Bobby Howard gave his mother the birthday present she asked for on Friday afternoon by getting a haircut. Late Friday night, he gave her one she wasn't expecting.
Howard's three-pointer with 1:07 to play gave Montana State a four-point cushion, and the Bobcats survived a shaky effort from the free throw line in the late moments to post a 63-60 win over Idaho State in Worthington Arena.
"My mom was getting tired of getting crap from people about my (long) hair," a smiling Howard said after MSU's gut-check win. "I got the haircut because she wanted me to." Hours after former teammate Casey Durham shorn his locks, Howard scored 11 points and dished out two assists in the win.
While Howard's shot was the dagger, Danny Piepoli's long-distance pyrotechnics set the stage. The junior forward hit a season-highs with five three-pointers and 16 points, with four of the triples and 13 of the points coming in the second half.
"The big thing with me is playing with confidence," Piepoli said. "I was just taking the shot when it came my way."
The game featured a series of runs, but Piepoli figured in two of the important ones. After Idaho State built a seven-point lead with 13:08 to play, Piepoli hit a free throw and then a three-pointer to draw MSU within three at 12:39. After Branden Johnson tied the game with a conventional three-point play, Piepoli hit another triple at 10:10 to give MSU a 41-38 lead.
With Idaho State leading 50-45 with 4:54 to play, Marquis Navarre hit a three-pointer with an assist from Piepoli, then after an ISU turnover Piepoli's three gave MSU a 51-50 lead. With the game tied at 56-56, Piepoli hit another triple to give the Bobcats a lead. Erik Rush converted a free throw a possession later giving MSU a 57-56 lead, setting up Howard's three.
The game turned around 10 minutes into the first half when Idaho State's star forward Amorrow Morgan left with an injury. He did not return. "Obviously they lost a great weapon," said MSU coach Brad Huse. "I'll tell you what, their guys all stepped up around him."
Idaho State's biggest boost came from Broderick Gilchrest, who scored 24 points and grabbed five rebounds. Donnie Carson added 15 points, while Austin Kilpatrick chipped in 13. Chron Tatum led a Bengal rebounding onslaught, as ISU out-boarded the Bobcats 36-to-22.
While the Bengals shot 48% from the floor and hit eight of their 11 charity tosses, the Bobcats shot 46.8% from the floor and converted only 9-of-18 free throws. The Bobcats made of the difference by hitting 10 three-pointers to Idaho State's four.
Will Bynum played well for the Bobcats, scoring seven points with a team-high seven rebounds. He also dished out four assists, with two blocked shots and a steal.
Montana State raised its record to 12-10 overall and 7-4 in Big Sky play with the win, while Idaho State falls to 6-16 overall and 3-7 in the league. MSU hosts Weber State on Saturday at 7 pm.
