Sports

Griz defy streaks, thump EWU
Montana ends eight-game skid, cruise to win in Big Sky opener
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Jim Meehan
Staff writer

The Montana men's basketball team came in with an eight-game losing streak and an 0-6 mark on the road. Eastern Washington was 3-0 at Reese Court.

Grizzlies guard Kevin Criswell had made 18 percent of his 3-pointers in the last six games. Steve Horne was shooting 35 percent for the season.

Naturally, Criswell and Horne teamed for 44 points and seemed to hit every shot they looked at as the Grizzlies thumped EWU 79-68 in front of 2,422 fans Thursday at Reese Court.

Horne hit a 3-pointer 13 seconds into the game as the Grizzlies (4-9) built an early lead and were never seriously challenged in the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams.

EWU (4-10) exhausted its defensive schemes, but nothing slowed the Grizzlies, who made 55 percent from the field and 52.6 percent on 3-pointers.

"They shot the heck out of it," said coach Ray Giacoletti, whose Eagles entertain Montana State (9-5, 1-0) at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. "They looked like a team that was the hungrier of the two teams. They wanted it a little more than we did. When there was a loose ball they seemed to come up with it."

About the only thing Montana didn't make was its free throws. The Grizzlies were just 17 of 28 at the stripe, not that it mattered.

Criswell was 4 of 7 on 3s before missing a couple of late attempts. The sophomore finished with a season-high 24 points. Horne made 7 of 10, including 3 of 5 3-pointers, to finish with 20 points.

"I never thought I was in a slump, I was just shooting the ball bad," Criswell said. "The past seven or eight games my shot felt great but it wasn't going in."

The Grizzlies had the best of both worlds -- dumping the ball inside for post-up buckets and then hitting from the perimeter when EWU defenders sagged to help. Forward Kamarr Davis (10 points) and Victor Venters (5) gave Montana an interior presence.

Montana twice hit jumpers just before the shot clock expired. Criswell beat the clock for a bucket that gave Montana a 47-37 lead early in the second half.

EWU never got closer than nine the rest of the way. The Eagles weren't slouches at the offensive end, but they couldn't get enough stops to put a run together.

EWU senior guard Alvin Snow had his first career double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Montana 79, Eastern Washington 68Montana (4-9)_Horne 7-10 3-5 20, Davis 3-6 4-5 10, Seyfert 1-1 0-2 2, Mansell 3-5 0-0 7, Criswell 7-14 6-6 24, Lynch _Barnard 2-6 2-2 6, Axton 0-4 0-0 0, Nelson 3-8 5-8 11, Merritt 2-3 1-2 5, Snow 10-17 1-1 24, Henkel 0-1 2-2 2, Pariseau 5-7 2-2 12, McCullough 2-5 1-3 5, Butorac 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 1-1 1-2 3. Totals 25-52 15-22 68.

Halftime_Montana 39-30. 3-Point goals_Montana 10-19 (Horne 3-5, Mansell 1-1, Criswell 4-9, Cummings 2-4), E. Washington 3-9 (Barnard 0-2, Axton 0-1, Merritt 0-1, Snow 3-5). Fouled out_Seyfert. Rebounds_Montana 25 (Davis 6, Criswell 6), E. Washington 33 (Snow 10). Assists_Montana 13 (Mansell 7), E. Washington 14 (Axton 4). Total fouls_Montana 24, E. Washington 21. A_2,422.

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