MSU Game Notes vs. NAU
2/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MONTANA STATE (13-12/5-7) vs. Northern Arizona (13-12/6-6)
Montana State faces its do-or-die weekend, hosting Northern Arizona and Sacramento State with a trip to the Big Sky Tournament on the line. After regular season champion Eastern Washington, which stands 11-1, the league’s seven teams are bunched at either 6-6 (NAU, Sac St) or 5-7 (MSU, Weber, PSU, ISU, UM). NEXT UP: MSU hosts Sacramento State for Senior Day on Sunday at 2 pm.
GAME FACTS
TIPOFF 7:05 pm MST
SITE Bozeman
ARENA Worthington Arena
RADIO Bobcat Radio Network
(Kris Atteberry)
TELEVISION no television
HIGHLIGHTS
l Montana State is 9-1 this season when grabbing more rebounds than its opponent
l Mick Durham’s 216 wins is the most in Big Sky history
STREAKS
l Montana State’s string of shooting below 50% in 12 straight games was snapped at Weber State, but MSU has been below break-even in 13 of 14
l MSU has lost only once this season (Eastern Washington at home) when holding a lead at any point in the last five minutes of a game
NOTEWORTHY
l Jason Erickson’s six points on Saturday marked the only time this season he has scored less than 10
l MSU is 1-10 in games in which the Bobcat bench is outscored by the opponents’ bench
l MSU has outrebounded only three of 12 Big Sky opponents
l Jason Erickson now has 1,201 career points, 19th in school history
The Bobcats The Lumberjacks
‘03-04 RECORD 13-12 13-12
Home/Road/Neu 9-4/2-7/2-1 8-4/5-8/0-0
Conf./Record Big Sky/5-7 Big Sky/6-6
HEAD COACH Mick Durham Mike Adras
Alma Mater MSU/’80 UCSB/’83
Overall/Years 216-181/14th 77-64/5th
At School/Years same same
vs Opponent vs. NAU: 13-16 vs. MSU: 6-4
Hm/Rd/Neu 8-5/5-10/0-1 4-1/1-3/0-1
SCHOOL INFO
Spirit colors Blue, gold Blue, gold
Location Bozeman, MT Flagstaff, AZ
Enrollment 12,000 28,558
Arena Worthington Arena(7,000) Walkup Skydome
SERIES CAPSULES
MSU vs. Northern Arizona 35-33 (21-10/13-23/1-1)
PROJECTED MSU STARTERS Ht Wt Cl Pt Re A/B/S
F #33-Danny Faaborg 6-5 200 Sr 6.8 2.6 1.1a
F #24-Josh Barsh 6-3 195 Sr 4.1 2.5 2.0a
C #4-Calvin Ento 6-7 215 Sr 9.3 5.7 1.0a
G #11-Frank Brown 6-2 160 So 7.9 4.2 4.4a
G #10-Jason Erickson 6-3 185 Sr 17.7 2.6 2.4s
BOBCAT RESERVES
#3-Nick Dissly 6-4 205 Fr 8.7 3.1 1.5a
#5-Dennis Woodall 6-5 225 Jr 3.6 2.3 0.5a
#20-Carson Durr 6-6 200 Fr 0.8 0.8 0.1s
#22-Wes Morales 6-5 190 Sr 0.9 0.5 0.3a
#23-Marcus Clift 6-2 175 Fr 0.5 0.7 0.3s
#30-PJ Owsley 6-8 200 Fr 2.9 1.0 0.4b
#50-Martrel Johnson 6-5 225 Fr 0.4 0.6 0.3b
#52-Matt Towsley 7-0 255 Jr 8.2 4.2 0.9b
*-has used redshirt season +-transferred to MSU
Last Time Out
Montana held Jason Erickson to a season-low six points, and outlasted MSU 67-58 in Missoula. Calvin Ento went off for a career-high 30 points, but was MSU’s only double-digit scorer.
The Three Company
MSU has hit at least one three-pointer in the last 300 games. From 1986 to late ‘92-93 MSU rolled up 197 straight games with a trey, giving MSU at least one three in 497 of the last 498 games.
The Magic Number
The Bobcats are 104-15 when scoring at least 80 points since ‘93-94.
More Magic
MSU scored 80 points in five straight early-January games, a first for the ‘Cats since January 1994.
Eating Glass
Rebounding has been a pretty solid indicator of Montana State’s success this season. The Bobcats are 3-10 when the opponent grabs more rebounds, 10-1 when even or positive in rebounds.
Slow Starts
The Bobcats have out of the gates lately. In seven of the last 10 games (Weber at home and at ISU and UM excepted), the Bobcats have allowed long first-half runs to dig themselves a significant hole...
Opponent Trailed... at...
Weber St 12-20 7:39
Portland St 14-25 6:09
Eastern 0-11 13:34
NAU 5-14 14:22
Sac St 8-17 13:00
Montana 4-10 14:40
Idaho St 8-24 12:56
Out of the Gates
Montana State has scored first in only two of the last nine games.
Freebies
Jason Erickson has shot 87% from the free throw line this year, the best mark in the conference. MSU has shot just 64% as a team, and other than Erickson MSU has shot 59% from the charity stripe.
Swattin’...
The Bobcats have improved in the shot-blocking category this year. Montana State has 67 blocked shots through 25 games, including 19 by Matt Towsley. Last year, MSU blocked 50 shots all season.
...and Swipin’
Montana State has had sticky fingers this year. The Bobcats have 177 steals through 25 games, an average of 7.1 a game. Last year, the ‘Cats averaged 5.3 steals per game. Jason Erickson has a league-high 61 steals -- 2.4 per game -- or more than half of his career total before this season (98).
Shooting Woes
MSU brought the league’s top field goal percentage into the conference season, but has shot a league-low 42% from the floor to this point of the Big Sky Conference season.
Upside Down
Big Sky Conference teams were 21-21 at home this season before last weekend. Home teams were 5-1 last weekend, with Weber’s come-from-behind win at NAU the lone road breakthrough.
Watch that Circle
Three-point shooting should be important to MSU’s fortunes this weekend. The Bobcats are scoring 27% of their points on three-pointers, while 33% of NAU’s points and 34% of Sac State’s points all come from three-point shots. Those are the highest three figures in the conference.
Montana State faces its do-or-die weekend, hosting Northern Arizona and Sacramento State with a trip to the Big Sky Tournament on the line. After regular season champion Eastern Washington, which stands 11-1, the league’s seven teams are bunched at either 6-6 (NAU, Sac St) or 5-7 (MSU, Weber, PSU, ISU, UM). NEXT UP: MSU hosts Sacramento State for Senior Day on Sunday at 2 pm.
GAME FACTS
TIPOFF 7:05 pm MST
SITE Bozeman
ARENA Worthington Arena
RADIO Bobcat Radio Network
(Kris Atteberry)
TELEVISION no television
HIGHLIGHTS
l Montana State is 9-1 this season when grabbing more rebounds than its opponent
l Mick Durham’s 216 wins is the most in Big Sky history
STREAKS
l Montana State’s string of shooting below 50% in 12 straight games was snapped at Weber State, but MSU has been below break-even in 13 of 14
l MSU has lost only once this season (Eastern Washington at home) when holding a lead at any point in the last five minutes of a game
NOTEWORTHY
l Jason Erickson’s six points on Saturday marked the only time this season he has scored less than 10
l MSU is 1-10 in games in which the Bobcat bench is outscored by the opponents’ bench
l MSU has outrebounded only three of 12 Big Sky opponents
l Jason Erickson now has 1,201 career points, 19th in school history
The Bobcats The Lumberjacks
‘03-04 RECORD 13-12 13-12
Home/Road/Neu 9-4/2-7/2-1 8-4/5-8/0-0
Conf./Record Big Sky/5-7 Big Sky/6-6
HEAD COACH Mick Durham Mike Adras
Alma Mater MSU/’80 UCSB/’83
Overall/Years 216-181/14th 77-64/5th
At School/Years same same
vs Opponent vs. NAU: 13-16 vs. MSU: 6-4
Hm/Rd/Neu 8-5/5-10/0-1 4-1/1-3/0-1
SCHOOL INFO
Spirit colors Blue, gold Blue, gold
Location Bozeman, MT Flagstaff, AZ
Enrollment 12,000 28,558
Arena Worthington Arena(7,000) Walkup Skydome
SERIES CAPSULES
MSU vs. Northern Arizona 35-33 (21-10/13-23/1-1)
PROJECTED MSU STARTERS Ht Wt Cl Pt Re A/B/S
F #33-Danny Faaborg 6-5 200 Sr 6.8 2.6 1.1a
F #24-Josh Barsh 6-3 195 Sr 4.1 2.5 2.0a
C #4-Calvin Ento 6-7 215 Sr 9.3 5.7 1.0a
G #11-Frank Brown 6-2 160 So 7.9 4.2 4.4a
G #10-Jason Erickson 6-3 185 Sr 17.7 2.6 2.4s
BOBCAT RESERVES
#3-Nick Dissly 6-4 205 Fr 8.7 3.1 1.5a
#5-Dennis Woodall 6-5 225 Jr 3.6 2.3 0.5a
#20-Carson Durr 6-6 200 Fr 0.8 0.8 0.1s
#22-Wes Morales 6-5 190 Sr 0.9 0.5 0.3a
#23-Marcus Clift 6-2 175 Fr 0.5 0.7 0.3s
#30-PJ Owsley 6-8 200 Fr 2.9 1.0 0.4b
#50-Martrel Johnson 6-5 225 Fr 0.4 0.6 0.3b
#52-Matt Towsley 7-0 255 Jr 8.2 4.2 0.9b
*-has used redshirt season +-transferred to MSU
Last Time Out
Montana held Jason Erickson to a season-low six points, and outlasted MSU 67-58 in Missoula. Calvin Ento went off for a career-high 30 points, but was MSU’s only double-digit scorer.
The Three Company
MSU has hit at least one three-pointer in the last 300 games. From 1986 to late ‘92-93 MSU rolled up 197 straight games with a trey, giving MSU at least one three in 497 of the last 498 games.
The Magic Number
The Bobcats are 104-15 when scoring at least 80 points since ‘93-94.
More Magic
MSU scored 80 points in five straight early-January games, a first for the ‘Cats since January 1994.
Eating Glass
Rebounding has been a pretty solid indicator of Montana State’s success this season. The Bobcats are 3-10 when the opponent grabs more rebounds, 10-1 when even or positive in rebounds.
Slow Starts
The Bobcats have out of the gates lately. In seven of the last 10 games (Weber at home and at ISU and UM excepted), the Bobcats have allowed long first-half runs to dig themselves a significant hole...
Opponent Trailed... at...
Weber St 12-20 7:39
Portland St 14-25 6:09
Eastern 0-11 13:34
NAU 5-14 14:22
Sac St 8-17 13:00
Montana 4-10 14:40
Idaho St 8-24 12:56
Out of the Gates
Montana State has scored first in only two of the last nine games.
Freebies
Jason Erickson has shot 87% from the free throw line this year, the best mark in the conference. MSU has shot just 64% as a team, and other than Erickson MSU has shot 59% from the charity stripe.
Swattin’...
The Bobcats have improved in the shot-blocking category this year. Montana State has 67 blocked shots through 25 games, including 19 by Matt Towsley. Last year, MSU blocked 50 shots all season.
...and Swipin’
Montana State has had sticky fingers this year. The Bobcats have 177 steals through 25 games, an average of 7.1 a game. Last year, the ‘Cats averaged 5.3 steals per game. Jason Erickson has a league-high 61 steals -- 2.4 per game -- or more than half of his career total before this season (98).
Shooting Woes
MSU brought the league’s top field goal percentage into the conference season, but has shot a league-low 42% from the floor to this point of the Big Sky Conference season.
Upside Down
Big Sky Conference teams were 21-21 at home this season before last weekend. Home teams were 5-1 last weekend, with Weber’s come-from-behind win at NAU the lone road breakthrough.
Watch that Circle
Three-point shooting should be important to MSU’s fortunes this weekend. The Bobcats are scoring 27% of their points on three-pointers, while 33% of NAU’s points and 34% of Sac State’s points all come from three-point shots. Those are the highest three figures in the conference.
Wednesday, August 19
Wednesday, June 10
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
