Conference play starts for Montana, Sac State

Published Dec. 1, 2021 6:32 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Montana (4-3, 0-0) vs. Sacramento State (3-3, 0-0)

The Hornets Nest, Sacramento, California; Thursday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Montana and Sacramento State meet in the first Big Sky game of the season for both teams. In conference play last season, Montana finished with seven wins and nine losses, while Sacramento State won five games and lost nine.

LEADING THE WAY: Sacramento State's Bryce Fowler has averaged 15.2 points and 5.8 rebounds while Zach Chappell has put up 10 points. For the Grizzlies, Josh Bannan has averaged 12.7 points and eight rebounds while Robby Beasley III has put up 9.4 points.

FUELING THE OFFENSE: Cameron Parker has been directly responsible for 41 percent of all Montana field goals over the last three games. The senior guard has six field goals and 19 assists in those games.

COLD SPELL: Montana has lost its last three road games, scoring 57.7 points, while allowing 84 per game.

ASSIST-TO-FG RATIO: The Grizzlies have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Hornets. Sacramento State has 35 assists on 71 field goals (49.3 percent) across its past three contests while Montana has assists on 35 of 61 field goals (57.4 percent) during its past three games.

DID YOU KNOW: Montana and Sacramento State are the class of the Big Sky in terms of ball security. The Grizzlies are ranked first in the conference and have committed a turnover on 14.5 percent of their possessions this year, 9.6 turnovers per game. The Hornets are ranked second with a turnover percentage of 17.5 percent, 12.5 per game.

___

For more AP college basketball coverage:

___

This was generated by Automated Insights,