Bobcats Earn First Win, Top Vandals
11/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Montana State coach Brad Huse didn't know what to expect from Nick Dissly on Sunday, after the senior forward had missed a week with a severe ankle sprain. In the end, Dissly bounced back with nine points in 33 minutes, helping Montana State to a 72-65 win.
"I think his presence meant a lot to the guys," said Bobcat coach Brad Huse, who earned his first win as MSU's head coach on Sunday. "They've been looking up to him all fall, and I think just to have him in the locker room was important. To get the production out of him that we did was a bonus. It says a lot about Nick's character and his toughness and his determination.
Dissly's contributions didn't end in the scoring column. He chipped in with three boards, three assists and two steals, and Huse credited his leadership with aiding the 'Cats down the stretch. "Our guys kept their composure. That's something we talked about, road tempo and composure on the road. Gyms are going to get loud, fans are going to get into it, but our guys kept finding the open guys and making the extra pass."
Center Ted Morris logged a double-double for the 'Cats, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 boards. Huse said his defensive contribution was also a key. "Ted set the tone with the blocks, and offensively he took it on himself to finish. We challenged him in a couple of different ways, and it worked in that he took it personally and took it upon himself. He finished 7-for-11 from the field tonight, and showed he can be a force. The best part of it was shooting 4-for-5 from the line. If he can do that, we can win some basketball games."
After struggling from the line late in Friday's loss at Portland, the Bobcats converted six free throws in the waning moments on Sunday. "Those are free throws we missed the other night," Huse said. "Tonight we made them, and we had the ball in the hands of the guys that needed to have it."
Huse said Sunday's win could boost the team as it heads into the heart of its pre-conference schedule, beginning with a home game Wednesday at 7:05 pm with UM-Western. "You can keep preaching to the guys that this time of year is for learning, but they need to see some success. They need to look up and see you with more points than the other team. We showed a lot of character, and I congratulated them on that side of things. We still have a lot of things to correct, but they showed a lot of character."
"I think his presence meant a lot to the guys," said Bobcat coach Brad Huse, who earned his first win as MSU's head coach on Sunday. "They've been looking up to him all fall, and I think just to have him in the locker room was important. To get the production out of him that we did was a bonus. It says a lot about Nick's character and his toughness and his determination.
Dissly's contributions didn't end in the scoring column. He chipped in with three boards, three assists and two steals, and Huse credited his leadership with aiding the 'Cats down the stretch. "Our guys kept their composure. That's something we talked about, road tempo and composure on the road. Gyms are going to get loud, fans are going to get into it, but our guys kept finding the open guys and making the extra pass."
Center Ted Morris logged a double-double for the 'Cats, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 boards. Huse said his defensive contribution was also a key. "Ted set the tone with the blocks, and offensively he took it on himself to finish. We challenged him in a couple of different ways, and it worked in that he took it personally and took it upon himself. He finished 7-for-11 from the field tonight, and showed he can be a force. The best part of it was shooting 4-for-5 from the line. If he can do that, we can win some basketball games."
After struggling from the line late in Friday's loss at Portland, the Bobcats converted six free throws in the waning moments on Sunday. "Those are free throws we missed the other night," Huse said. "Tonight we made them, and we had the ball in the hands of the guys that needed to have it."
Huse said Sunday's win could boost the team as it heads into the heart of its pre-conference schedule, beginning with a home game Wednesday at 7:05 pm with UM-Western. "You can keep preaching to the guys that this time of year is for learning, but they need to see some success. They need to look up and see you with more points than the other team. We showed a lot of character, and I congratulated them on that side of things. We still have a lot of things to correct, but they showed a lot of character."
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