MISSOULA, Mont. (Interstat) — Money Williams scored 31 points and Montana capitalized on a massive disparity at the free-throw line to hold off a second-half surge from Northern Colorado for an 88-79 victory in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball game Saturday night at Dahlberg Arena.

A crowd of 3,430 watched the Grizzlies (8-7, 2-0 Big Sky) win their second straight league game by weathering a 54-point second half from the Bears (10-5, 1-1), who erased a 15-point deficit to briefly take the lead before faltering down the stretch.

The most critical phase of the contest came in the final three minutes, with Montana clinging to a 74-72 lead. After a Northern Colorado turnover, Williams drove for a layup and drew a foul, completing the three-point play to push the lead to five. On the ensuing possession, the Bears’ Brock Wisne missed a layup, and Montana’s Tyler Thompson stole the ball, leading to another Williams layup and a 78-72 advantage with 3:40 remaining.

Northern Colorado never got closer than four points the rest of the way as Montana sealed the game at the charity stripe. The Grizzlies shot 35 for 38 from the free-throw line, a 92.1% clip, compared to the Bears’ 16-for-21 performance. Williams alone was 13 for 13 from the line, part of a night where he added five assists and two blocks in 34 minutes.

The game turned on efficiency, as Montana needed only 77 possessions to score its 88 points, an offensive rating of 114.2. Northern Colorado, by contrast, managed 79 points on 83 possessions, an offensive rating of 95.2. The Bears shot just 36.6% from the field (26 of 71) and 31.4% from three-point range (11 of 35).

Montana built its lead with a strong first half, taking a 34-25 advantage into the break. The Grizzlies shot 50% from the field in the opening period while holding Northern Colorado to 25% shooting. The Bears came alive after halftime, opening the second period on a 17-8 run to tie the game at 42. A three-pointer from Zach Bloch gave Northern Colorado its first and only lead at 47-46 with 15:22 to play.

The teams traded baskets before Montana regained control with a 10-2 spurt, keyed by Williams and Te’Jon Sawyer, to take a 63-54 lead. Northern Colorado chipped away again, pulling within two points on multiple occasions, but could never overtake the Grizzlies, who answered every challenge with a key basket or a trip to the foul line.

Williams, a 6-foot-4 guard from Oakland, California, was the catalyst, following up a 11-point performance in a win over Northern Arizona on Thursday. He was supported by Sawyer, who had 15 points, and Grant Kepley, who added 14. Tyler Isaak and Tyler Thompson each scored 11 for Montana.

Northern Colorado was led by Brock Wisne’s 22 points and four assists. Quinn Denker filled the stat sheet with 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds, but also committed seven turnovers. Ibu Yamazaki and Zach Bloch each scored 14 for the Bears, who saw a three-game winning streak snapped.

Despite being out-rebounded 41-30 and committing 11 turnovers to Northern Colorado’s 10, Montana’s ability to draw fouls and convert proved decisive. The Grizzlies also had a 10-5 edge in fast-break points and blocked four shots.

The victory moved Montana above .500 overall and kept them perfect in conference play. Northern Colorado, which entered the game with a 10-4 record, will look to rebound next week when it hosts Idaho State. Montana continues its conference schedule on the road at Idaho.