Bobcats Fall to Bison
12/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
North Dakota State shot 55% from the field and hit 10 of its 20 three-pointers to send Montana State to the consolation game of the Bobcat Holiday Stores GranTree Inn Classic on Thursday. The loss was MSU's first in 11 first-round games in the event.
"We're disappointed," said Bobcat coach Mick Durham, "but it's gut-check time for us. (Friday's) game will be a good test for us."
Montana State hung with the Bison in spite of their hot shooting by forcing 25 NDSU turnovers, but the visitors grabbed a pair of 12-point leads and led by 10 with eight minutes left. Moments later Ja'Ron Jefferson hit back-to-back three-pointers, then Casey Durham hit a three to get the Bobcats within one.
"It felt good," Jefferson said of his big shots. "It was going our way, we just needed a couple more stops and some baskets and we would have shaken their confidence."
Stops weren't easy to come by, though, Casey Durham said. "We just couldn't get very many stops."
MSU's comeback set up a wild finish. The Bobcats led after an Al Beye free throw at 1:30, but after a layup by Lucas Moormann and a Marvin Moss turnover Brett Winkelman nailed a three-pointer to give NDSU a four-point lead.
Casey Durham answered, though, with a three-pointer with five seconds remaining. After NDSU's Ben Woodside missed a free throw, Durham missed a 30-footer at the buzzer, reminiscent of his long three-pointer that beat Portland last week.
"It felt like the last one," Durham said. "I had a shot at it, I just didn't knock it down."
MSU was undone by poor shooting in the first half -- the 'Cats hit 37.5% of its shots before halftime -- and an inability to stop NDSU. North Dakota State shot 59% in the first half and 52% in the second, and nailed 10 of its 20 three-pointers on the night.
Montana State faces San Jose State in the consolation game at 5:30 pm on Friday. The Spartans lost a heartbreaker at the buzzer when Northern Illinois converted a tip-in with 0.5 seconds to play.
"We're disappointed," said Bobcat coach Mick Durham, "but it's gut-check time for us. (Friday's) game will be a good test for us."
Montana State hung with the Bison in spite of their hot shooting by forcing 25 NDSU turnovers, but the visitors grabbed a pair of 12-point leads and led by 10 with eight minutes left. Moments later Ja'Ron Jefferson hit back-to-back three-pointers, then Casey Durham hit a three to get the Bobcats within one.
"It felt good," Jefferson said of his big shots. "It was going our way, we just needed a couple more stops and some baskets and we would have shaken their confidence."
Stops weren't easy to come by, though, Casey Durham said. "We just couldn't get very many stops."
MSU's comeback set up a wild finish. The Bobcats led after an Al Beye free throw at 1:30, but after a layup by Lucas Moormann and a Marvin Moss turnover Brett Winkelman nailed a three-pointer to give NDSU a four-point lead.
Casey Durham answered, though, with a three-pointer with five seconds remaining. After NDSU's Ben Woodside missed a free throw, Durham missed a 30-footer at the buzzer, reminiscent of his long three-pointer that beat Portland last week.
"It felt like the last one," Durham said. "I had a shot at it, I just didn't knock it down."
MSU was undone by poor shooting in the first half -- the 'Cats hit 37.5% of its shots before halftime -- and an inability to stop NDSU. North Dakota State shot 59% in the first half and 52% in the second, and nailed 10 of its 20 three-pointers on the night.
Montana State faces San Jose State in the consolation game at 5:30 pm on Friday. The Spartans lost a heartbreaker at the buzzer when Northern Illinois converted a tip-in with 0.5 seconds to play.
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