Bobcats Head South to Battle Bengals
2/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Fresh off a weekend sweep of NAU and Sacramento State in the Fieldhouse, Montana State faces a daunting road swing that could go a long way toward deciding the Bobcats’ post-season fate. MSU’s crucial weekend opens on Thursday in Pocatello’s Holt Arena against a physical, tough Idaho State squad. The Bengals enter weekend play as the Big Sky’s best field goal defense team, allowing conference opponents to shoot just 41%, and stand third in the loop in rebound margin. Matt Stucki leads a balanced Bengal offense, averaging 11.4 points and 4.2 assists a game.
THIS WEEK...
Montana State vs. Idaho State
DATE - February 22, 2008
TIPOFF - 7:05 pm
SITE - Pocatello, ID
ARENA - Holt Arena
RADIO - Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky)
VIDEO - BigSkyTV.org
LAST TIME - MSU 74-53, 1/19/08 at MSU
Montana State vs. Weber State
DATE - February 24, 2008
TIPOFF - 7:05 pm
SITE - Ogden, UT
ARENA - Dee Event Center
RADIO - Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky)
VIDEO - BigSkyTV.org
LAST TIME - 1/17/08, WSU 78-76 at MSU
MISCELLANY...
• Carlos Taylor narrowly missed his fifth 30-point scoring effort of the season Thursday, settling for 29 vs. NAU • Three of MSU’s final four games are against teams in the top half of the Big Sky Conference standings
ON THE OFFENSE...
• In all games, MSU leads the Big Sky Conference in scoring (74.9) • Carlos Taylor has scored 51 points in his three games against ISU • The Bobcats shoot 74.6% from the line, best in the Big Sky and tied for 23rd nationally • Montana State shot 56% last week, eclipsing the 50% mark in three of its four halves of basketball
ON THE DEFENSE...
• The Cats have surrendered 80+ points in three of their last four games • MSU foes shoot 44.1% both in the Fieldhouse and in Bobcat road games • The Bobcats stand tied for the league lead with 35.4 boards a game
Last Time Out
Montana State shot a season-high 57% and forced 23 Sacramento State turnovers, earning an 87-82 win over the Hornets in Bozeman Sunday. Casey Durham matched his season high with 19 points in the win.
Look Out Below
MSU is 3-4 against teams ahead of or tied with the Bobcats in the Big Sky standings, 4-1 against teams trailing MSU.
Three After Three
MSU has hit at least one three-pointer in its last 403 games. From 1986 to late ‘92-93 MSU rolled up a 197-game streak and has a three in 600 of the last 601.
Watch This
Senior guard Casey Durham continues to move up MSU’s record lists. Here is a look at his current record-chasing status...
Three-point FG 3rd 187 (Pete Conway is 2nd, 188)
Assists 7th 320 (Tom Domako is 6th, 345)
Steals 4th 138 (Chris Conway is 4th, 137)
Swats
MSU averages 3.2 blocked shots a game this year, second in the league and the same rate as last year. Divaldo Mbunga (5th, 1.16) and Adrian Zamora (6th, 1.08) are among Big Sky leaders.
Free is Good
MSU entered the weekend shooting 74.4% from the free throw line, but shot just 67% on the weekend (28-for-43). Still, the Bobcats stand first in the Big Sky remain tied for 23rd in the nation.
Turning the Turnstiles
Montana State leads the Big Sky, averaging 4,712 fans at its home games.
Tale of the Turnover
Turnovers played a key role in MSU’s weekend sweep. The Cats matched their season low with nine against NAU, then forced a season-high 23 vs. Sac State.
What’s Old is New, Again
No team feels more nostalgia for Reed Gym, Idaho State’s home from 2002-06, than the Bobcats. MSU won three of its four games there, but lost its first game back in Holt Arena (where the Bengals played from 1970-2002) last year.
Thirty... Something!
Carlos Taylor has scored at least 30 points four times this season, the second-highest total in school history. He is the only Big Sky player with multiple 30-pointers this season. (NOTE-Records unavailable before 1927, and during the ‘40s and ‘50s.)
30-pt games: 70 vs. colleges, 3 vs. independents Consecutive 30-pointers: 4 times (Nate Holmstadt, 2 straight, 96-97; Tom Domako, 2, 87-88; Willie Weeks, 4, 70-71; Jack Gillespie, 2, 67-68). 30-pointers, season: 5-Tom Storm, 1967. 30-pointers, career: 9-Tom Storm, 1965-67
It’s the Rims
While the Bobcats shoot 42% from the floor away from Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, MSU hits 49% of its shots at home. Ironically, Bobcat Division I opponents shoot well in the Fieldhouse (46%).
Heating Up
Montana State ecplipsed the 50% shooting mark in three of four halves last weekend, shooting 56% on the weekend and exactly 50% from beyond the arc. MSU’s 57% against Sac State was its best of ‘07-08.
Single-Season Sensations
Category Current Player Next on the List
Points: NR-Carlos Taylor, 473 Bill Brickhouse, 21st, 502
3 FG: NR-Casey Durham, 56 Danny Sprinkle, 10th, 62
Blocks: NR-Divaldo Mbunga, 29 D. Michaels, 10th, 39
Catching Up with Carlos
Here is a look at the historical significance of Carlos Taylor’s 34-point outbursts against the Grizzlies and Sac State...
Single-Game Scoring, MSU History: T21st
Single-Game Scoring, FH History: T23rd
Single-Game Scoring in FH by a Bobcat: 14th Single-Game Scoring vs. UM: 4th
THIS WEEK...
Montana State vs. Idaho State
DATE - February 22, 2008
TIPOFF - 7:05 pm
SITE - Pocatello, ID
ARENA - Holt Arena
RADIO - Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky)
VIDEO - BigSkyTV.org
LAST TIME - MSU 74-53, 1/19/08 at MSU
Montana State vs. Weber State
DATE - February 24, 2008
TIPOFF - 7:05 pm
SITE - Ogden, UT
ARENA - Dee Event Center
RADIO - Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky)
VIDEO - BigSkyTV.org
LAST TIME - 1/17/08, WSU 78-76 at MSU
MISCELLANY...
• Carlos Taylor narrowly missed his fifth 30-point scoring effort of the season Thursday, settling for 29 vs. NAU • Three of MSU’s final four games are against teams in the top half of the Big Sky Conference standings
ON THE OFFENSE...
• In all games, MSU leads the Big Sky Conference in scoring (74.9) • Carlos Taylor has scored 51 points in his three games against ISU • The Bobcats shoot 74.6% from the line, best in the Big Sky and tied for 23rd nationally • Montana State shot 56% last week, eclipsing the 50% mark in three of its four halves of basketball
ON THE DEFENSE...
• The Cats have surrendered 80+ points in three of their last four games • MSU foes shoot 44.1% both in the Fieldhouse and in Bobcat road games • The Bobcats stand tied for the league lead with 35.4 boards a game
Last Time Out
Montana State shot a season-high 57% and forced 23 Sacramento State turnovers, earning an 87-82 win over the Hornets in Bozeman Sunday. Casey Durham matched his season high with 19 points in the win.
Look Out Below
MSU is 3-4 against teams ahead of or tied with the Bobcats in the Big Sky standings, 4-1 against teams trailing MSU.
Three After Three
MSU has hit at least one three-pointer in its last 403 games. From 1986 to late ‘92-93 MSU rolled up a 197-game streak and has a three in 600 of the last 601.
Watch This
Senior guard Casey Durham continues to move up MSU’s record lists. Here is a look at his current record-chasing status...
Three-point FG 3rd 187 (Pete Conway is 2nd, 188)
Assists 7th 320 (Tom Domako is 6th, 345)
Steals 4th 138 (Chris Conway is 4th, 137)
Swats
MSU averages 3.2 blocked shots a game this year, second in the league and the same rate as last year. Divaldo Mbunga (5th, 1.16) and Adrian Zamora (6th, 1.08) are among Big Sky leaders.
Free is Good
MSU entered the weekend shooting 74.4% from the free throw line, but shot just 67% on the weekend (28-for-43). Still, the Bobcats stand first in the Big Sky remain tied for 23rd in the nation.
Turning the Turnstiles
Montana State leads the Big Sky, averaging 4,712 fans at its home games.
Tale of the Turnover
Turnovers played a key role in MSU’s weekend sweep. The Cats matched their season low with nine against NAU, then forced a season-high 23 vs. Sac State.
What’s Old is New, Again
No team feels more nostalgia for Reed Gym, Idaho State’s home from 2002-06, than the Bobcats. MSU won three of its four games there, but lost its first game back in Holt Arena (where the Bengals played from 1970-2002) last year.
Thirty... Something!
Carlos Taylor has scored at least 30 points four times this season, the second-highest total in school history. He is the only Big Sky player with multiple 30-pointers this season. (NOTE-Records unavailable before 1927, and during the ‘40s and ‘50s.)
30-pt games: 70 vs. colleges, 3 vs. independents Consecutive 30-pointers: 4 times (Nate Holmstadt, 2 straight, 96-97; Tom Domako, 2, 87-88; Willie Weeks, 4, 70-71; Jack Gillespie, 2, 67-68). 30-pointers, season: 5-Tom Storm, 1967. 30-pointers, career: 9-Tom Storm, 1965-67
It’s the Rims
While the Bobcats shoot 42% from the floor away from Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, MSU hits 49% of its shots at home. Ironically, Bobcat Division I opponents shoot well in the Fieldhouse (46%).
Heating Up
Montana State ecplipsed the 50% shooting mark in three of four halves last weekend, shooting 56% on the weekend and exactly 50% from beyond the arc. MSU’s 57% against Sac State was its best of ‘07-08.
Single-Season Sensations
Category Current Player Next on the List
Points: NR-Carlos Taylor, 473 Bill Brickhouse, 21st, 502
3 FG: NR-Casey Durham, 56 Danny Sprinkle, 10th, 62
Blocks: NR-Divaldo Mbunga, 29 D. Michaels, 10th, 39
Catching Up with Carlos
Here is a look at the historical significance of Carlos Taylor’s 34-point outbursts against the Grizzlies and Sac State...
Single-Game Scoring, MSU History: T21st
Single-Game Scoring, FH History: T23rd
Single-Game Scoring in FH by a Bobcat: 14th Single-Game Scoring vs. UM: 4th
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