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GAME NOTES: Intrastate rivals close out their respective 2009-10 regular seasons tonight at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, as the Montana Grizzlies play host to the Montana State Bobcats in a Big Sky Conference clash.

The Bobcats had a two-game win streak snapped in a 77-66 defeat at the hands of San Jose State last Saturday to fall to 14-13 on the year. MSU's 9-6 tally in Big Sky action boasts the program's most league wins since 2005, and the squad will host a game in the upcoming Big Sky Tournament for the first time since 2006.

As for the Grizzlies, they enter this meeting red-hot, having claimed victory in six of their last seven and nine of their last 11 games overall. The Grizzlies' most recent triumph came in the form of an 86-58 verdict against Sacramento State a week ago, giving the club an impressive 19-8 overall record.

The Bobcats own a 146-134 series advantage over the Grizzlies.

Montana State was ice cold in last Saturday's 11-point loss to SJSU, hitting just 36.9 percent from the field to go with an 8-of-28 performance from long range and a lackluster 10-of-16 effort at the charity stripe. The Bobcats further complicated things by losing the battle on the boards by a 46-33 margin, and the squad never got closer than eight points in the second half. Danny Piepoli scored 17 points off the bench to lead the way for the Bobcats in the setback, while Bobby Howard and Marquis Navarre added 15 and 13 points, respectively. Howard leads the club in scoring this season with 14.1 ppg, while Navarre follows with 11.4 ppg to go with a team-best 6.0 rpg. Erik Rush is responsible for another 11.0 ppg, and Branden Johnson rounds out the foursome of double-digit scorers with 10.3 ppg.

The Grizzlies shot a blistering 61.5 percent from the field in last week's win over Sacramento State, which included a 10-of-18 performance from beyond the arc. The Grizzlies forced 19 turnovers to account for 27 points, and won the battle down low by besting Sacramento State in the paint by a 30-20 margin. Ryan Staudacher posted a game-high 17 points to lead the way for Montana, while Will Cherry and Anthony Johnson tallied 16 points apiece. Cherry grabbed eight rebounds as well for the Grizzlies, and Michael Taylor checked in off the bench to register 11 points. The Grizzlies have managed a healthy 70.0 ppg this season while limiting opponents to 60.6 ppg. Johnson leads the squad with a stellar 18.3 ppg scoring average, and he is joined in double figures by Brian Qvale (10.2 ppg).

Look for Montana to continue its recent surge and handle the Bobcats rather easily at home. MSU has found success on the road this season, but it's hard to argue with the Grizzlies' 13-1 home mark.