Bobcat Men Come From Behind to Beat Eastern
1/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Montana State overcame its own cold shooting and Brandon Moore's hot hand to post a 69-65 come-from-behind win over the Eagles in Worthington Arena on Thursday.
"I credit our guys for grinding it out," said MSU coach Brad Huse, "figuring out a way to win. This same type of game went the other way in Cheney, and this time we found a way to get it done."
A timely defensive stand keyed the Bobcat victory, as MSU held Eastern Washington scoreless on its final six possessions of the game cover the last 2:58. MSU's Branden Johnson hit three of four free throws in the final eight seconds to seal the victory.
"Most importantly you have to get stops to get a lead when you're down like that," Huse said. "I thought our offense fed off our defense some. We got a little more aggressive offensively, and some guys who were struggling broke through."
The Bobcat win looked nothing like a foregone conclusion for much of the night. The Eagles led by 10 points in each half, including a 43-33 cushion with 17:30 to play. MSU used a 16-8 run, keyed by three Divaldo Mbunga layups and a Branden Johnson three-pointer, to tie the score. A pair of three-pointers by Erik Rush and one by Austin Brown helped the Bobcats maintain a six-point lead until the 4:10 mark, when the Eagles scored the next five points over four minutes to pull to within one and set up Johnson's heroics from the line.
While Mbunga registered his third double-double of the season, netting 16 points with 10 rebounds, freshman Austin Brown chipped in a career-high 11. In fact, Brown had scored exactly 11 points in MSU's previous eight games. Huse, thought, was pleased with the rookie's defense. "That was critical, getting production like that off the bench," Huse said. "He hit clutch shots and made big plays, and I thought his defensive energy was a huge factor for our team in the second half at a time we were looking for something to give us a lift. I credit Austin for his energy."
Moore scored 17 points to lead all players. He netted 13 of those in the first half. Andy Genao grabbed seven boards to lead the Eagles.
Montana State raised its record to 10-9 with the win, including a 4-4 mark in Big Sky play, while the Eagles fall to 9-12 overall, 3-6 in the league.
"I credit our guys for grinding it out," said MSU coach Brad Huse, "figuring out a way to win. This same type of game went the other way in Cheney, and this time we found a way to get it done."
A timely defensive stand keyed the Bobcat victory, as MSU held Eastern Washington scoreless on its final six possessions of the game cover the last 2:58. MSU's Branden Johnson hit three of four free throws in the final eight seconds to seal the victory.
"Most importantly you have to get stops to get a lead when you're down like that," Huse said. "I thought our offense fed off our defense some. We got a little more aggressive offensively, and some guys who were struggling broke through."
The Bobcat win looked nothing like a foregone conclusion for much of the night. The Eagles led by 10 points in each half, including a 43-33 cushion with 17:30 to play. MSU used a 16-8 run, keyed by three Divaldo Mbunga layups and a Branden Johnson three-pointer, to tie the score. A pair of three-pointers by Erik Rush and one by Austin Brown helped the Bobcats maintain a six-point lead until the 4:10 mark, when the Eagles scored the next five points over four minutes to pull to within one and set up Johnson's heroics from the line.
While Mbunga registered his third double-double of the season, netting 16 points with 10 rebounds, freshman Austin Brown chipped in a career-high 11. In fact, Brown had scored exactly 11 points in MSU's previous eight games. Huse, thought, was pleased with the rookie's defense. "That was critical, getting production like that off the bench," Huse said. "He hit clutch shots and made big plays, and I thought his defensive energy was a huge factor for our team in the second half at a time we were looking for something to give us a lift. I credit Austin for his energy."
Moore scored 17 points to lead all players. He netted 13 of those in the first half. Andy Genao grabbed seven boards to lead the Eagles.
Montana State raised its record to 10-9 with the win, including a 4-4 mark in Big Sky play, while the Eagles fall to 9-12 overall, 3-6 in the league.
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