ISU Uses Strong Rebounding Night to Top Cats
2/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Brad Huse didn’t have to look far to put his finger on the determining point in Montana State’s 64-49 loss at Idaho State on Thursday.
“Their 12 offensive boards in the first half was really the tell-tale sign of where our guys were at,” Huse said after the loss that dropped MSU to 7-5 in Big Sky play and into a fourth-place tie with the Bengals. “This time, the stats don’t lie.”
The Bobcats’ tough offensive night extended throughout the team. Only Divaldo Mbunga (5-for-8) shot better than 50% for MSU, which resulted in the team’s lowest scoring output and worst shooting night (32.0%) of the season.“It was a tough night offensively,” Huse said. “(Idaho State) had something to do with that.”
After failing to score on its first two possessions, ISU scored on six of its next eight trips to extend the lead to double-digits. The Bobcats came no closer than nine points after that.
Idaho State pounded the Bobcats 44-to-29 on the boards, MSU’s worst rebounding deficit of the season. The Bengals grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, the second-highest total surrendered by MSU this year.
“When you’re giving up two or three shots a possession, that just wears on you,” Huse said. “(Idaho State) played with great effort and determination.”
After jumping out to a 9-2 lead on the strength of 4-for-4 shooting to start the game, Montana State hit a dry spell. While the Bobcats failed to sink a field goal for six-and-a-half minutes, ISU launched a 10-0 run to grab a 13-10 lead. The Bengals pushed that lead out to 10 points, but a 4-0 spurt by the Bobcats to close the half helped MSU enter the intermission trailing only 29-23.
About midway through the first half, Idaho State switched to a 1-3-1 zone, a move that Bengals coach Joe O’Brien said paid off. “They were shooting 8-for-16 in the early minutes of the game,” O’Brien said, “but after that they shot 8-for-34. Obviously I didn’t have us in the right defense to start, but then we got back to doing some things we do well.”
MSU plays at Weber State on Saturday, while the Bengals host Montana on Sunday.
“Their 12 offensive boards in the first half was really the tell-tale sign of where our guys were at,” Huse said after the loss that dropped MSU to 7-5 in Big Sky play and into a fourth-place tie with the Bengals. “This time, the stats don’t lie.”
The Bobcats’ tough offensive night extended throughout the team. Only Divaldo Mbunga (5-for-8) shot better than 50% for MSU, which resulted in the team’s lowest scoring output and worst shooting night (32.0%) of the season.“It was a tough night offensively,” Huse said. “(Idaho State) had something to do with that.”
After failing to score on its first two possessions, ISU scored on six of its next eight trips to extend the lead to double-digits. The Bobcats came no closer than nine points after that.
Idaho State pounded the Bobcats 44-to-29 on the boards, MSU’s worst rebounding deficit of the season. The Bengals grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, the second-highest total surrendered by MSU this year.
“When you’re giving up two or three shots a possession, that just wears on you,” Huse said. “(Idaho State) played with great effort and determination.”
After jumping out to a 9-2 lead on the strength of 4-for-4 shooting to start the game, Montana State hit a dry spell. While the Bobcats failed to sink a field goal for six-and-a-half minutes, ISU launched a 10-0 run to grab a 13-10 lead. The Bengals pushed that lead out to 10 points, but a 4-0 spurt by the Bobcats to close the half helped MSU enter the intermission trailing only 29-23.
About midway through the first half, Idaho State switched to a 1-3-1 zone, a move that Bengals coach Joe O’Brien said paid off. “They were shooting 8-for-16 in the early minutes of the game,” O’Brien said, “but after that they shot 8-for-34. Obviously I didn’t have us in the right defense to start, but then we got back to doing some things we do well.”
MSU plays at Weber State on Saturday, while the Bengals host Montana on Sunday.
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