Bears, Griz to play rubber match in Big Sky semis

The motto for the UNC men’s basketball team this season has been “It’s On.” That applies now more than ever.

The University of Northern Colorado will take on Montana in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Ogden, Utah.

Montana advanced to face UNC with an 81-60 win over Northern Arizona in a quarterfinal game. No. 6 seed Portland State will face top-seeded Weber State in the other semifinal.

The fourth-seeded Grizzlies (20-9, 10-6 Big Sky) are led by senior guard Anthony Johnson, who averages 18.9 points per game this season. Johnson scored seven and 19 points in the Griz’ two games against UNC (24-6, 12-4) this season.

The key to beating the Griz, however, is stopping senior guard Ryan Staudacher. The Griz are 11-1 this season when Staudacher, a 45-percent three-point shooter, scores in double figures. Montana is just 9-8 when Staudacher is held to less than 10 points.

The Bears and Griz split their two meetings this season, with UNC getting a 59-48 win Dec. 5 in Missoula, Mont. and Montana winning 64-62 on Jan. 28 in Greeley.

In the teams’ first meeting, the Bears were led by senior guard Yahosh Bonner, the Big Sky defensive player of the year. Bonner scored 19 points while holding Johnson to seven on 2-of-10 shooting,

The Bears also got big contributions from senior guard Will Figures and sophomore forward Mike Proctor. Both players scored 11 points, with Figures grabbing nine rebounds and Proctor pulling down eight boards.

The Griz were led in the game by junior center Brian Qvale, who had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Qvale was the only Montana player to score in double figures, as the Bears held the Griz to their lowest scoring output of the season.

Montana found its shooting touch in the teams’ second meeting, hitting 10-of-17 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Johnson and Staudacher led the Griz with 19 and 17 points, respectively, while combining to shoot 8-for-11 from downtown.

The Bears trailed by eight at halftime in the game, but led by as many as six in the second half. The Griz finished the game on a 12-4 run, and Figures missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have given UNC a season sweep.

The winner of the game between UNC and Montana advances to the Big Sky Championship at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Ogden, Utah.