By CHRIS WALTERSKIRCHEN
The Davidson basketball program has seen its men’s basketball play in a regional final 3 times (1968, 1969 and 2008) two of those “Elite Eight” losses were by 2 points (in ’08 the loss was to eventual nationals champs Kansas).
The Wildcats play in the Southern Conference far more familiar to UM fans for its football talent.
Davidson has two players from the Pacific Northwest but just one from the school’s home state of North Carolina. The Wildcats even have a player from Scotland.
Davidson has a long home court winning streak, but even in that fact there is encouragement for the Griz. The last time the Wildcats lost on their home court was in last February “Bracketbuster” against Wichita State.
While the Grizzly men have never faced Davidson the Lady Griz have. In November of 2006 the Lady Griz faced their Davidson counterparts in the first round of a tournament at Ohio State, with UM winning.
The last time the Griz played in North Carolina it was November of 2008 to face the Duke Blue devils, a game Duke won handily.
Among famous alums of Davidson are President Woodrow Wilson, the current mayors of Charlotte North Carolina and Spokane Washington, as well as the CEO of Burger King.
In Bracketbusters over the years the Griz are 2-2, with home wins over Oral Roberts and Hawaii as well as a road loss to Long Beach State and a home loss to Pacific.
Ten of the eleven Big Sky teams play on Saturday with MSU hosting South Dakota on Sunday.
Both the Montana Griz and Lady Griz basketball teams are on the verge of 20-win seasons. This will be the first time both UM squads have had 20 wins in the same season since 2006.
Twenty years ago Tuesday night (February 19, 1993) the Hellgate Knights met the Billings West Golden Bears at the Adams Center. Both teams were undefeated and it was clear to all that these teams were the best in AA. JR Camel put on a dazzling performance in leading the Knights to an 83-71 victory. As expected two weeks later in Billings The Knights and Bears met again this time going into double overtime before Hellgate this time led by Jake Dennehy prevailed 74-68.
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Chris Walterskirchen has been an observer of Montana sports for nearly half a century. A Kalispell native, Chris has worked in various capacities for professional and college sports organization of at various times: ranging from announcing and statistical work to the concessions and even a stint as a costumed mascot.
Chris has academic degrees in communications and elementary education. His style of sports trivia involves more than just who won and who lost, but also focuses on the obscure or human side of sports. In this blog you will learn things like the Grizzly football team has won 210 games over the 19 seasons since they have had Monte as their mascot or that UNLV is the only school that both the Griz and Lady Griz have both faced in the NCAA basketball tournament
When not following sports Chris enjoys taking care of animals of all kinds (a peacock rescue?) and reading to pre-schoolers.