Montana State University
Idaho State (Altitude TV)
Bobcats Rally for Road Win at Idaho State
1/3/2010 4:39:34 PM | Men's Basketball
Howard, Johnson Boost Bobcats to Win
Bobby Howard hit back-to-back baskets then found Branden Johnson for a decisive three-pointer with 30 seconds to play as Montana State earned a 70-63 road win at Idaho State on Sunday afternoon.
Montana State's game-closing 11-3 run capped a game featuring wild momentum swings, but in the end the league road breakthrough was what mattered to Bobcat coach Brad Huse. "It's going to be a grind (in Big Sky road games) this year and we have to battle and find ways to win," he said. "That's what we did today. I'd like us to withstand runs a little better than we did, but I thought even though we're an experienced team that we grew up a little today."
After leading by as many as 17 in the first half, MSU led 59-54 with 6:21 to play. A Johnson free throw preceeded layups by Howard and Will Bynum as MSU tied the score. Howard found an opening on the baseline to answer a pair of Demetrius Monroe free throws with a conventional three-point play as MSU grabbed a lead it wouldn't surrender.
With MSU leading by one, Howard rebounded Johnson's narrow miss of a three-pointer and converted a layup to extend MSU's lead to three. After Chron Tatum hit a short jumper to pull ISU within a point, Howard drove the baseline and found Johnson open on the wing in front of the Bobcat bench. Johnson drilled the three-pointer, and MSU converted three of four free throws in the last seconds to seal the win.
"That was obviously a huge shot," Huse said of Johnson's dagger. "He's worked really, really hard, and to have the legs to hit that kind of shot is a credit to him."
Johnson finished with 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Howard finished with a game-high 18 points, but Huse lauded the junior forward for his work without the ball, as well. "Bobby played consistently all night. He's a competitor, and he had a real good all-around game."
After struggling in the first half in two of the last three trips to Holt Arena, Montana State exploded out of the gates. The Bobcats hit six three-pointers in their first 10 possessions, three by Piepoli, and led 27-10 on Piepoli's fourth trey with 13:32 left in the half. Idaho State answered with a 20-3 run, however, triggered by two confentional three-point plays and a pair of long treys by Austin Kilpatrick.
The win was MSU's first in Holt Arena in the three seasons since the Bengals moved back into the building three seasons ago, and raises MSU's record to 8-6 overall, 3-1 in Big Sky play. Idaho State falls to 4-11 overall, 1-2 in the league. Montana State hosts Portland State, who is undefeated in Big Sky play, on Friday at 7:05 pm in Worthington Arena before battling Eastern Washington Sunday at 2:05 pm in MSU's second straight Altitude Big Sky TV Game of the Week.
