• Hi Guest,

    We've updated the site to combine all the forums that were part of the Big Sky Fans Network into one location. This will make it easier to navigate and participate in all the discussions for each school without having to have multiple accounts, etc. We are still working out some tweaks but please let us know if you notice anything.

    With the migration, in some circumstances, your username could have been merged with one of your other usernames from the other forums. If this is the case, you can request to change your username in your account details page of your profile.
  • Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your eGriz.com experience today!
  • Guest, do want an ad free experience on BigSkyFans.com among other benefits? Upgrade your account today!

    Simply click your profile name > account upgrades > BigSky Club > choose between the year long subscription (two free months) or month to month

    Thanks for the continued support. Cheers!

Crazy Big Sky

WILDCAT

Active member
Just got done watching Sacramento State come from 20 points down to beat the Griz, crazy ending. Sac had a bunch of free throws at the end of that game, some looked like bad calls others looked like good ones, but regardless, I guess this proves that anyone can beat anyone on any given night in this conference.
 
Yeah that one stung.... bad hornet pun I know :P

Yeah in the second half there were some questionable calls I thought but ya know Sac was the more aggressive team and the Griz played passive on offense. The more aggressive team is going to get more calls, shoot more FTs and has a better shot at winning the game once they get on a roll like Sac did.

I'm sure there were plenty of questionable calls against Sac too during the game that I didn't notice. It certainly wasn't the refs that decided this, though they were incredibly whistle happy the first 10 mins of the first half against both teams, that was annoying. At one point I think the score was something like 12-9-4. With the Griz having 12 points, the Refs having called 9 fouls and Sac having 4 points with bout 4 gone in the first half only. It was like the refs were trying to keep up.

Coach DeCuire in the post game interview made it very apparent he wasn't pleased that for the last 4 minutes of the game the Griz couldn't seem to even get the ball to their hot shooting Gfeller or that the team didn't come out ready to play in the second half. Lots of mental mistakes, lapses on defense and some very untimely turnovers & missed free throws. Not being able to get our hottest shooter in the game (who finally heated up after being cold the past few games) the ball in the last 4 mins was ridiculous. I'm not sure if he just wasn't getting loose to get the ball or if there was some mental breakdowns on offense or what.. it was frustrating to watch though for sure.

I'm hoping the Griz bounce back against PSU on Saturday and pick up a win. This is our first road loss in the Big Sky and honestly if you had told me at the beginning of conference that we'd be 8-2 after having played 6 of our first 10 Big Sky games on the road I'd be pleased at 8-2.

Back to the topic yeah anyone can beat anyone in the Big Sky this year. Each team has some weapons that on the right night (for them) can turn what should be a loss into a win against one of the top teams. Each top team has some weaknesses or can occasionally play too passive, get turnover prone or forget that they have to defend and blow a game too. Frustrating when it happens, but its' just one loss and there are a ton of games left :)
 
Sac St. will be a load when best player Demps returns as will Idaho when they get their top 2 players back... The BSC Tourney will be VERY competitive
 
thescout said:
Sac St. will be a load when best player Demps returns as will Idaho when they get their top 2 players back... The BSC Tourney will be VERY competitive

First...wow? I did not see this coming. When I last looked at the score, Montana was squarely in charge. Great win by the Hornets. It is hard to win in the Nest when they are playing well.

Next, I think the team Hornet fans are seeing now, is going to be the team going forward. I don't know if Demps will be himself once he is able to return. I heard it was a Quad issue, a tear. That is not something you can easily come back from. Once cleared, no matter, you are very tentative and are not playing at game speed. That in and of itself takes a few weeks. With a tear of that nature, he won't be 100% for a few months. He might be able to play, but he won't be able to play at a high level for six months or so. It is a nasty injury. One that you definitely don't want to make worse. It kinda reminds me of the injury Wildcat fans had to suffer through with Bullinger a few years back. The initial injury was worse, but he could come back quicker, because it didn't really affect his ability to run. Thankfully it wasn't his shooting hand either, but even when he got back, he definitely wasn't the player Wildcat fans remembered. I talked to him a few months ago, and he told me that it took him another 6 months to get himself back into game shape. A leg injury is far worse. Demps can't run, lift, and really can't shoot. It's going to take some time. I hope he can come back and contribute. He deserves it. He is a senior and their team captain, but if I was a Sac fan, which i was last night :roll:, lol, I wouldn't expect him to be what he was. Just the nature of injuries.
 
I tip my hat to Sac State. They got it done.

Games like this remind me of why I love college basketball in the first place. Sac seems to be on the upswing.

I love when the league is competitive. It gets old if there are only 1-2 teams to worry about beating us. This year the conference seems to be more on a level playing field. Whether the league is up or down, you decide but the games have certainly been more entertaining.
 
Unfortunately, we know all too well what it feels like to blow a big second half lead (Anthony Johnson & USU games). Griz fans aren't taking it too well. But they have a pretty favorable schedule for the home stretch. Other than the ISU/Weber road trip, they play winnable games at home.

I would say there is not a huge amount of separation in the top 6 teams. I do think we have the most talent and athleticism. But the secret is out on how to muck it up against us and make it difficult for us to win. Tal, I wouldn't discount Demps leadership when he comes back. Sometimes just having your senior leader out on the court can help put a team over the top. I think Montana lacks having that leadership figure out there. I don't think it is Bruening.

I think the Big Sky would like to have the top 6 or 7 teams be very close to get bodies to Reno.If I had to guess how this crazy conference ends. This would be my guess:

1. Weber
2. Montana
3. Idaho
4. North Dakota
5. Eastern Washington
6. Idaho State
7. Sac State
8. Northern Colorado
9. Portland State
10. Montana State
11. Southern Utah
12. Northern Arizona

I think that Sac State is the most scary team to face in Reno outside of the first four seeds. They are very well coached and can put it together. Idaho State likewise could shock a top seed.
 
Potomac Griz said:
Yeah that one stung.... bad hornet pun I know :P

Yeah in the second half there were some questionable calls I thought but ya know Sac was the more aggressive team and the Griz played passive on offense. The more aggressive team is going to get more calls, shoot more FTs and has a better shot at winning the game once they get on a roll like Sac did.
Well said. Officiating sucked, but the Hornets were more aggressive and got the calls. Breunig was killing us, not sure why the Griz went away from him in the 2nd half (even with 3 fouls).

Amazing game last night, amazing atmosphere as well. When the Griz opened the 2nd half with a couple of 3s I thought it was over, but it was all Hornets after that with help from an implosion by some Griz players. Pep band was back for the first time in a long time which was a very welcomed addition. I heard they are making the trip to Reno.

I agree about Demps’ injury. I don’t know how bad it is but it must be pretty serious based on the time he has missed. My guess is he will be held out until the last few games leading up to the BSCT. Fortunately Ugbaja has been playing solid ball and has taken some of the pressure of off Graves on the offensive end and brings some serious tenacity on the defensive end. Another silver lining is that Demps’ absence is giving more playing time to the younger players on the roster.
 
I am going to take the liberty to speak for all Sac St. fans and say thank you Weber fans for the props and well wishes for our team.....Demps has been REALLY missed...when he went down we were starting 2 guys that had started last year and one of them (Hornsby) missed the first PSU game too...our young guys have got a lot of minutes which will pay off in the future (don't know how far into the future it will take)...I just hope we can be competitive in Reno and maybe shake up the BSC....
 
sacstateman said:
I am going to take the liberty to speak for all Sac St. fans and say thank you Weber fans for the props and well wishes for our team.....Demps has been REALLY missed...when he went down we were starting 2 guys that had started last year and one of them (Hornsby) missed the first PSU game too...our young guys have got a lot of minutes which will pay off in the future (don't know how far into the future it will take)...I just hope we can be competitive in Reno and maybe shake up the BSC....
That's very "statesman" like of you ss. :lol: :thumb:
 
I watched the last 5 minutes of that game. I was pulling for Sac to get the upset. Sac took what Montana was giving and Montana was quite generous in those minutes. Sac started fronting Bruenig and sticking to Gfeller like glue. Facing that, Montana's two little point guards started making mistakes. Having not seen the whole game, I don't know if that was Sac's game plan or if it was an adjustment in the last few minutes. Whatever it was, it worked. :thumb: :thumb:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top