Bobcats Close Regular Season at Montana

Montana State enters the Big Sky Conference's final regular season weekend with a shot at third place, but Saturday's task is a tall one. The Bobcats face red-hot Montana, winners of six of its last seven games and nine of 11. The Grizzlies are led by spectacular senior Anthony Johnson, who scores 18.3 points per game this season after amassing over 1,000 career points in less than two full seasons. Brian Qvale dominates the middle for Montana, blocking 48 shots this season, while Ryan Staudacher lights it up from the perimeter with 61 three-pointers. Forward Bobby Howard continues to play at an all-conference clip to lead the Bobcats. The 6-6 forward stands 10th in the Big Sky in scoring (14.6) in conference games, and eighth in rebounding (6.0), joining Portland State's Jamie Jones as the league's only players in the top 10 on both lists.

NEXT UP...

Montana State at Montana

DATE February 27, 2010

TIPOFF 7:05 pm

SITE Missoula, MT

ARENA Dahlberg Arena

RADIO Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky)

TV Montana's News Network (Phil Buck, Shane Ewing)

LAST TIME MSU 61-52, 1/23/10 at MSU

MISCELLANY...

l Montana State's nine league wins is the program's most since winning that many in 2005

l The Cats have clinched a spot in their sixth straight Big Sky Tourney, but host a first round game for the first time since 2006

SERIES NOTES...

l Montana has won eight of the last 11 meetings in this series

l UM owns six wins in the last eight games against MSU in Missoula

ON THE OFFENSE...

l MSU turned the ball over 14.0 times in two games against Sac State but just 8.8 per game vs. the rest of the Big Sky

l MSU is 2-2 in Big Sky games when committing 14 or more turnovers, 7-4 when committing less than 14

l The Bobcats shot 52% at Portland State and 53.5% against Sac State in their last two Big Sky games after shooting below 50% in the team's first 13 conference contests

l MSU's 11.6 turnovers per game is 30th in Division I

l The Bobcats lead the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.1)

ON THE DEFENSE...

l MSU is second in the Big Sky in field goal (.428) and three-point defense (.341), behind Montana

l Will Bynum leads the Big Sky and is 30th in DI with 2.1 steals per game

Big-Shot Bobby

Bobby Howard has established himself as Montana State's go-to guy. Howard averages 14.6 points (10th) and 6.0 rebounds (8th) in league play, and in his last six games has scored 104 points with 38 rebounds. Howard joins Portland State's Jamie Jones as one of two Big Sky players in the top 10 of those two categories, and he enters weekend play 59th in Division I in field goal percentage (.517).

Swat Stuff

Montana State has blocked 18 shots (nine each) in two games each against Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona this season. In the team's other 11 league games, the Bobcats have 24 total blocks. Still, without a dominating presence in the middle the Bobcats remain third in conference games with 3.3 per game.

Three After Three

MSU has hit at least one three-pointer in its last 456 games. From 1986 to late '92-93 MSU rolled up a 197-game streak and has a three in 653 of the last 654.

Halfway There

Whatever defensive advice Brad Huse offers his team at halftime this season 2009-10 season seems to help. Montana State's defense has taken a marked upturn in the second half.

Shooting Pctg

1st Half 303-653 .466

2nd Half 286-691 .414

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