BOISE, Idaho -- The Thunderbird men's basketball team is headed to Boise to compete in the 2020 Big Sky Conference Championship Tournament, where they will enter play as the No. 7 seed and square off against the No. 10 seeded Vandals from the University of Idaho.
Last Time Out
When the T-Birds were last on the floor, they knocked off the Montana Grizzlies in overtime on the road. It was the program's first victory over Montana since the year 2000.
It was all Montana early in the contest, as they built an 11-2 lead by the first media timeout. The T-Birds were able to steady the ship before the second media timeout was called, but the Griz still held a solid advantage at 18-11.
As the half went on the Grizzlies built their lead to as many as 16, but the Thunderbirds were able to close out the frame on a 13-3 run to trail the Griz by just seven at the break.
"We stayed the course, and we've fought back so many times this year that we didn't really even blink," Simon said. "We made plays, dialed in and crawled our way back."
Cameron Oluyitan had 11 points at the break for the Thunderbirds. The T-Birds went 13-of-19 from the free throw line in the first half as well.
As the second half got started, Oluyitan made three-consecutive buckets for the Thunderbirds to keep them within striking distance, trailing 46-40 with 15:54 to play.
The T-Birds crawled all the way back thanks to a John Knight III layup that capped off an 8-0 run, tying the contest at 50-50. After a few minutes going back-and-forth, Andre Adams gave the T-Birds a 59-58 advantage and their first lead since going ahead 2-0.
Down the stretch neither team led by more than four, and the contest went down to the final possessions.
Southern Utah had the ball last in regulation, and both Knight III and Adams weren't able to connect, which sent the contest to overtime.
In the overtime period the T-Birds were able to outscore the Griz 14-9, and left Missoula with a much-needed victory over one of the top teams in the Big Sky.
Oluyitan and Harrison Butler were SUU's leading scorers, both dropping in 17 points. Butler had a double-double on the night as well, pulling in 10 rebounds. Oluyitan fouled out before the game went to overtime.
Opponent Preview: Idaho Vandals (8-23, 4-16)
The Vandals of the University of Idaho played themselves into the No. 10 seed in Boise on the final day of the regular season with a 80-76 victory over Idaho State. That result snapped a six-game losing streak.
Idaho's Trevon Allen is one of the most dynamic scorers in the Big Sky, averaging 21.1 points per game through the course of the regular season.
Southern Utah claimed both contests against the Vandals this season. They claimed a 73-45 victory on the road in Moscow, and completed the regular season sweep in Cedar City with a 87-55 win.
Oluyitan led the T-Birds in scoring through both contests, with 37 total points against Idaho this season.
Words From Coach Simon
On the Vandals...
"They're a good team," Simon said. "They've got an explosive scorer in Allen, and they're dangerous. They've played everyone tough this year, and we're going to be ready for them. In tournament time anything can happen, and we've just got to be on point."
How To Watch / Listen / Follow Along
All Big Sky Conference games will be available to stream on both the PlutoTV App and www.WatchBigSky.com.
A link to live stats, live video and any available radio feeds will be available on www.suutbirds.com prior to tipoff.
Follow Us
Follow the Thunderbirds all season @SUUBasketball on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Basketball page on Facebook.
Read all about the Thunderbirds on www.suutbirds.com.
