Bobcats Face Wyoming Saturday
12/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MONTANA STATE (3-3) vs. Wyoming (3-3)
Montana State hits the road for the final time this calendar year, facing Wyoming in Casper, Wyo., on Saturday. Tipoff is at 8 pm, following completion of a Wyoming/MSU-Billings women’s game. The Bobcats will be without the services of starting center Matt Towsley, who has a h erniated disc in his lower back and will miss two-to-three weeks. The ‘Cats have lost two straight. NEXT UP: The Bobcats host Denver on Saturday, December 20.
GAME FACTS
TIPOFF 8:00 pm MST
SITE Casper, WY
ARENA Casper Events Center
RADIO Bobcat Radio Network
(Kris Atteberry)
TELEVISION none
HIGHLIGHTS
l Jason Erickson has 21 steals through six games, after getting 25 all of last season
l The ‘Cats are averaging 2.8 blocks a game this year, after getting just 1.9 a game last year
l Montana State is shooting better from outside the three-point arc (47%) than inside (43%)
STREAKS
l Montana State has lost nine straight to Wyoming, the are 0-4 against the Cowboys in Casper
NOTEWORTHY
l Jason Erickson has hit his first 20 free throws of the season after opening last season with 26 straight
l Matt Towsley has nine blocked shots this year, which would already be the second-best total on last year’s team and over half-way to the team high of 15
l Jason Erickson has 21 steals through six games after getting 25 all of last season
The Bobcats Wyoming Cowboys
‘03-04 RECORD 3-3 3-3
Home/Road/Neu 1-1/0-2/2-0 3-1/0-2/0-0
Conf./Record Big Sky/0-0 Mountain West/0-0
HEAD COACH Mick Durham Steve McClain
Alma Mater MSU/’80 Chadron State/’84
Overall/Years 206-174/14th 103-55/6th
At School/Years same same
vs Opponent vs. UW: 0-9 vs. MSU: 5-0
0-0/0-1/0-8 0-0/0-0/5-0
SCHOOL INFO
Colors Blue, gold Brown, Wyoming prairie gold
Location Bozeman, MT Laramie, WY
Enrollment 12,000 12,402
Arena Worthington Arena(7,000) Arena-Auditorium (15,000)
SERIES CAPSULES
MSU vs. Wyoming 10-36 (6-6/2-5/2-25)
PROJECTED MSU STARTERS Ht Wt Cl Pt Re A/B/S
F #33-Danny Faaborg 6-5 200 Sr 5.8 2.5 o.8a
F #30-PJ Owsley 6-8 200 Fr 2.5 1.5 0.2b
C #4-Calvin Ento 6-7 215 Sr 4.7 6.2 1.3s
G #11-Frank Brown 6-2 160 So 8.0 2.0 3.3a
G #10-Jason Erickson 6-3 185 Sr 16.5 2.5 4.0a
BOBCAT RESERVES
#3-Nick Dissly 6-4 205 Fr 9.5 3.2 1.8a
#5-Dennis Woodall 6-5 225 Jr 4.5 1.5 1.7a
#20-Carson Durr 6-6 200 Fr 0.0 1.0 0.0
#22-Wes Morales 6-5 190 Sr 0.0 0.0 0.0
#23-Marcus Clift 6-2 175 Fr 0.0 0.0 0.0
#24-Josh Barsh 6-3 195 Sr 2.8 1.0 1.7a
#50-Martrel Johnson 6-5 225 Fr 0.0 0.0 0.0
#52-Matt Towsley 7-0 255 Jr 11.5 5.2 1.5b
*-has used redshirt season +-transferred to MSU
Last Time Out
Santa Clara jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, riding a 37-to-20 rebounding edge to beat the Bobcats 74-56. Jason Erickson scored 22 points to lead the Bobcats, also snagging three assists and getting a couple of assists. The Bobcats shot 50% from the field, but were only 4-for-10 from the free throw line. MSU maintained its hot three-point shooting from long range, hitting 10 of their 20 three-point shots.
The Three Company
MSU has hit at least one three-pointer in the last 284 games. From 1986 to late ‘92-93 MSU rolled up 197 straight games with a trey, giving MSU at least one three in 481 of the last 482 games.
The Magic Number
The Bobcats are 101-15 when scoring at least 80 points since ‘93-94.
Eating Glass
Rebounding was tagged before the season as the soft spot for the Bobcats, and at times that has proven to be the case. The Bobcats are 0-3 when the opponent grabs more rebounds than MSU, 3-0 when the ‘Cats are even or positive in rebounds. In Montana State’s three losses, the Bobcats have been outrebounded by an average margin of 16.0 boards a game, while the team’s rebounding margin in victories is 2.7 to the good.
Hot Start
Montana State’s two wins to start the season marked the first time in five years the Bobcats had started a season with two wins, and the first time since the early ‘60s that the Bobcats had begun a season with two wins away from the friendly confines of Worthington Arena.
Newbies
Bobcat coach Mick Durham is leading the youngest of his 14 Bobcat teams into the 2003-04 season. MSU’s roster features eight players out of 13 that did not play on the Bobcat varsity a year ago. In spite of that, however, four of the five Bobcat starters have previously seen action in the starting lineup for Montana State, including Jason Erickson, who has 52 starts. Six of MSU’s 13 varsity players -- which does not include redshirt Casey Durham, who is also a freshman -- are true or redshirt freshmen.
A Helping Hand
Montana State appears to be a much better passing team this year than it has been in the last couple of seasons, and a lot of the credit goes to the guard tandem of Frank Brown and Jason Erickson. Erickson leads the team with 24 assists in six games, while Brown has added 20 assists.
Swattin’...
The Bobcats have improved in the shot-blocking category this year. Montana State has 17 blocked shots through six games, including nine by Matt Towsley. Last year, MSU blocked 50 shots all season.
...and Swipin’
Montana State has had sticky fingers this year. The Bobcats have 41 steals through six games, an average of 6.8 a game. Last year, the ‘Cats averaged 5.3 steals per game. Jason Erickson has 21 steals -- 4.0 per game -- through six games, about 20% of his season total of 98 last season.
Montana State hits the road for the final time this calendar year, facing Wyoming in Casper, Wyo., on Saturday. Tipoff is at 8 pm, following completion of a Wyoming/MSU-Billings women’s game. The Bobcats will be without the services of starting center Matt Towsley, who has a h erniated disc in his lower back and will miss two-to-three weeks. The ‘Cats have lost two straight. NEXT UP: The Bobcats host Denver on Saturday, December 20.
GAME FACTS
TIPOFF 8:00 pm MST
SITE Casper, WY
ARENA Casper Events Center
RADIO Bobcat Radio Network
(Kris Atteberry)
TELEVISION none
HIGHLIGHTS
l Jason Erickson has 21 steals through six games, after getting 25 all of last season
l The ‘Cats are averaging 2.8 blocks a game this year, after getting just 1.9 a game last year
l Montana State is shooting better from outside the three-point arc (47%) than inside (43%)
STREAKS
l Montana State has lost nine straight to Wyoming, the are 0-4 against the Cowboys in Casper
NOTEWORTHY
l Jason Erickson has hit his first 20 free throws of the season after opening last season with 26 straight
l Matt Towsley has nine blocked shots this year, which would already be the second-best total on last year’s team and over half-way to the team high of 15
l Jason Erickson has 21 steals through six games after getting 25 all of last season
The Bobcats Wyoming Cowboys
‘03-04 RECORD 3-3 3-3
Home/Road/Neu 1-1/0-2/2-0 3-1/0-2/0-0
Conf./Record Big Sky/0-0 Mountain West/0-0
HEAD COACH Mick Durham Steve McClain
Alma Mater MSU/’80 Chadron State/’84
Overall/Years 206-174/14th 103-55/6th
At School/Years same same
vs Opponent vs. UW: 0-9 vs. MSU: 5-0
0-0/0-1/0-8 0-0/0-0/5-0
SCHOOL INFO
Colors Blue, gold Brown, Wyoming prairie gold
Location Bozeman, MT Laramie, WY
Enrollment 12,000 12,402
Arena Worthington Arena(7,000) Arena-Auditorium (15,000)
SERIES CAPSULES
MSU vs. Wyoming 10-36 (6-6/2-5/2-25)
PROJECTED MSU STARTERS Ht Wt Cl Pt Re A/B/S
F #33-Danny Faaborg 6-5 200 Sr 5.8 2.5 o.8a
F #30-PJ Owsley 6-8 200 Fr 2.5 1.5 0.2b
C #4-Calvin Ento 6-7 215 Sr 4.7 6.2 1.3s
G #11-Frank Brown 6-2 160 So 8.0 2.0 3.3a
G #10-Jason Erickson 6-3 185 Sr 16.5 2.5 4.0a
BOBCAT RESERVES
#3-Nick Dissly 6-4 205 Fr 9.5 3.2 1.8a
#5-Dennis Woodall 6-5 225 Jr 4.5 1.5 1.7a
#20-Carson Durr 6-6 200 Fr 0.0 1.0 0.0
#22-Wes Morales 6-5 190 Sr 0.0 0.0 0.0
#23-Marcus Clift 6-2 175 Fr 0.0 0.0 0.0
#24-Josh Barsh 6-3 195 Sr 2.8 1.0 1.7a
#50-Martrel Johnson 6-5 225 Fr 0.0 0.0 0.0
#52-Matt Towsley 7-0 255 Jr 11.5 5.2 1.5b
*-has used redshirt season +-transferred to MSU
Last Time Out
Santa Clara jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, riding a 37-to-20 rebounding edge to beat the Bobcats 74-56. Jason Erickson scored 22 points to lead the Bobcats, also snagging three assists and getting a couple of assists. The Bobcats shot 50% from the field, but were only 4-for-10 from the free throw line. MSU maintained its hot three-point shooting from long range, hitting 10 of their 20 three-point shots.
The Three Company
MSU has hit at least one three-pointer in the last 284 games. From 1986 to late ‘92-93 MSU rolled up 197 straight games with a trey, giving MSU at least one three in 481 of the last 482 games.
The Magic Number
The Bobcats are 101-15 when scoring at least 80 points since ‘93-94.
Eating Glass
Rebounding was tagged before the season as the soft spot for the Bobcats, and at times that has proven to be the case. The Bobcats are 0-3 when the opponent grabs more rebounds than MSU, 3-0 when the ‘Cats are even or positive in rebounds. In Montana State’s three losses, the Bobcats have been outrebounded by an average margin of 16.0 boards a game, while the team’s rebounding margin in victories is 2.7 to the good.
Hot Start
Montana State’s two wins to start the season marked the first time in five years the Bobcats had started a season with two wins, and the first time since the early ‘60s that the Bobcats had begun a season with two wins away from the friendly confines of Worthington Arena.
Newbies
Bobcat coach Mick Durham is leading the youngest of his 14 Bobcat teams into the 2003-04 season. MSU’s roster features eight players out of 13 that did not play on the Bobcat varsity a year ago. In spite of that, however, four of the five Bobcat starters have previously seen action in the starting lineup for Montana State, including Jason Erickson, who has 52 starts. Six of MSU’s 13 varsity players -- which does not include redshirt Casey Durham, who is also a freshman -- are true or redshirt freshmen.
A Helping Hand
Montana State appears to be a much better passing team this year than it has been in the last couple of seasons, and a lot of the credit goes to the guard tandem of Frank Brown and Jason Erickson. Erickson leads the team with 24 assists in six games, while Brown has added 20 assists.
Swattin’...
The Bobcats have improved in the shot-blocking category this year. Montana State has 17 blocked shots through six games, including nine by Matt Towsley. Last year, MSU blocked 50 shots all season.
...and Swipin’
Montana State has had sticky fingers this year. The Bobcats have 41 steals through six games, an average of 6.8 a game. Last year, the ‘Cats averaged 5.3 steals per game. Jason Erickson has 21 steals -- 4.0 per game -- through six games, about 20% of his season total of 98 last season.
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