A second-half rally for Montana came up just short on the road at the US Air Force Academy on Sunday afternoon as the Falcons held on for a 59-54 victory. The Griz went cold in the second half for a stretch to fall behind by double-figures, but staged an impressive comeback to get within a point late. The rally would come up agonizingly short as Montana dropped to 3-4 on the season.
In a matchup featuring two teams that like to slow the pace down, defense told the story of the game. Air Force held Montana to just one made three pointer in the game and under 50 percent shooting. The lone triple came at a perfect time as Lonnell Martin Jr. hit one late to cut the lead to just one point, but free throws from the hosts would put the game just out of reach.
It was the first time this season Montana played in a game decided by single digits and tested the late game ability and decision making of the Grizzlies. Head Coach Travis DeCuire liked what he saw from his team in that situation. They held Air Force without a field goal for the final five-plus minutes of the game and went on a 12-1 run during the stretch to give themselves a chance at the end.
“I thought the guys did a good job of managing that,” DeCuire said of the late game situation. “We fouled the guys we wanted to foul. It was working out, we were probably just one made three away from overtime or winning.”
The Grizzlies were still playing without Aanen Moody, although they did get a big performance from Brandon Whitney in his return to action. The junior had missed the previous two and a half games due to injury, and looked eager to make his presence felt in his return. He scored 10 of Montana’s first 14 points of the game, finishing with a season-high 17 points on an efficient 7-for-9 shooting day.
He attacked the rim at will in the early going, which was a theme for Montana’s entire offense. The first 20 points of the game for the Griz came inside the paint. Whitney and Bannan had the first 14 points for Montana, who struggled shooting out of the gates.
Montana did well in the paint, scoring 44 points (79 percent of the team’s total) inside the restricted area. Whitney’s season-high 17 points led the offense, followed by Bannan with 15 and Brown with 10 points off the bench. It was the second-straight game for Brown in double-figures.
The Griz had a season-low 56 points and seven assists. They had another impressive defensive effort, holding their opponent under 60 points for the fourth time in the first seven games. Montana also held a rebounding advantage of nine. It’s the fourth time in the last five games they have held the edge on the glass. They outrebounded D-1 opposition in just six games last season.
Ball control hurt Montana on the road, turning it over 13 times for 17 Air Force points. The Falcons outscored Montana 17-9 off of turnovers.
“Always room for improvement. I think attention to detail on the offensive side of the ball led to some turnovers that probably shouldn’t have taken place in the first half,” DeCuire said. “Down one when we could be up six or seven. The first three minutes of the second half really are the tale of the game. Too many high percentage shots and we never really recovered until late.”
Montana now journeys southeast to take on Southern Miss on Tuesday. It will be another challenge in a very difficult non-conference schedule for the Griz. The Golden Eagles are a perfect 7-0 on the season and coming off a 51-point victory over NAIA opponent Mobile.
