Bobcats Host Denver
12/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MONTANA STATE (3-4) vs. Denver (4-4)
The Bobcats face Denver on Saturday night in a rematch of a buzzer-beating Pioneer win over the ¡¥Cats two weeks ago. Montana State played without starting center Matt Towsley in the loss at Wyoming on Saturday, with Calvin Ento and Jason Erickson carrying much of the offensive load. NEXT UP: The Bobcats host the University of Mary on Tuesday, December 22.
GAME FACTS
TIPOFF 7:05 pm MST
SITE Bozeman, MT
ARENA Worthington Arena
RADIO Bobcat Radio Network
(Kris Atteberry)
TELEVISION none
HIGHLIGHTS
Ć Jason Erickson has 24 steals through seven games, after getting 25 all of last season
ƒÜ The ¡¥Cats are averaging 2.6 blocks a game this year, after getting just 1.9 a game last year
Ć Montana State is shooting roughly the same from outside the three-point arc (43%) as inside (44%)
STREAKS
Ć Montana State has lost three straight, after last year suffering through two three-game losing skids and one four-game string
NOTEWORTHY
Ć Jason Erickson has hit his first 20 free throws of the season, and is now 21-for-22
ƒÜ 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
ƒÜ Jason Erickson¡¦s 122 career steals is sixth in school history
The Bobcats Denver Pioneers
¡¥03-04 RECORD 3-4 4-4
Home/Road/Neu 1-1/0-2/2-1 3-1/1-3/0-0
Conf./Record Big Sky/0-0 Sun Belt/0-0
HEAD COACH Mick Durham Terry Carroll
Alma Mater MSU/¡¦80 Northern Iowa/¡¦78
Overall/Years 206-175/14th 29-39/3rd
At School/Years same same
vs Opponent vs. DU: 0-1 vs. MSU: 1-0
0-0/0-1/0-0 1-0/0-0/0-0
SCHOOL INFO
Colors Blue, gold Crimson, gold
Location Bozeman, MT Denver, CO
Enrollment 12,000 9,271
Arena Worthington Arena(7,000) Magness Arena (7,200)
SERIES CAPSULES
MSU vs. Denver 8-1 (5-0/2-1/1-0)
PROJECTED MSU STARTERS Ht Wt Cl Pt Re A/B/S
F #33-Danny Faaborg 6-5 200 Sr 6.0 2.6 0.9a
F #24-Josh Barsh 6-3 195 Sr 3.3 1.3 1.7a
C #4-Calvin Ento 6-7 215 Sr 6.7 6.3 1.1s
G #11-Frank Brown 6-2 160 So 7.1 2.6 3.4a
G #10-Jason Erickson 6-3 185 Sr 15.9 2.4 3.7a
BOBCAT RESERVES
#3-Nick Dissly 6-4 205 Fr 9.0 3.1 1.7a
#5-Dennis Woodall 6-5 225 Jr 4.3 1.6 0.6a
#20-Carson Durr 6-6 200 Fr 0.0 0.8 0.3a
#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
#30-PJ Owsley 6-8 200 Fr 2.5 1.5 0.2b
#50-Martrel Johnson 6-5 225 Fr 0.0 0.7 0.2b
#52-Matt Towsley 7-0 255 Jr 11.5 5.2 1.5b
*-has used redshirt season +-transferred to MSU
SCOPING THE BOBCATS
Last Time Out
Wyoming¡¦s Mikel Watson hit only two shots Saturday night, but they were the important ones in Wyoming¡¦s 63-55 win over the Bobcats. Watson hit a three-pointer with 14:21 to play that gave Wyoming its first lead of the half, then nailed another three with just over one minute left and the shot clock expiring to seal MSU¡¦s fate. Calvin Ento scored a season-high 19 points for MSU, while David Adams had a career-high 20 for UW.
The Three Company
MSU has hit at least one three-pointer in the last 285 games. From 1986 to late ¡¥92-93 MSU rolled up 197 straight games with a trey, giving MSU at least one three in 482 of the last 483 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 0-4 when the opponent grabs more rebounds than MSU, 3-0 when the ¡¥Cats are even or positive in rebounds. In Montana State¡¦s losses, the Bobcats have been outrebounded by an average margin of 14 boards a game, while the team¡¦s rebounding margin in MSU 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 26 assists in six games, while Brown has added 24 assists.
Swattin¡¦...
The Bobcats have improved in the shot-blocking category this year. Montana State has 18 blocked shots through seven 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 49 steals through six games, an average of 7.0 a game. Last year, the ¡¥Cats averaged 5.3 steals per game. Jason Erickson has 24 steals -- 3.4 per game -- through six games, about 25% of his season total of 98 last season.
Three-game Skids
Montana State has lost three straight for the first time this season. Last year, the ¡¥Cats had two three-game skeins, and a four-game slide.
The Bobcats face Denver on Saturday night in a rematch of a buzzer-beating Pioneer win over the ¡¥Cats two weeks ago. Montana State played without starting center Matt Towsley in the loss at Wyoming on Saturday, with Calvin Ento and Jason Erickson carrying much of the offensive load. NEXT UP: The Bobcats host the University of Mary on Tuesday, December 22.
GAME FACTS
TIPOFF 7:05 pm MST
SITE Bozeman, MT
ARENA Worthington Arena
RADIO Bobcat Radio Network
(Kris Atteberry)
TELEVISION none
HIGHLIGHTS
Ć Jason Erickson has 24 steals through seven games, after getting 25 all of last season
ƒÜ The ¡¥Cats are averaging 2.6 blocks a game this year, after getting just 1.9 a game last year
Ć Montana State is shooting roughly the same from outside the three-point arc (43%) as inside (44%)
STREAKS
Ć Montana State has lost three straight, after last year suffering through two three-game losing skids and one four-game string
NOTEWORTHY
Ć Jason Erickson has hit his first 20 free throws of the season, and is now 21-for-22
ƒÜ 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
ƒÜ Jason Erickson¡¦s 122 career steals is sixth in school history
The Bobcats Denver Pioneers
¡¥03-04 RECORD 3-4 4-4
Home/Road/Neu 1-1/0-2/2-1 3-1/1-3/0-0
Conf./Record Big Sky/0-0 Sun Belt/0-0
HEAD COACH Mick Durham Terry Carroll
Alma Mater MSU/¡¦80 Northern Iowa/¡¦78
Overall/Years 206-175/14th 29-39/3rd
At School/Years same same
vs Opponent vs. DU: 0-1 vs. MSU: 1-0
0-0/0-1/0-0 1-0/0-0/0-0
SCHOOL INFO
Colors Blue, gold Crimson, gold
Location Bozeman, MT Denver, CO
Enrollment 12,000 9,271
Arena Worthington Arena(7,000) Magness Arena (7,200)
SERIES CAPSULES
MSU vs. Denver 8-1 (5-0/2-1/1-0)
PROJECTED MSU STARTERS Ht Wt Cl Pt Re A/B/S
F #33-Danny Faaborg 6-5 200 Sr 6.0 2.6 0.9a
F #24-Josh Barsh 6-3 195 Sr 3.3 1.3 1.7a
C #4-Calvin Ento 6-7 215 Sr 6.7 6.3 1.1s
G #11-Frank Brown 6-2 160 So 7.1 2.6 3.4a
G #10-Jason Erickson 6-3 185 Sr 15.9 2.4 3.7a
BOBCAT RESERVES
#3-Nick Dissly 6-4 205 Fr 9.0 3.1 1.7a
#5-Dennis Woodall 6-5 225 Jr 4.3 1.6 0.6a
#20-Carson Durr 6-6 200 Fr 0.0 0.8 0.3a
#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
#30-PJ Owsley 6-8 200 Fr 2.5 1.5 0.2b
#50-Martrel Johnson 6-5 225 Fr 0.0 0.7 0.2b
#52-Matt Towsley 7-0 255 Jr 11.5 5.2 1.5b
*-has used redshirt season +-transferred to MSU
SCOPING THE BOBCATS
Last Time Out
Wyoming¡¦s Mikel Watson hit only two shots Saturday night, but they were the important ones in Wyoming¡¦s 63-55 win over the Bobcats. Watson hit a three-pointer with 14:21 to play that gave Wyoming its first lead of the half, then nailed another three with just over one minute left and the shot clock expiring to seal MSU¡¦s fate. Calvin Ento scored a season-high 19 points for MSU, while David Adams had a career-high 20 for UW.
The Three Company
MSU has hit at least one three-pointer in the last 285 games. From 1986 to late ¡¥92-93 MSU rolled up 197 straight games with a trey, giving MSU at least one three in 482 of the last 483 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 0-4 when the opponent grabs more rebounds than MSU, 3-0 when the ¡¥Cats are even or positive in rebounds. In Montana State¡¦s losses, the Bobcats have been outrebounded by an average margin of 14 boards a game, while the team¡¦s rebounding margin in MSU 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 26 assists in six games, while Brown has added 24 assists.
Swattin¡¦...
The Bobcats have improved in the shot-blocking category this year. Montana State has 18 blocked shots through seven 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 49 steals through six games, an average of 7.0 a game. Last year, the ¡¥Cats averaged 5.3 steals per game. Jason Erickson has 24 steals -- 3.4 per game -- through six games, about 25% of his season total of 98 last season.
Three-game Skids
Montana State has lost three straight for the first time this season. Last year, the ¡¥Cats had two three-game skeins, and a four-game slide.
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
