MISSOULA – Montana men’s basketball fans will finally get to watch their team in Dahlberg Arena Thursday for only the third time in the past 38 days. The Grizzlies return home with seniors Ahmaad Rorie and Michael Oguine shining on the perimeter and Jamar Akoh dominating in the post.
But equally important is the work Sayeed Pridgett is doing in between. The 6-foot-5 junior from Oakland is listed as a guard, but he gets most of his buckets slicing through the defense to the rim. He scored 26 points at Northern Colorado recently on his way to Big Sky Conference player of the week honors. He is shooting nearly 58 percent from the field, good for fourth-best in the conference.
If he’s overlooked and not as flashy as some other players on the floor, that’s just fine with Pridgett.
“Honestly, I’m kind of used to it,” he said. “Doing whatever I can do to get points on the board. If I have to get the rebound and put it back up, that’s what I’ll do. Those points kind of get me going. Those plays get me going, lets me know how I’m feeling throughout the game. These are just energy plays for me, honestly. The guys on the bench and the starters help me a lot, just being able to adapt to that role. A lot of motivation and a lot of confidence from my teammates is what helped me a lot.”
The first-year starter will try to help the Griz win for a third straight game. Montana will also shoot for a 16th straight victory over Idaho State at 7 p.m. Thursday in Dahlberg Arena.
