Montague Suffers Broken Nose; Point Guard Expected to Play Thursday

PROVO -- BYU starting point guard Matt Montague suffered a broken nose late Christmas day during the team's practice. Despite the injury, he is still expected to play Thursday when BYU hosts Cal State Northridge.

Montague sustained the injury when freshman Jimmy Balderson's forearm came down on Montague's nose while going for a rebound. Only two minutes remained before the conclusion of practice when the incident occurred.

Montague will have the nose set by a specialist Thursday morning. Montague is not expected to miss any playing time, but he may need to wear a special mask for protection. The senior is playing a team-high 36.6 minutes per game and ranks third nationally in assists per game. He is averaging 6.0 points and 7.6 assists per game.

The injury is the second to a BYU point guard this season. Freshman backup Shawn Opunui was put in a hard cast last week after tearing ligaments in his left thumb. Opunui will be out approximately six weeks.