Montana State University
Northern Arizona
Bobcats Use Strong Second Half to Beat NAU
12/5/2009 9:56:19 PM | Men's Basketball
Will Bynum triggered a 13-0 run to open the second half, spurring Montana State to a come-from-behind 62-50 win over Northern Arizona in Bozeman on Saturday.
Trailing the Lumberjacks 28-23 after a first half in which MSU shot just 25%, Bobby Howard and Erik Rush each converted three-point plays to open the second half scoring. Then Bynum converted a layup and free throw, hammered home a spectacular slam dunk, and nailed another layup to give Montana State a 36-28 lead.
Huse credited his defense with the turnaround. "It's important to get stops when you're trailing at halftime," said Bobcat coach Brad Huse. "We didn't score on the first three possessions (of the second half), but we were getting good shots. We felt like if we kept working, good things will happen."
While Bynum's pyrotechnics changed the game at its crucial juncture, Bobcat forward Bobby Howard's workhorse effort inside made the comeback possible. After logging 21 points and nine rebounds on Friday, Howard answered with 16 points and a career-high 12 boards on Saturday.
"I'm proud of him," Huse said. "I thought Howard had a very good weekend. He's letting things come to him offensively, and that's important."
NAU jumped on the Bobcats early, leading 14-4 with 10:25 minutes remaining in the first half. Danny Piepoli's three-pointer tied the game at 21 with 3:04 to play, and the teams played on fairly even terms until the intermission.
Nick Larson led NAU with 10 points off the bench, and added seven rebounds. Marquis Navarre scored 15 points, while Bynum finished with 14 points and three steals.
Huse was impressed with the rebounding efforts of his two post players, Johnson and Howard. "I'm impressed with how hard our guys are trying," he said. "They got in there and battled, and so did NAU's guys."
