Already guaranteed an NIT bid because of winning the regular season Big Sky Conference crown the Grizzlies focus Tuesday on taking just a single step in the semi-finals of the league tournament toward a second NCAA bid in the last three years.
And what a run it?s been for Wayne Tinkle and his staff.
This marks the third consecutive 20-win season, significant because in school history Montana gas only exceeded that season total on 17 occasions.
Only six Montana teams have won 23 or more games in a single season.
The Griz have averaged 19 wins-per-season with 114 wins in Tinkle?s six seasons and with the clutch victory over Weber State in the league finale, Montana swept to an 11th straight conference victory for the first time.
And with 12 straight wins, with a semi-final win over eastern Washington, will tie three other teams in consecutive victories.
With 15 victories, Montana is 48-16 over the last four conference seasons, while only Mike Montgomery and Wayne Taylor have registered more consecutive 20-win campaigns.
While it always seems to be a knuckle-buster when UM plays the Eagles, the Grizzlies have won 15 of the last 18 and nine of the last 11 including both meetings this season.
While Will Cherry is on the cusp of moving further up the scoring ladder ? he now stands 14th ? he also is close to becoming the fifth highest scoring junior in school history.
And already with 606 points, Kareem Jamar has moved onto the top 10 sophomore scoring list. He stands ninth just passing Lou Rocheleau although he is well back of Kevin Criswell?s two-year total of 795 points.
Picked to finish 6th of nine teams by the media but fourth by coach?s, Eastern Washington has won six of 10 games since losing to Montana at Cheney.
More than half of their shots and an equal number of successful field goals come from three-point range where the Eagles make about nine of 25 in league play.
True freshman Parker Kelly has begun contributing from three-point-range. He saw little action early but now is averaging 6.5 points while hitting 27 of 56 treys in league play.
And there?s an NCAA influence in his family household. His dad, Terry, was a sharpshooter and helped to take Washington State to the Big Dance.
But the Eagles are facing a Grizzly team that grudgingly surrenders the trey.
While shooting 39 percent themselves by making an average of 6.4 of 16.2 UM allows opponents less than 31 percent.
And then there?s of course Griz D where Montana has allowed less than 38 percent field goals and some 58.4 points, while connecting themselves on 49 percent and better than 72 points.
Half of EWU?s rebounds come on the offensive end with Cliff Ederaine, a league first-teamer, standing second in the league at better than eight-a-game in league play and Laron Griffin pulling down some seven an outing.
While Montana won the battle of the boards in both earlier meetings, Eastern won the offensive end.
Now some of their offensive rebounding prowess may well be the result of missed treys bounding deep on the court, putting an added influence on Montana guards to scramble to the uncharacteristic carom.
Eastern is slim down the bench although Kelly?s influence gives them a different look than when the Grizzlies won in Cheney and remember this is an eastern Washington team that led the Grizzlies by nine with 18 minutes to play in December in Missoula.
While Montana scored a single break-out bucket in the first game, the Griz scored 19 fast-break points in the second matchup and held a 13-point halftime advantage in Cheney after holding the Eagles to less than 21 percent (5 of 24).
It?s again been a week since they?ve played so it?s surely incumbent to Montana to shake off the dust and get out of the gate over an Eagle team set on shaking up the tournament and prove the home court is meaningless.
And what a run it?s been for Wayne Tinkle and his staff.
This marks the third consecutive 20-win season, significant because in school history Montana gas only exceeded that season total on 17 occasions.
Only six Montana teams have won 23 or more games in a single season.
The Griz have averaged 19 wins-per-season with 114 wins in Tinkle?s six seasons and with the clutch victory over Weber State in the league finale, Montana swept to an 11th straight conference victory for the first time.
And with 12 straight wins, with a semi-final win over eastern Washington, will tie three other teams in consecutive victories.
With 15 victories, Montana is 48-16 over the last four conference seasons, while only Mike Montgomery and Wayne Taylor have registered more consecutive 20-win campaigns.
While it always seems to be a knuckle-buster when UM plays the Eagles, the Grizzlies have won 15 of the last 18 and nine of the last 11 including both meetings this season.
While Will Cherry is on the cusp of moving further up the scoring ladder ? he now stands 14th ? he also is close to becoming the fifth highest scoring junior in school history.
And already with 606 points, Kareem Jamar has moved onto the top 10 sophomore scoring list. He stands ninth just passing Lou Rocheleau although he is well back of Kevin Criswell?s two-year total of 795 points.
Picked to finish 6th of nine teams by the media but fourth by coach?s, Eastern Washington has won six of 10 games since losing to Montana at Cheney.
More than half of their shots and an equal number of successful field goals come from three-point range where the Eagles make about nine of 25 in league play.
True freshman Parker Kelly has begun contributing from three-point-range. He saw little action early but now is averaging 6.5 points while hitting 27 of 56 treys in league play.
And there?s an NCAA influence in his family household. His dad, Terry, was a sharpshooter and helped to take Washington State to the Big Dance.
But the Eagles are facing a Grizzly team that grudgingly surrenders the trey.
While shooting 39 percent themselves by making an average of 6.4 of 16.2 UM allows opponents less than 31 percent.
And then there?s of course Griz D where Montana has allowed less than 38 percent field goals and some 58.4 points, while connecting themselves on 49 percent and better than 72 points.
Half of EWU?s rebounds come on the offensive end with Cliff Ederaine, a league first-teamer, standing second in the league at better than eight-a-game in league play and Laron Griffin pulling down some seven an outing.
While Montana won the battle of the boards in both earlier meetings, Eastern won the offensive end.
Now some of their offensive rebounding prowess may well be the result of missed treys bounding deep on the court, putting an added influence on Montana guards to scramble to the uncharacteristic carom.
Eastern is slim down the bench although Kelly?s influence gives them a different look than when the Grizzlies won in Cheney and remember this is an eastern Washington team that led the Grizzlies by nine with 18 minutes to play in December in Missoula.
While Montana scored a single break-out bucket in the first game, the Griz scored 19 fast-break points in the second matchup and held a 13-point halftime advantage in Cheney after holding the Eagles to less than 21 percent (5 of 24).
It?s again been a week since they?ve played so it?s surely incumbent to Montana to shake off the dust and get out of the gate over an Eagle team set on shaking up the tournament and prove the home court is meaningless.
