In the days and weeks leading up to the start of Montana’s 2016-17 season, Travis DeCuire has repeatedly been asked what Oregon transfer Ahmaad Rorie brings to the lineup and DeCuire has invariably given the same answer: the highly touted transfer is built to score.
In his unofficial debut in a Montana uniform, that’s exactly what Rorie did in Montana’s 90-80 exhibition win over Whitworth on Wednesday —and it might have saved the Griz from beginning the season on a disappointing note.
Nursing a two-point lead over the Division III Pirates, Rorie hit an open 3-pointer, then dribbled into the middle for a pull-up jumper before adding his fourth and final triple of the night. The sudden eight-point outburst turned a narrow advantage into the Grizzlies’ second double-digit lead of the night and was the spurt Montana needed to subdue Whitworth.
“I just saw it was a close game and I just tried to be a difference maker,” said Rorie, who made deflecting credit to his coaches and teammates look just as effortless as his jumper.
Rorie’s on-court debut was a long-awaited one. He came in the summer of 2015 to Montana from Oregon where he started 15 games as a true freshman, and sat out last season. Spending most of his days and nights in one on-campus gym or another, Rorie tirelessly worked on his game and the stories of his offensive prowess quickly spread throughout Missoula.
Almost a year to the date that backcourt mate Walter Wright scored 31 in an exhibition game against Whitworth, Rorie poured in a team-high 27 to lead an offensive charge strong enough to ward off a talented Pirates squad that kept Montana’s defense on its heels all night.
Before Rorie could conduct his first post-game interview at Montana, Wright interjected.
“It was the pep talk. It was the pep talk. Before he say anything, it was the pep talk I gave,” Wright joked.
“He just told me to remember his day from last year and just go out there and stay calm and stay relaxed and let the game come to you, that’s all I did,” said Rorie, who knocked down 10 of his 18 shots.
Known for its defensive intensity during DeCuire’s two full seasons on the bench, Montana struggled to contain the never ending screens and off-ball movement that are staples of Whitworth’s offense.
After a quick barrage of threes from Jack Lopez, Rorie and Wright helped put the Griz up 13-5, Whitworth made a game of it right up until the final minutes when the Griz were finally able to sustain a double-digit lead.
Whitworth responded to Montana’s quick start with a 15-7 spurt that tied the game at 20 on Kyle Roach’s three-point play.
Montana aided in that first-half turnaround, turning the ball over eight times, four of which were attributed to Walter Wright. Wright sat on the bench for a seven-minute stretch, yet Montana couldn’t steady its offense or slow down Whitworth’s.
“You’re not really going to get a team that plays fast and executes like that,” DeCuire said. “Most teams that play fast probably have breakdowns. It’s one-on-ones and spacing. But they flow into their offense really quick. When you’ve got four, sometimes five guys that can shoot you get spread out.”
While the turnovers dissipated, the defensive issues persisted into the second half with Whitworth taking a two-point lead on Ben Bishop’s jumper 20 seconds after the ball was put in play. Montana quickly regained the lead as Wright found an open Lopez for three, but for the next seven minutes, the Griz were never able to pull away. That is, until Rorie’s personal 8-0 run.
“When a guy gets a hot hand I want to be able to create a shot for him and that’s where your execution comes in,” DeCuire said. “Instead of good shots, get great shots.”
Coupled with a defensive adjustment that limited the Pirates’ quick offense, Rorie’s run seemed to give Montana the confidence it needed. Wright came down and hit a three and then Bobby Moorehead knocked down the last of his three triples before Wright came back with a jumper and four consecutive free throws that put any thought of an upset to rest.
“We need this,” said DeCuire, who will bring Montana to Los Angeles on Nov. 11 for its season opener at USC. “I think there is a lot of teams that we could play and get a blowout and score 100 and entertain the crowd and what not, but that’s not what’s best for this basketball team. We need to go back and watch film tomorrow and find our areas of weakness and improve on them and this team helped us do that.”
NOTES: Rorie and Wright each scored 18 points in the second half. … Montana hit 13 of its 24 3-pointers with Lopez, Moorehead, Rorie and Wright each hitting at least three. … Whitworth finished the game at 54.9 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from behind the arc. Montana was 54.7 and 54.2, respectively. … Montana senior guard Mario Dunn sat out the second half as he nursed an elbow injury. DeCuire said Dunn should be ready for the Nov. 11 opener.
