Idaho holds on against Montana

This was the only close game of the day, but boy was it a doozy. With his team trailing 78-76 with 14 seconds remaining, Montana’s Ahmaad Rorie went to the free throw line with a chance to tie the game. He missed the first of his two foul shots and the Grizzlies were forced to foul. After Idaho’s Victor Sanders also split a pair of free throws, Montana had two chances to tie, but Walter Wright’s jumper and Brandon Gfeller’s putback both wouldn’t fall. The Vandals escaped by a final score of 81-77.

North Dakota pummels Portland State

The Fighting Hawks played like a team on a mission Thursday as they cruised by Portland State 95-72. Six, count ‘em SIX, North Dakota players posted double figure scoring numbers, and it seemed like they couldn’t miss a shot all night. UND shot 56 percent from the field and went a staggering 11-for-20 from beyond the arc. The Fighting Hawks will look to keep the hot streak going against Idaho in the semifinals Friday at 5:35 PT.

Jacob Wiley catches fire against Sacramento State

The Big Sky Player of the Year didn’t miss a field goal all game in Eastern Washington’s 89-70 win over Sacramento State. Wiley scored 24 points on 9-of-9 shooting from the field, and 6-for-7 from the foul line. He added 10 rebounds to cap off another dominant performance that Eagles fans have come to expect from the senior standout. Sacramento State’s Marcus Graves led the game in scoring with 29, but it was ultimately in vain as the rest of his team didn’t offer much help.

Southern Utah’s moment in the sun was short-lived

After earning their first-ever Big Sky Tournament victory in a 109-106 3OT thriller against Montana State, the Thunderbirds’ luck ran out against Weber State. The defending Big Sky Tournament champions coasted to a 90-70 win with relative ease. Senior guard Jeremy Senglin lead the Wildcats with 24 points while Zach Braxton, Jerrick Harding and Dusty Baker also tallied double-digit scoring numbers. The Wildcats will be in for a dogfight tonight against an Eastern Washington team that they split the regular season series against. That game tips off at 8:05 PT.