Bobcats Drop Heart-Stopper at Sac State
2/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
After beating Sacramento State on a buzzer-beater 30 days ago, Montana State narrowly missed a chance at a road win in Hornet Gym on Saturday. The Bobcats took four shots with a chance to tie or take the lead in the last two minutes, but the homestanding Hornets held on for a 70-68 win.
"We had a chance at the end, we had the ball with some pretty good looks, but we couldn't make the shots," said MSU coach Mick Durham.
After Jason Harris converted a jumper with 1:47 to play, Marvin Moss answered with a conventional three-point play to cut the lead to 69-68. After Harris missed a free throw on Sac State's next possession, Ryan Holmes missed an open look at a three-pointer late in the next possession's shot clock.
"If we had it to do over I'd probably try to have Ja'Ron Jefferson in there to take that shot," Durham said, alluding to the team's foul trouble all night. Jefferson fouled out with 1:11 to play.
Alex Bausley missed a free throw on the ensuing possession with 13 seconds to play, and Nick Dissly raced into the front court. "We said at the time out, 'If we get it and we have the chance, let's go," Durham said. Dissly was stripped by Sac State's mercurial DaShawn Freeman, and on the scramble for the ball Jameel Pugh came up with the ball and was fouled. Pugh made the first, and Dissly's end-to-end three-point attempt caromed off the backboard left of the hoop as time expired.
That the Bobcats were in the game late looked doubtful early in the second half. After the Bobcats grabbed a 35-30 lead with 18:41 to play, Freeman got Sac State rolling. He hit a short jumper at 18:12, a t hree-pointer a half-minute later, and another jumper at 17:11 to give Sac State a lead it would not relinquish.
"We wanted to get off to a good start in the second half, but that's when they were at their best," Durham said.
MSU climbed back into the game midway through the second stanza on the strength of Dissly's play. He hit jumpers at 14:20 and 9:42, a pair of free throws at 9:26, and two more free throws at 8:47 to get the 'Cats to within six.
Sacramento State's Pugh celebrated his senior night in spectacular fashion, finishing with 26 points and six rebounds. Jason Harris had 13 points. Other than those two, the Hornets scored 31 points on 10-for-32 shooting. MSU held Sacramento State to 35% shooting, although the team shot 50% in the second half.
"Pugh is hard to guard," Durham said, "because you have to give him some room because he penetrates so well. We made an adjustment with about 10 minutes left and did a better job on him. He's a hard player to deal with."
Jefferson led the Bobcats with 14 points despite fouling out. Dissly had 12, Moss, Branden Miller and Casey Durham 10 each.
Montana State took advantage of an uneven Sacramento State first half to claim a 31-30 lead at the intermission. The Hornets had only nine field goals before the break, two in the last nine minutes.
Marvin Moss picked up two fouls before the first media time out, leaving Taylor Pratt to man the power forward position. He did so efficiently, getting six points on 3-for-5 shooting, grabbing a rebound and a steal and blocking two shots.
Still, the story of the first half was Jameel Pugh's effort. On his Senior Night, he scored 16 points in the first half, four on three-pointers. Leave Pugh's 5-for-12 effort out of the equation and Sac State was 4-for-25 shooting in the first half. The Hornets were 9-for-37 with Pugh, while MSU shot 45% in that period.
"We had a chance at the end, we had the ball with some pretty good looks, but we couldn't make the shots," said MSU coach Mick Durham.
After Jason Harris converted a jumper with 1:47 to play, Marvin Moss answered with a conventional three-point play to cut the lead to 69-68. After Harris missed a free throw on Sac State's next possession, Ryan Holmes missed an open look at a three-pointer late in the next possession's shot clock.
"If we had it to do over I'd probably try to have Ja'Ron Jefferson in there to take that shot," Durham said, alluding to the team's foul trouble all night. Jefferson fouled out with 1:11 to play.
Alex Bausley missed a free throw on the ensuing possession with 13 seconds to play, and Nick Dissly raced into the front court. "We said at the time out, 'If we get it and we have the chance, let's go," Durham said. Dissly was stripped by Sac State's mercurial DaShawn Freeman, and on the scramble for the ball Jameel Pugh came up with the ball and was fouled. Pugh made the first, and Dissly's end-to-end three-point attempt caromed off the backboard left of the hoop as time expired.
That the Bobcats were in the game late looked doubtful early in the second half. After the Bobcats grabbed a 35-30 lead with 18:41 to play, Freeman got Sac State rolling. He hit a short jumper at 18:12, a t hree-pointer a half-minute later, and another jumper at 17:11 to give Sac State a lead it would not relinquish.
"We wanted to get off to a good start in the second half, but that's when they were at their best," Durham said.
MSU climbed back into the game midway through the second stanza on the strength of Dissly's play. He hit jumpers at 14:20 and 9:42, a pair of free throws at 9:26, and two more free throws at 8:47 to get the 'Cats to within six.
Sacramento State's Pugh celebrated his senior night in spectacular fashion, finishing with 26 points and six rebounds. Jason Harris had 13 points. Other than those two, the Hornets scored 31 points on 10-for-32 shooting. MSU held Sacramento State to 35% shooting, although the team shot 50% in the second half.
"Pugh is hard to guard," Durham said, "because you have to give him some room because he penetrates so well. We made an adjustment with about 10 minutes left and did a better job on him. He's a hard player to deal with."
Jefferson led the Bobcats with 14 points despite fouling out. Dissly had 12, Moss, Branden Miller and Casey Durham 10 each.
Montana State took advantage of an uneven Sacramento State first half to claim a 31-30 lead at the intermission. The Hornets had only nine field goals before the break, two in the last nine minutes.
Marvin Moss picked up two fouls before the first media time out, leaving Taylor Pratt to man the power forward position. He did so efficiently, getting six points on 3-for-5 shooting, grabbing a rebound and a steal and blocking two shots.
Still, the story of the first half was Jameel Pugh's effort. On his Senior Night, he scored 16 points in the first half, four on three-pointers. Leave Pugh's 5-for-12 effort out of the equation and Sac State was 4-for-25 shooting in the first half. The Hornets were 9-for-37 with Pugh, while MSU shot 45% in that period.
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