Bobcats Face Winner-Take-All Outing
2/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Saturday, when it faces Sacramento State in Horent Gym. Winner stays. Loser goes home.
"It all comes down to this game," said MSU coach Mick Durham, whose team faces the
all-or-nothing game against the Hornets for a spot in the Big Sky Conference Tournament,
which begins on Saturday, March 8, on campus sites. "Our destiny’s in our own hands, just
like (Sac State). The team that wins is in the tournament, the team that doesn’t is out. It’s
pretty simple."
The stakes are slightly different for the Hornets, who have never qualified for the Big Sky
tourney since joining the conference in 1996. Durham said the incentive should serve to fire up
the team that beat MSU 72-66 in Bozeman last month. "We’ll see an emotional, hungry team
on Saturday, I’m sure of that," he said. "We’re going to have to handle that emotion early in
the game."
Montana State will also have to handle Sacramento State’s pressure defense, which limited
MSU guards Jason Erickson and Frank Brown to three combined points in the earlier meeting
between the teams in Bozeman, and the Hornets’ balanced offensive attack. Sac State shot
68% in the first half against the Bobcats in Bozeman, and midway through that period wereshooting 80%. Sac led 43-30 at halftime, and held off a late MSU rally for the win.
"Sacramento State is a very athletic team," Durham said. "They have some matchups and areable to do some things that give us trouble. Both teams know how important this game is.There shouldn’t be any problem getting the teams to focus."
Bobcat seniors Pete Conway and Casey Reynolds, MSU’s seniors, will be fighting to extendtheir careers by at least one game by winning on Saturday. Conway is not fazed by thewinner-take-all nature of the game. "It might as well come down to (the last game)," he said.
"It all comes down to this game," said MSU coach Mick Durham, whose team faces the
all-or-nothing game against the Hornets for a spot in the Big Sky Conference Tournament,
which begins on Saturday, March 8, on campus sites. "Our destiny’s in our own hands, just
like (Sac State). The team that wins is in the tournament, the team that doesn’t is out. It’s
pretty simple."
The stakes are slightly different for the Hornets, who have never qualified for the Big Sky
tourney since joining the conference in 1996. Durham said the incentive should serve to fire up
the team that beat MSU 72-66 in Bozeman last month. "We’ll see an emotional, hungry team
on Saturday, I’m sure of that," he said. "We’re going to have to handle that emotion early in
the game."
Montana State will also have to handle Sacramento State’s pressure defense, which limited
MSU guards Jason Erickson and Frank Brown to three combined points in the earlier meeting
between the teams in Bozeman, and the Hornets’ balanced offensive attack. Sac State shot
68% in the first half against the Bobcats in Bozeman, and midway through that period wereshooting 80%. Sac led 43-30 at halftime, and held off a late MSU rally for the win.
"Sacramento State is a very athletic team," Durham said. "They have some matchups and areable to do some things that give us trouble. Both teams know how important this game is.There shouldn’t be any problem getting the teams to focus."
Bobcat seniors Pete Conway and Casey Reynolds, MSU’s seniors, will be fighting to extendtheir careers by at least one game by winning on Saturday. Conway is not fazed by thewinner-take-all nature of the game. "It might as well come down to (the last game)," he said.
Wednesday, August 19
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