Montana beats Southern Utah for 13th straight time

Jan 1, 2019, 03:26 am

CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Jamar Akoh scored 23 points, Ahmaad Rorie had 23 points, seven assists and three steals and Montana beat Southern Utah 89-76 on Monday for its 13th straight victory in the series.

The Grizzlies opened the 2018 calendar year with five straight road wins, part of a school-record seven, and closed the year with three straight away victories, including ending the nation's longest home winning streak at South Dakota State.

Kendal Manuel added 15 points, five rebounds and five assists off the bench for Montana (9-4, 2-0 Big Sky). Michael Oguine had 12 points.

Montana led 16-13 midway through the first half until it went on a 13-2 run to make it 28-15. Southern Utah rallied with an 11-2 run to get within 32-28, but the Grizzlies rebuilt a double-digit lead by the break. Rorie scored 12 of Montana's first 16 points and finished the half with 14.

Brandon Better scored 23 points for Southern Utah (5-6, 0-2). Boise State transfer Cameron Oluyitan, leading the team with 13 points a game, added 13 points.