Following is a look around Big Sky Conference men’s basketball by Jon Kasper, the conference’s assistant commissioner. Kasper used to write for the Missoulian, where he covered University of Montana sports for several years.
This Week’s Sky Schedule
Wednesday, Nov. 14
CSU Bakersfield at Sacramento State (Big Sky TV)……………… 7:05 p.m.
Crown College at North Dakota (Big Sky TV)……………………… 7:05 p.m.
Minot State at Montana (Big Sky TV)………………………………….. 7:05 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 15
Weber State at San Jose State…………………………………………….. 7:05 p.m.
Idaho State at Portland ………………………………………………………. 7:05 p.m.
Northern Colorado at Cal Poly ……………………………………………. 7:05 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 16
Sacramento State at Utah (Pac-12 Network)………………………… 7:05 p.m.
2Southern Utah vs. UW Green Bay ……………………………………… 8:35 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 17
North Dakota at Northern Iowa……………………………………………. 1:05 p.m.
Montana at Idaho………………………………………………………………… 7:05 p.m.
2Southern Utah vs. CS Fullerton …………………………………………. 8:35 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 18
Portland at Montana State (Big Sky TV)………………………………. 1:05 p.m.
Northern Arizona at UC Davis ……………………………………………. 2:05 p.m.
2Southern Utah at Nevada…………………………………………………… 3:35 p.m.
Eastern Washington at Saint Mary’s …………………………………… 5:05 p.m.
2- World Vision Classic – Reno, Nev.
Game times Local to Site/Subject to Change
This Week’s Sky Highlights
The first full week of the 2012-13 men’s basketball season includes 15 games for Big Sky Conference teams…On Wednesday night, Sacramento State, North Dakota and Montana all play home games. Sacramento State takes on Cal State Bakersfield, North Dakota plays host to Crown College, and Montana welcomes Division II Minot State to Missoula…Weber State treks to San Jose State on Thursday, while Idaho State is at Portland. Northern Colorado travels to Cal Poly in a return game from last year’s BracketBusters Series…Southern Utah begins play in the World Vision Classic in Reno Nevada on Friday as the Thunderbirds play Wisconsin Green Bay. On Saturday, Southern Utah plays Cal State Fullerton, and on Sunday plays host Nevada…Sacramento State is back in action on Friday as it travels to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Utes…Montana travels to Idaho on Saturday, while North Dakota is at Northern Iowa…Montana State plays host to Montana State on Sunday, while Northern Arizona is at UC Davis…Eastern Washington is back in action on Sunday against Saint Mary’s.
Around the Big Sky
BEARS SCORTCH NETS: Northern Colorado scored 127 points in a victory last Saturday over Southwest, just one shy of the Big Sky single-game record of 128 by Weber State against Chaminade in 1975. It was a Division I record for Northern Colorado, and the second-most in school history. It marked the third time since moving to Division I the Bears have scored at least 100 points. The Bears scored 70 points in the first half. NC averaged 72.4 points per game last season. The Bears shot 71.2 percent from the field, making 47-of-66 shots. The nation’s top 3-point shooting team from a season ago made 11-of-20 from beyond the arc. Thirteen different players scored, led by Connor Osborne’s 19 points and Paul Garnica’s 18.
MID-MAJOR POLL: No Big Sky team cracked the top 25 in the first Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 of the regular season. Montana earned 56 points, putting the Grizzlies 31st. Weber State earned 20 points, while North Dakota earned one point. Creighton is first, followed by Gonzaga and Murray State.
Tip-ins: Weber State has won 18 straight home games…Northern Arizona has lost 18 straight games overall…Sacramento State’s John Dickson scored 19 points in the Hornets’ win over UC Merced. He now has 960 in his career…The Big Sky went 0-10 against Division I teams the first week of the season…Senior guard Melvin Morgan scored 19 points in Idaho State’s 56-48 loss at Utah State…Southern Utah’s Jackson Stevenett scored 29 points in a loss to nationally-ranked Gonzaga…True freshman Joel Bolomboy and senior Frank Otis both had double-doubles in Weber State’s 110-52 win over Arizona Christian. Bolomboy netted 16 points with 10 rebounds. Otis had 13 points and 10 rebounds…True freshman DeWayne Russell scored 15 points in his first collegiate game against Oregon, and scored 16 on Monday in a loss to UNLV.Montana plays at Idaho on Thursday. Idaho’s men’s basketball team will return to the Big Sky starting in the 2014-15 season…Sacramento State sophomore Dylan Garrity, who led the Big Sky in assists last season, dished out nine in his first game of the season.
