Bobcats Close Season with Tourney Loss to Weber
3/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Half the story was all it took for Weber State to write Montana State out of the Big Sky Tournament on Saturday night in Ogden. Montana State scored just six points in the first 13 minutes, allowing Weber State to coast to a 65-49.
“I can live with giving up 36 points in the first half on the road,” Bobcat coach Brad Huse said, “but I can’ live with scoring only 21. We just couldn’t score, we couldn’t convert. When we had bunnies we missed them, and at some point that wears on you.”
Weber State shot 52% in the decisive first half, but spent much of the half over 60%, while MSU shot just 33%. With seven minutes to play in the first half, Montana State had shot just 3-for-22 from the field and trailed 27-6. “We’ve struggled to score,” Huse said, “and you really compound that when you struggle defensively.”
With 3:15 to play in the half, Divaldo Mbunga’s layup cut Weber State’s lead to 32-11 and launched MSU on a 14-4 run to close the half. That brought MSU to within 36-21 at the intermission, and Bobcat assistant Danny Sprinkle was able to communicate to the team at halftime that MSU’s most recent Big Sky Tournament win came in the Dee Events Center on March 4, 1999, when Sprinkle and the Cats eliminated a 24-point Cal State Northridge lead in winning that first round contest 91-90.
Carlos Taylor closed his spectacular career by again leading the Bobcats. The Big Sky regular season scoring champion scored 14 points to lead all players. He also grabbed a team-high six boards. Mecklen Davis provided the Bobcats a boost off the bench, while Adrian Zamora scored five points with five boards to finish his career, as well.
But the most emotional goodbye comes in Casey Durham’s farewell. The senior guard, born and raised in the Bobcat program, finished what began as an unlikely career in solid fashion, scoring five points and grabbing four rebounds. He finishes his career as MSU’s second-best three-point shooter ever, and also ranks on MSU’s career list in assists and steals.
“These four seniors have meant an awful lot to this program,” Huse said. “They’ve meant a lot to this coaching staff. I don’t want these guys to be remembered for the way this season ended, I want them to be remembered for the kind of people they are and the hard work they’ve put into this program.”
Montana State finishes the season 15-15.
“I can live with giving up 36 points in the first half on the road,” Bobcat coach Brad Huse said, “but I can’ live with scoring only 21. We just couldn’t score, we couldn’t convert. When we had bunnies we missed them, and at some point that wears on you.”
Weber State shot 52% in the decisive first half, but spent much of the half over 60%, while MSU shot just 33%. With seven minutes to play in the first half, Montana State had shot just 3-for-22 from the field and trailed 27-6. “We’ve struggled to score,” Huse said, “and you really compound that when you struggle defensively.”
With 3:15 to play in the half, Divaldo Mbunga’s layup cut Weber State’s lead to 32-11 and launched MSU on a 14-4 run to close the half. That brought MSU to within 36-21 at the intermission, and Bobcat assistant Danny Sprinkle was able to communicate to the team at halftime that MSU’s most recent Big Sky Tournament win came in the Dee Events Center on March 4, 1999, when Sprinkle and the Cats eliminated a 24-point Cal State Northridge lead in winning that first round contest 91-90.
Carlos Taylor closed his spectacular career by again leading the Bobcats. The Big Sky regular season scoring champion scored 14 points to lead all players. He also grabbed a team-high six boards. Mecklen Davis provided the Bobcats a boost off the bench, while Adrian Zamora scored five points with five boards to finish his career, as well.
But the most emotional goodbye comes in Casey Durham’s farewell. The senior guard, born and raised in the Bobcat program, finished what began as an unlikely career in solid fashion, scoring five points and grabbing four rebounds. He finishes his career as MSU’s second-best three-point shooter ever, and also ranks on MSU’s career list in assists and steals.
“These four seniors have meant an awful lot to this program,” Huse said. “They’ve meant a lot to this coaching staff. I don’t want these guys to be remembered for the way this season ended, I want them to be remembered for the kind of people they are and the hard work they’ve put into this program.”
Montana State finishes the season 15-15.
Wednesday, August 19
Wednesday, June 10
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
