Bobcats Fall in Flagstaff
1/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Montana State took Northern Arizona to the wire on its home court, but the league-leading Lumberjacks protected the home court with a 78-72 win over the Bobcats in Flagstaff on Saturday.
With the win NAU moves to 6-0 in the Big Sky with one home game to close out the league season’s first half. The Bobcats fall to 3-2 in Big Sky play, 10-9 overall.
Northern Arizona pieced together a balanced attack, with five Lumberjacks hitting double-figures. Tyrone Bazy led the way with 16 points, but Marvin Moss and Ruben Boykin, Jr., provided the night’s premiere matchup. Each man had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Boykin getting five assists and Moss four.
“That’s a good team,” said MSU coach Mick Durham. “We gave ourselves a chance in the last minute and couldn’t quite get there, but we took a step forward this weekend.
In a game featuring three ties and 11 lead changes, the teams battling for a share of the Big Sky penthouse battled on even terms for most of the night. NAU built its biggest lead, seven, on Boykin’s layup with 4:28 to play, but the Bobcats chipped into that margin on Ja’Ron Jefferson’s contested three 15 seconds later. NAU held a six-point lead in the last minute when Jefferson nailed another difficult three-pointer with 43 seconds left. On the ensuing possession Casey Durham registered a steal near center court, but his open look at a three just missed and NAU was able to seal the win from the free throw line.
“We could have knocked down some free throws,” Jefferson said of MSU’s missed opportunities. “We could have got some offensive rebounds and kept them off the offensive glass better. They’re a good team, but we understand our team better now.
Montana State played with the lead for most of the first half. MSU’s lead hit 29-23 on Ja’Ron Jefferson’s layup at the 4:58 mark, and led 33-29 when Al Beye sunk a pair of free throws with 3:16 remaining. Northern Arizona took over at that point, scoring the last nine points to take a 38-33 lead. In all, NAU scored 15 of the last 19 first-half points. It could have been worse, as MSU registered two stops to keep the NAU lead at five. MSU went the last 3:13 without scoring, the last 3:53 without a field goal.
Foul trouble plagued the ‘Cats throughout the first half. Marvin Moss played only nine minutes and Ja’Ron Jefferson 12, each heading into the locker room with two fouls. Freshman point guard Jacques Wilson suffered a sprained ankle in the first half, as well. The statistical difference at halftime lied primarily in Montana State’s 10 turnovers, compared to four by the homestanding Lumberjacks.
Jefferson capped a productive offensive weekend with 16 points against NAU, including the key three-pointers down the stretch. Moss finished with 14 points and 10 boards, while Ted Morris added 12 off the bench.
MSU hosts Eastern Washington on Thursday, while NAU hosts Sacramento State on Saturday.
With the win NAU moves to 6-0 in the Big Sky with one home game to close out the league season’s first half. The Bobcats fall to 3-2 in Big Sky play, 10-9 overall.
Northern Arizona pieced together a balanced attack, with five Lumberjacks hitting double-figures. Tyrone Bazy led the way with 16 points, but Marvin Moss and Ruben Boykin, Jr., provided the night’s premiere matchup. Each man had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Boykin getting five assists and Moss four.
“That’s a good team,” said MSU coach Mick Durham. “We gave ourselves a chance in the last minute and couldn’t quite get there, but we took a step forward this weekend.
In a game featuring three ties and 11 lead changes, the teams battling for a share of the Big Sky penthouse battled on even terms for most of the night. NAU built its biggest lead, seven, on Boykin’s layup with 4:28 to play, but the Bobcats chipped into that margin on Ja’Ron Jefferson’s contested three 15 seconds later. NAU held a six-point lead in the last minute when Jefferson nailed another difficult three-pointer with 43 seconds left. On the ensuing possession Casey Durham registered a steal near center court, but his open look at a three just missed and NAU was able to seal the win from the free throw line.
“We could have knocked down some free throws,” Jefferson said of MSU’s missed opportunities. “We could have got some offensive rebounds and kept them off the offensive glass better. They’re a good team, but we understand our team better now.
Montana State played with the lead for most of the first half. MSU’s lead hit 29-23 on Ja’Ron Jefferson’s layup at the 4:58 mark, and led 33-29 when Al Beye sunk a pair of free throws with 3:16 remaining. Northern Arizona took over at that point, scoring the last nine points to take a 38-33 lead. In all, NAU scored 15 of the last 19 first-half points. It could have been worse, as MSU registered two stops to keep the NAU lead at five. MSU went the last 3:13 without scoring, the last 3:53 without a field goal.
Foul trouble plagued the ‘Cats throughout the first half. Marvin Moss played only nine minutes and Ja’Ron Jefferson 12, each heading into the locker room with two fouls. Freshman point guard Jacques Wilson suffered a sprained ankle in the first half, as well. The statistical difference at halftime lied primarily in Montana State’s 10 turnovers, compared to four by the homestanding Lumberjacks.
Jefferson capped a productive offensive weekend with 16 points against NAU, including the key three-pointers down the stretch. Moss finished with 14 points and 10 boards, while Ted Morris added 12 off the bench.
MSU hosts Eastern Washington on Thursday, while NAU hosts Sacramento State on Saturday.
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
