Bobcat Game Notes vs. UCSB
11/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Montana State’s Thanksgiving road swing to the West Coast ends Saturday night when the Bobcats visit UC Santa Barbara’s famed Thunderdome for a matchup with the 4-1 Gauchos. UCSB drilled the Bobcats 88-56 last year in Bozeman, and are led this year by Alex Harris, who averaged 24 points and 3.5 boards a game. Second-leading scorer Chris Devine will miss Saturday’s game. Carlos Taylor (25 points) and Divaldo Mbunga (22) combined for 47 of MSU’s 74 points in Wednesday’s 86-74 loss at Fresno State.
GAME FACTS
Montana State at UC Santa Barbara
DATE: November 24, 2007
TIPOFF: 8:05 pm MDT
SITE: Santa Barbara, CA
ARENA: The Thunderdome
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky)
VIDEO: CSTV pay-per-view
LAST TIME: UCSB 88-56, 11/13/06
Montana State vs. Alcorn State
DATE: November 30, 2007
TIPOFF: 7:35 pm MDT
SITE: Bozeman, MT
ARENA: Worthington Arena
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky)
VIDEO: BigSkyTV.org
LAST TIME: MSU 121-69, 12-22-96
MISCELLANY...
• Montana State has outrebounded all four of its opponents this year
• The Bobcats’ 2-1 start was its first since ‘98-99, and its first against three Division I opponents ‘93-94 (when MSU started 3-0 with one DII win)
• Casey Durham earned Big Sky Player of the Week honors for his performance against BSU and LBSU
ON THE OFFENSE...
• The Bobcats have shot 74% from the free throw line through four games, topping 70% in each game
• The Bobcats shoot 49% at home this season, 40% on the road
• Casey Durham shoots 50% from three-point range, the rest of the team 33% (14-for-52)
ON THE DEFENSE...
• Bobcat opponents shoot 53% in the first half this season, but just 43% in the second half
• Divaldo Mbunga blocked three Fresno State shots on Wednesday
• The Bobcats have forced just 11.3 turnovers per game this season
#1 Carlos Taylor 6-1, 185, Sr, G, Memphis, TN
• Scored a career-high 25 points at Fresno State
• Only six turnovers through four games
• Averaging 15 shots a game, with 10-to-6 assist-to-turnover ratio
• Double-digits scoring all four games
#3 Casey Durham 6-0, 171, Sr, G, Bozeman, MT
• Big Sky POW 11/20 for efforts vs. LBSU & Boise State
• 19 points (6-for-7 FG) vs. Long Beach, hit game-winner vs. Boise
• Has started 54 consecutive games for the Bobcats
• MSU record watch: 9th in 3FG (139), NR in assists (260), NR in steals (114)
#4 James Hennessy 6-2, 181, So, G, Williston, ND
• Averaging just under two shots per game
• Just three turnovers in last three games after four in opener at UNLV
• Transfers from Williston (ND) State, where he missed last year with injury
• Helped lead Williston to 2006 NJCAA Championship Tournament
#15 Bobby Howard 6-6, 225, Fr, F, Great Falls, MT
• Career-high 27 points against Boise after just two in the first two games
• His 27 points was the most by a Bobcat freshman since 1996
• His 35 field goal attempts is second on the team
• His mother Kathleen is MSU’s career points and rebounds leader
#20 Phil Friesen 6-4, 225, Jr, G, Goleta, CA
• His eight assists is second-most on the team
• 6-for-6 from the line, where he has scored six of his 13 points
• 5-for-8 from beyond the arc in the exhibitions, 1-for-4 in regular season
• An All-Conference choice at Citrus a year ago
#21 Adrian Zamora 6-9, 215, Jr, C, Watsonville, CA
• Registered first career double-double vs. Long Beach State (10/11)
• Blocked two shots against Long Beach State
• Shot 49.6% from the floor and 48% from the line last season
• 33 career blocked shots at MSU (two this season)
#24 Mecklen Davis 6-2, 210, Sr, G, Atascadero, CA
• Led the Bobcats by shooting 81% from the charity stripe last year
• 4-for-4 FT at Fresno State after a 4-for-8 start from the line this year
• MSU was 8-9 with Davis starting in 2006-07, 3-8 without
• The son of former Cal Poly and Miami Dolphins running back Gary Davis
#34 Marcus Blackshire 6-6, 225, So, F, Mission Viejo, CA
• Played just two minutes in first four games
• Transfers to MSU from Irvine Valley JC
• 10.6 points and 8.9 boards in his only season in the Irvine varsity
• Father Mike played hoops at Hawaii, two sisters VB at UCSB
#42 Branden Johnson 6-8, 220, So, F, Yakima, WA
• Scored 16 points in the opener at UNLV
• Has hit a three-pointer in three of MSU’s first four games
• Scored 16 points three times last year and once this year
• Fifth on the team with 32 treys a year ago
#44 Divaldo Mbunga 6-9, 250, Jr, C, Luanda, Angola
• Career high 18 points and three blocks, with eight boards, at Fresno
• 20 of his team-high 29 boards are off the offensive glass
• Shooting team-best 69.7% from the floor
• Transfers to MSU from Peninsula College in Washington
GAME FACTS
Montana State at UC Santa Barbara
DATE: November 24, 2007
TIPOFF: 8:05 pm MDT
SITE: Santa Barbara, CA
ARENA: The Thunderdome
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky)
VIDEO: CSTV pay-per-view
LAST TIME: UCSB 88-56, 11/13/06
Montana State vs. Alcorn State
DATE: November 30, 2007
TIPOFF: 7:35 pm MDT
SITE: Bozeman, MT
ARENA: Worthington Arena
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky)
VIDEO: BigSkyTV.org
LAST TIME: MSU 121-69, 12-22-96
MISCELLANY...
• Montana State has outrebounded all four of its opponents this year
• The Bobcats’ 2-1 start was its first since ‘98-99, and its first against three Division I opponents ‘93-94 (when MSU started 3-0 with one DII win)
• Casey Durham earned Big Sky Player of the Week honors for his performance against BSU and LBSU
ON THE OFFENSE...
• The Bobcats have shot 74% from the free throw line through four games, topping 70% in each game
• The Bobcats shoot 49% at home this season, 40% on the road
• Casey Durham shoots 50% from three-point range, the rest of the team 33% (14-for-52)
ON THE DEFENSE...
• Bobcat opponents shoot 53% in the first half this season, but just 43% in the second half
• Divaldo Mbunga blocked three Fresno State shots on Wednesday
• The Bobcats have forced just 11.3 turnovers per game this season
#1 Carlos Taylor 6-1, 185, Sr, G, Memphis, TN
• Scored a career-high 25 points at Fresno State
• Only six turnovers through four games
• Averaging 15 shots a game, with 10-to-6 assist-to-turnover ratio
• Double-digits scoring all four games
#3 Casey Durham 6-0, 171, Sr, G, Bozeman, MT
• Big Sky POW 11/20 for efforts vs. LBSU & Boise State
• 19 points (6-for-7 FG) vs. Long Beach, hit game-winner vs. Boise
• Has started 54 consecutive games for the Bobcats
• MSU record watch: 9th in 3FG (139), NR in assists (260), NR in steals (114)
#4 James Hennessy 6-2, 181, So, G, Williston, ND
• Averaging just under two shots per game
• Just three turnovers in last three games after four in opener at UNLV
• Transfers from Williston (ND) State, where he missed last year with injury
• Helped lead Williston to 2006 NJCAA Championship Tournament
#15 Bobby Howard 6-6, 225, Fr, F, Great Falls, MT
• Career-high 27 points against Boise after just two in the first two games
• His 27 points was the most by a Bobcat freshman since 1996
• His 35 field goal attempts is second on the team
• His mother Kathleen is MSU’s career points and rebounds leader
#20 Phil Friesen 6-4, 225, Jr, G, Goleta, CA
• His eight assists is second-most on the team
• 6-for-6 from the line, where he has scored six of his 13 points
• 5-for-8 from beyond the arc in the exhibitions, 1-for-4 in regular season
• An All-Conference choice at Citrus a year ago
#21 Adrian Zamora 6-9, 215, Jr, C, Watsonville, CA
• Registered first career double-double vs. Long Beach State (10/11)
• Blocked two shots against Long Beach State
• Shot 49.6% from the floor and 48% from the line last season
• 33 career blocked shots at MSU (two this season)
#24 Mecklen Davis 6-2, 210, Sr, G, Atascadero, CA
• Led the Bobcats by shooting 81% from the charity stripe last year
• 4-for-4 FT at Fresno State after a 4-for-8 start from the line this year
• MSU was 8-9 with Davis starting in 2006-07, 3-8 without
• The son of former Cal Poly and Miami Dolphins running back Gary Davis
#34 Marcus Blackshire 6-6, 225, So, F, Mission Viejo, CA
• Played just two minutes in first four games
• Transfers to MSU from Irvine Valley JC
• 10.6 points and 8.9 boards in his only season in the Irvine varsity
• Father Mike played hoops at Hawaii, two sisters VB at UCSB
#42 Branden Johnson 6-8, 220, So, F, Yakima, WA
• Scored 16 points in the opener at UNLV
• Has hit a three-pointer in three of MSU’s first four games
• Scored 16 points three times last year and once this year
• Fifth on the team with 32 treys a year ago
#44 Divaldo Mbunga 6-9, 250, Jr, C, Luanda, Angola
• Career high 18 points and three blocks, with eight boards, at Fresno
• 20 of his team-high 29 boards are off the offensive glass
• Shooting team-best 69.7% from the floor
• Transfers to MSU from Peninsula College in Washington
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
