. Twenty-four of them found the bottom of the net, with 11 coming from the Griz.
That was about as reliant as the offense came for both teams: Montana hit just 12 of its 33 first-half field goals, with the Cowboys good on 10 of 27. The lead was exchanged 12 times in the half and was tied on eight occasions. McManamen and Oguine went back and forth as much as two players could in a foul-marred half. Each led their respective team with 10 points.
The Griz had four players score in double figures, led by Walter Wright coming off the bench for a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 from the field. Oguine scored eight of his 14 points off free-throws. Fabijan Krslovic scored 12 points and pulling down five rebounds while battling foul trouble. Lopez scored 12 points and finished 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.
