Despite playing without two of their key players, the Montana Grizzlies snapped their three-game losing skid with a 73-67 win over Portland State on Saturday evening.
Dischon Thomas scored 25 points for the Grizzlies, including five 3-pointers, and added three blocks while Josh Bannan put together a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Vazquez added 17 points for the Griz (10-12, 4-6 Big Sky Conference).
The Griz were without forward Mack Anderson for the second straight game and were also without guard Aanen Moody, who did play in Thursday's game against Sacramento State.
Six players carried the minutes load for UM with starters Brandon Whitney and Lonnell Martin Jr. joining Thomas, Vazquez and Bannan as well as Laolu Oke putting in 19 minutes off of the bench. But it was Thomas who stuffed the stat sheet as the Colorado State transfer added six assists as well on the night. Bannan also had six assists.
Cam Parker, who played for Montana the past two seasons before transferring to PSU, led the Vikings (9-13, 3-6) with 21 points and 10 assists.
The Griz return to Missoula next week for a pair of home games. They'll host Northern Colorado (7-14, 2-7) on Thursday and Northern Arizona (6-16, 2-7) on Saturday. Montana defeated Northern Colorado in the first meeting between the two teams this season but fell to NAU in overtime earlier in the month.
