Bobcats Fall at Home to NAU
2/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Northern Arizona shot a scorching 59% in the decisive first half on its way to an 82-73 win over Montana State in Worthington Arena on Thursday. Northern Arizona used a 17-8 run to take a 45-34 lead into intermission and command of the game.
"I was totally disappointed with how we played in the first half," said Bobcat coach Mick Durham. "They came out and set the tempo. That was a good basketball team that just took it to us."
NAU's balanced offense stayed hot throughout, shooting 52% in the second half and 56% for the game. Five Lumberjacks scored in double figures, led by Tyrone Bazy's 16 points, while NAU out-rebounded the Bobcats 36-to-28.
"Josh Wilson really set the tone early," Durham said of NAU's freshman point guard. "We had a tough time keeping Tyrone Bazy and Josh Wilson in front of us all night."
Al Beye provided MSU's most consistent offensive threat, scoring 23 points on 11-for-13 shooting. The 6-11 center extended his hot spell, averaging 20.5 points in the last four games and shooting 69% in the last six.
While the Bobcat offense was solid if not dazzling, Durham laid blame for the team's slow start at the defensive end. "We just had breakdowns," he said. "We had no energy on defense in the first half. It looked like we didn't care. I thought we showed some guts in the second half, but (NAU) really set the tone for the game in the first half."
With the win, Northern Arizona clinched a tie for the Big Sky regular season title. The Lumberjacks are 11-1 in league play, while second place Montana is 8-3. MSU slips to 6-5 in league play, a game behind of 7-4 Eastern Washington. The 'Cats play a non-league tilt against Idaho on Saturday before playing at Portland State and Eastern and hosting Sacramento State on the league's last weekend.
"I was totally disappointed with how we played in the first half," said Bobcat coach Mick Durham. "They came out and set the tempo. That was a good basketball team that just took it to us."
NAU's balanced offense stayed hot throughout, shooting 52% in the second half and 56% for the game. Five Lumberjacks scored in double figures, led by Tyrone Bazy's 16 points, while NAU out-rebounded the Bobcats 36-to-28.
"Josh Wilson really set the tone early," Durham said of NAU's freshman point guard. "We had a tough time keeping Tyrone Bazy and Josh Wilson in front of us all night."
Al Beye provided MSU's most consistent offensive threat, scoring 23 points on 11-for-13 shooting. The 6-11 center extended his hot spell, averaging 20.5 points in the last four games and shooting 69% in the last six.
While the Bobcat offense was solid if not dazzling, Durham laid blame for the team's slow start at the defensive end. "We just had breakdowns," he said. "We had no energy on defense in the first half. It looked like we didn't care. I thought we showed some guts in the second half, but (NAU) really set the tone for the game in the first half."
With the win, Northern Arizona clinched a tie for the Big Sky regular season title. The Lumberjacks are 11-1 in league play, while second place Montana is 8-3. MSU slips to 6-5 in league play, a game behind of 7-4 Eastern Washington. The 'Cats play a non-league tilt against Idaho on Saturday before playing at Portland State and Eastern and hosting Sacramento State on the league's last weekend.
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