Saturday, November 14th, 10:05 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Dahlberg Arena (7,500) -- Missoula, Montana. Television: None. Home Record: Boise State 0-0, Montana 1-0. Away Record: Boise State 0-0, Montana 0-0. Neutral Record: Boise State 1-0, Montana 0-0. Conference Record: Boise State 0-0, Montana 0-0. Series Record: Montana leads, 32-25.

GAME NOTES: The Montana Grizzlies opened their own tournament with a win on Friday night, and now the team will try to capture another victory when they battle the Boise State Broncos this evening at Dahlberg Arena in the Grizzly Basketball Classic.

The Broncos also opened their campaign with a victory, defeating Loyola Marymount in a high-scoring affair, 90-87. It was the third consecutive season-opening win for Boise State, which finished last year with a respectable 19-13 ledger.

As for the Grizzlies, they had a much easier time in their opener, as they cruised past North Dakota, 61-37. Montana would like to improve on last season's numbers when the team racked up 17 victories.

The Grizzlies currently own a 32-25 edge in the all-time series against Boise State, and that includes a 23-5 mark against the Broncos in Missoula.

The Broncos were in mid-season form in terms of offensive play, as the team exploded for 90 points against Loyola Marymount. La'Shard Anderson, who was nothing more than a role player a year ago, poured in 26 points and also dished out five assists. Anderson shot 6-of-10 from the field and connected on an impressive 13-of-14 attempts from the foul line. Kurt Cunningham and Paul Noonan both contributed 16 points apiece, while Ike Okoye had an all-around solid season debut, netting 10 points, to go along with nine rebounds and five helpers. Cunningham and Noonan both averaged over 10.0 ppg a year ago, and although it was only one game, the tandem looks ready to increase their respective offensive production. As for Okoye, he only started 17 games last season, but he will likely be a mainstay in the starting lineup, especially if he continues to perform like he did Friday night.

The Grizzlies were not overwhelming with their play offensively on Friday night, but the team did not have to explode because the Grizzlies did a tremendous job at the other end of the floor. Montana went into halftime on Friday only ahead of North Dakota, 24-22. However, when the team returned from the lockerroom the Grizzlies took it up a notch defensively, and held the Fighting Sioux to just 15 points on 26.9 percent shooting. Montana forced North Dakota into 18 turnovers, and held the opponent to a meager 32.6 percent shooting effort for the night. As mentioned earlier, the Grizzlies were not dominating offensively, but the squad did more than enough to prove it can be dangerous. Montana shot a respectable 43.8 percent from the field, but the team's 11-of-24 effort from behind the arc is what really stood out. Anthony Johnson led the team with 17.6 ppg last year and he picked up right where he left off, as the guard paced Montana Friday night with 20 points and six assists. Ryan Staudacher added 11 points for the Grizzlies, while Raason Young and Jack McGillis contributed nine points apiece. Vassy Banny did not score a single point, but the big man did finish the game with 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes off the bench.

The Grizzlies should have a much tougher challenge this evening from Boise State, as the Broncos proved they can score in bunches. However, since Montana has played so well against Boise State at home, expect the Grizzlies to squeak out a victory.

Predicted Outcome

Montana 76, Boise State 73