MISSOULA — Brandon Whitney scored 23 points and Montana used a hot night of shooting with a full roster on deck to get back on track with an 81-56 victory over South Dakota State on Tuesday evening at Dahlberg Arena.
Aanen Moody added 20 points and four assists and Dischon Thomas poured in 17 points as the Grizzlies shot 56.6% from the field against the Jackrabbits, and led 48-24 at halftime. The Griz shot 8 for 23 from beyond the arc.
UM held SDSU to 33.3% shooting from the field including 2 for 18 from deep. Whitney scored Montana's first six points before 3-pointers from Thomas and Lonnell Martin Jr. gave UM a quick 12-4 advantage, and the Griz never looked back.
Whitney shot 10 for 12 from the field as he attacked the rim frequently with success. Josh Bannan added six points and 14 rebounds as well.
UM snapped a two-game losing skid after close losses to Air Force and Southern Miss and improved to 4-5 on Tuesday evening in what was their final home game of their non-conference slate. SDSU, a team that made the NCAA Tournament last year, fell to 3-7.
The Grizzlies next play at North Dakota State (2-8) on Saturday in Fargo.
