If there’s an early theme emerging six games into the conference season it’s one surrounding parity.
There are 10 solid to good basketball teams in the Big Sky and each night anyone can lose. Eastern Washington jumped out to a 3-0 conference record but now its mired in a three-game losing streak. Idaho State seemed to lose itself on a road trip in North Dakota and Northern Colorado, but now the Bengals are back to .500.
The point is simply this. Right now, Montana and Montana State sit atop the conference with identical 5-1 records, but each has played a majority of its Big Sky games at home. After knocking heads Saturday, each goes on the road. Following those respective trips, we’ll have a better idea if one can truly take the pole position.
Without further ado.
1. Montana 11-4, 5-1
Last week: No. 3
The Lady Griz improved to 8-1 at home by blasting North Dakota 77-45, knocking off Northern Colorado 56-42.
After the two big wins, Montana now has the Big Sky’s top scoring margin, outscoring opponents by an average of 9.6 points a game. Perhaps more impressively, the Lady Griz protect the ball better than just about anyone else in the country. Only Villanova averages less turnovers a game than Montana.
2. Montana State 11-4, 5-1
Last week: No. 4
Montana State dumped Northern Colorado 65-58 and North Dakota 64-49 at home.
The Bobcats showed once again why road trips through “The Treasure State” are so notoriously difficult. The Bears were undefeated in conference until losing by seven to the Bobcats and 14 to Montana, and North Dakota had won three in a row before losing to MSU and UM by an average of 23.5 points a game.
Whenever Montana State and Montana clash on the hardwood clash it’s a heated matchup, but Saturday’s clash is taken to another level considering the winner will stand with a Big Sky-best 6-1 record.
For now, the Lady Griz are No. 1 in these rankings because Montana doesn’t have a blemish on its schedule like MSU’s loss to Montana State-Billings Dec. 29.
3. Sacramento State 8-6, 3-2
Last week: No. 8
The Hornets remained undefeated at home for the season beating Portland State 81-77 and Eastern Washington 85-70.
In no way do I feel Sacramento State is the Big Sky’s third-best team, but the Hornets have a better conference win — 60-54 win over MSU Dec. 20 — than either Northern Colorado or Idaho State to this point.
So, for now, the Hornets take a big jump from No. 8 to No. 3. Sac State wouldn’t be here if not for the play of Fantasia Hilliard, a native of Sacramento. The sophomore guard earned Co-Big Sky player of the week honors after netting 34 points and 16 assists in the Hornets two wins.
Like I said, I’m not a full believer in Sacramento State as a top-tier Big Sky team. But if the Hornets can beat ISU Thursday and then go on the road next week and beat North Dakota and Northern Colorado, they’d have me convinced.
4. Northern Colorado 6-8, 3-2
Last week: No. 1
Northern Colorado drops three spots after losing to Montana State 65-58 and Montana 56-42 on the road.
Undoubtedly, the Bears have one of the conference’s best defenses, holding opponents to a Big Sky low 55.9 points a game.
But do the Bears have enough offense to beat quality teams on the road? Against MSU, Northern Colorado shot 36 percent from the floor. At Montana the field goal percentage dropped to 31.6.
5. Idaho State 8-7, 3-3
Last week: No. 7
The defending champs beat Southern Utah 80-71 in Reed Gym and then traveled to Ogden to clobber Weber State 69-45.
After fouling out of five games in a row, senior Ashleigh Vella avoided fouls like the Charlotte Bobcats evade winning and stayed on the floor for 34 minutes against the Thunderbirds and 28 in the blowout of the Wildcats.
And her value is priceless for the Bengals. She averaged 16 points, five assists and 4.5 boards in the wins. Oh, and Vella only picked up three fouls total.
If she can stay on the floor against Sacramento State Thursday and Northern Arizona Saturday then ISU will have a great opportunity to win.
(And it wouldn’t hurt if the Bengals’ 3-point shooting could keep pace with the 18-of-37 performance from the previous two games, either.)
6. Southern Utah 9-6, 3-2
Last week: No. 5
The Thunderbirds — seriously, what in the world is a Thunderbird? — lost in Pocatello to ISU 80-71 and then beat Weber State 74-61 in Ogden.
As a general baseline rule, most coaches go into a two-game conference road trip hopeful to get both wins, but satisfied with a split.
Southern Utah did just that but the T-Birds have to be kicking themselves for going down 41-18 to the Bengals in the first half. That hole was just too big to climb out of even after outscoring Idaho State by 14 in the final 20 minutes.
Going purely off records, SUU should be a couple notches higher than this spot, but all the teams ahead of the Thunderbirds have either beaten them head to head or have I just think are better.
But the T-Birds have a great opportunity to prove themselves when Montana State and Montana come to visit this week.
7. Eastern Washington 7-8, 3-3
Last week: No. 2
The Eagles tumble down to No. 7 because EWU traveled south and lost to Northern Arizona 83-68 and Sacramento State 85-70.
Eastern faded badly in the second half of both games, giving up 50 points to NAU and 42 to Sacramento State.
After give up 83 and 85 points, the Eagles’ scoring defense drops to seventh in the league. But the negative trajectory Eastern is currently flying can quickly flip 180 degrees if it can defend home court against North Dakota and Northern Colorado.
8. North Dakota 7-8, 2-4
Last week: No. 6
Mascot-less North Dakota has had an interesting few weeks. After dropping its first two conference games, UND traveled to Salt Lake City and knocked off Utah. Then North Dakota ground out a win over ISU before beating up on woeful Weber State.
That three-game winning steak was great momentum heading into the Montana road trip. But after getting walloped by 32 and 15 points, UND finds itself searching for answers on the road again, this time at Eastern Washington and Portland State.
Welcome to the Big Sky.
9. Portland State 8-7, 2-4
Last week: No. 9
On the road, Portland State lost to Sacramento State 81-77 and then beat Northern Arizona 60-59.
Heading into last week’s games, the Vikings were a disappointing 1-3 in the conference, and after letting an 11-point lead slip away against the Hornets it took great mental toughness to come back and beat NAU in Flagstaff.
PSU’s Courtney VanBrocklin is now the Big Sky’s second-leading scorer with 16.1 points a game. She’s shooting 45 percent from the field while playing a team-high 33 minutes a game.
10. Northern Arizona 3-11, 2-3
Last week: No. 10
In Flagstaff, Ariz., the Lumberjacks beat Eastern Washington 83-68 and lost to Portland State 60-59.
I’m tempted to slide Northern Arizona up a spot but the Lumberjacks fumbled away a seven-point lead against the Vikings with less than three minutes to play. Of course, part of the credit goes to PSU for the grit to fight back, but NAU missed a golden opportunity to finish off an opponent at home.
On the bright side, Northern Arizona hosts Weber State Thursday and senior Amy Patton’s scoring average (20.5 points a game) is 16th highest in the nation.
11. Weber State 0-15, 0-6
Last week: No. 11
At home, the Wildcats lost to Southern Utah 74-61 and Idaho State 69-45. The losing steak stretches to 34 for Weber State.
And now that WSU is a mere 10 defeats away from tying Sacramento State’s Big Sky record of 44, it’s time to initiate “The March to History,” because, honestly, who isn’t rooting for this to happen?
If things go right, Weber State arrives in Pocatello Feb. 21 with a chance to tie the Hornets’ run of downright awfulness.
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