Nebraska Topples Bobcats
1/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Montana State's worst offensive day of the season couldn't have come at a less opportune time.
Facing what Mick Durham called the best opponent the Bobcats have faced this year, Montana State shot a season-low 30% and turned the ball over 20 times, more than in any game since the season-opener. "We were just not in sync,†said MSU coach Mick Durham. "You can talk about the shooting and the turnovers, but we're just not getting the energy we need from the defense."
Nebraska shot 45% from the floor, including 48% in the second half, and benefited from 15 offensive rebounds. The hometown Huskers ourebounded MSU 49-to-34, including 28-to-13 in the second half. "They're a big, physical team," Durham said. "That's what happens when you play up a division. We were bigger and faster than Montana Tech last week, and they were bigger and faster than us today."
Nebraska started quick. After Bobcat forward Ja"Ron Jefferson answered a Joe McCray jumper nearly a minute-and-a-half in, the Huskers rattled off eight straight, and led 19-9 with 13 minutes to play in the first half. MSU turned the ball over six times in one 10-possession stretch, and had 13 in the first half, but trimmed Nebraska’s lead to 30-23 with 2:44 in the half on a pair of Ja'Ron Jefferson free throws.
The second half opened with MSU unable to score for the first four-plus minutes, breaking through on a pair of Al Beye free throws at 15:36. By then, Nebraska had expanded its 36-25 halftime margin to 45-25. Center John Turek keyed his team's second-half spurt by scoring nine points in the first eight-and-a-half minutes of the period.
Nebraska's 13-2 run to open the second half left little doubt about the outcome throughout the second half. Nebraska turned MSU's 20 turnovers into 20 points, and MSU was only 4-for-10 from the line while Nebraska shot 15-for-20. MSU shot just 29% from the floor in the second half, including just 18% on 2-for-11 shooting from three-point range.
MSU opens the Big Sky Conference season on Thursday against Weber State at Ogden, Utah.
Facing what Mick Durham called the best opponent the Bobcats have faced this year, Montana State shot a season-low 30% and turned the ball over 20 times, more than in any game since the season-opener. "We were just not in sync,†said MSU coach Mick Durham. "You can talk about the shooting and the turnovers, but we're just not getting the energy we need from the defense."
Nebraska shot 45% from the floor, including 48% in the second half, and benefited from 15 offensive rebounds. The hometown Huskers ourebounded MSU 49-to-34, including 28-to-13 in the second half. "They're a big, physical team," Durham said. "That's what happens when you play up a division. We were bigger and faster than Montana Tech last week, and they were bigger and faster than us today."
Nebraska started quick. After Bobcat forward Ja"Ron Jefferson answered a Joe McCray jumper nearly a minute-and-a-half in, the Huskers rattled off eight straight, and led 19-9 with 13 minutes to play in the first half. MSU turned the ball over six times in one 10-possession stretch, and had 13 in the first half, but trimmed Nebraska’s lead to 30-23 with 2:44 in the half on a pair of Ja'Ron Jefferson free throws.
The second half opened with MSU unable to score for the first four-plus minutes, breaking through on a pair of Al Beye free throws at 15:36. By then, Nebraska had expanded its 36-25 halftime margin to 45-25. Center John Turek keyed his team's second-half spurt by scoring nine points in the first eight-and-a-half minutes of the period.
Nebraska's 13-2 run to open the second half left little doubt about the outcome throughout the second half. Nebraska turned MSU's 20 turnovers into 20 points, and MSU was only 4-for-10 from the line while Nebraska shot 15-for-20. MSU shot just 29% from the floor in the second half, including just 18% on 2-for-11 shooting from three-point range.
MSU opens the Big Sky Conference season on Thursday against Weber State at Ogden, Utah.
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