MISSOULA — Michael Oguine bookended his stellar career in storybook fashion.
In a debut that seems like it was just yesterday four years ago, Oguine ignited the Dahlberg Arena faithful. The precocious freshman came off the bench to score 17 points in Montana’s 76-74 win over Boise State. Oguine gave Griz fans a flash of the elite athleticism that has since trademarked his unforgettable Griz career.
Playing in his final home game as a Grizzly Monday night in Missoula, Oguine went out with a bang. On a night when Northern Arizona threw its best knockout punch at the reigning Big Sky Conference champions, Oguine proved again why he is one of the most breathtaking athletes with a flare for the moment that the league has ever seen.
The decorated senior added to his All-Big Sky resume with a performance for the ages. He scored 23 points, including four momentum-stealing slams to add to his already endless highlight reel. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and helped the Grizzlies stay in first place with a gritty 66-64 win in the final game in Missoula this season.
Montana senior guard Michael Oguine attacks the rim vs Northern Arizona/by Jason Bacaj
“Knowing this was my last one, I wanted to leave everything out there,” Oguine said. “It’s been such a great time playing here at Dahlberg. My last one, I wanted to give everything I had. It didn’t matter if I was falling or losing a contact, I just wanted to play hard and give everything.”
Despite getting undercut and falling on his face in the first half before getting poked in his left eye and losing his contact lens in the second half, Oguine never stopped coming. His one-handed thunder dunk in the lane with seven minutes, 42 seconds left cut NAU’s lead to 50-49.
His put-back two-handed slam on a follow of a missed Timmy Falls 3-pointer elicited the largest roar from the 3,706 on hand to send out one of Montana’s most successful senior classes. That dunk gave UM a 63-58 lead with 2:40 left.
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And Oguine’s final free throw at Dahlberg gave Montana its final margin. Oguine’s effort helped Montana move to 15-3 in league play, a full game ahead of Northern Colorado with a two-game road trip to Portland State and Sac State standing between UM and hanging a second straight Big Sky banner.
“Watching Mike, it’s wild,” UM senior Bobby Moorehead said. “You expect Mike to step up in those big moments. He’s the best athlete on the floor every night. It’s kind of insane, that dunk on Saturday against Southern Utah was ridiculous but this one was just wild and such a big moment too. That’s pretty sweet to see him go out at home like that.”
Oguine has made 116 starts in 120 games as a Griz. The number of falls to the floor, like the one he took midway through the first half, have taken a Dwayne Wade toll on his body. Monday, he emerged from the locker room with both knees fully wrapped in ice, another ice bag on his left hand and a tinge of red in his recently poked left eye.
But the jumping jack has refused to make any excuses, instead playing 36 minutes and blocking three NAU mid-range jump shots. Oguine’s point total was two points shy of his season high. His 11 rebounds marked a season-best.
Montana senior guard Michael Oguine (0)/by Jason Bacaj
“Mike did what he does one more time,” UM head coach Travis DeCuire said. “He provided us so much energy. Mike is a competitor. He doesn’t need you to run plays for him to be affective. He made huge plays down the stretch. The tip dunk is the one everyone is going to remember. But the one off the missed free throw saved the game for us.
“That’s what he is: a winner and we call him that for a reason.”
UM celebrated its historic group of seniors on Saturday night with a 70-54 win over Southern Utah. Center Jamar Akoh has missed the last seven games with a knee injury and had to celebrate in street clothes. Point guard Ahmaad Rorie turned the momentum with a 3-pointer, then had two assists, one on an alley-oop to Oguine and the second leading to an Oguine 3-pointer in transition. Moorehead was his normal stalwart self defensively.
But on Monday, the night belonged to Oguine. Rorie missed all seven of his field goal attempts, including all four from beyond the arc, finishing scoreless for the first time in his Griz career. Moorehead hit three 3-pointers, including a go-ahead triple with 3:26 left that gave Montana it’s first lead in more than 24 minutes, 61-58.
Oguine, the most consistently compelling member of his class, delivered again, garnering several resounding ovations from a fan base that adores the affable, engaging and cherished Griz senior.
“Shout out to Northern Arizona. We’ve had a lot of success against them over the years and they came out well,” Oguine said. “Credit to them for setting the tone in the first half. But we were able to climb back into the game. That shows we are ready to fight.
“It was a great test because in the conference tournament, we are going to play a team that is going to give us their best shot. We might find ourselves down like that. But I’m proud of the way the guys responded.
Montana senior guard Michael Oguine (0)/by Jason Bacaj
Oguine and his classmates will never play in Missoula again, unless somehow the Griz win the regular-season Big Sky title and then get bounced from the league tournament. In that scenario, UM would play in the NIT and could host a game.
Regardless, Montana is now able to focus on chasing another ticket to the Big Dance. UM’s first game of the final two-game road trip to end the regular season comes Thursday at Portland State.
“There’s pressure on every game right now because we are only one game of the person behind us,” Moorehead said. “We want a championship and ultimately we want to win three in a row. Every game is just a test getting us ready for those three games. It’s scary but we came out on top.”
The Vikings snapped Montana’s 20-game home winning streak with a 77-74 overtime win over UM in Missoula nearly two months ago. UM will get its last shot at revenge playing in its third game in six days on Thursday.
“There’s no more last of anything,” DeCuire said. “There’s no senior night. There’s no last home game. You don’t have more people at your game than normal. We are just going to go play two road games.”
Photos by Jason Bacaj. All Rights Reserved.
