Kai Johnson scored six of his 23 points late to help No. 2 seed Montana pull away and beat top-seeded Northern Colorado 91-83 in the Big Sky Conference tournament championship game Wednesday night. Montana lead by as many as 14 points early in the second half,

Montana (25-9), which has won 14 of its last 15 games, collected its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2019 and its 12th overall to extend its conference record. The Grizzlies also won their 51st Big Sky Tournament game, surpassing Weber State for the most in league history.

Montana made 65.2% of their attempts and won the conference title with a 91-83 win over Northern Colorado at Idaho Central Arena for a berth in the NCAA tournament.