Saturday, December 3
Bozeman, MT
7:00 PM
Montana State University
71
vs
67
CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD
Xavier Blount led the Bobcats on Saturday
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcats Stage Second Half Rally to Top CSU Bakersfield
12/3/2011 9:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Xavier Blount leads strong second half effort
Xavier Blount scored a career high 26 points, leading Montana State to a 71-67 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday.
Blount saved his best work for late, scoring 21 points in the second half, nailing all four of his free throw attempts in the last minute to seal the win. The junior also grabbed four rebounds and dished out a pair of assists.
“I think one of the real assets of this team is that a lot of different guys can contribute,” said MSU coach Brad Huse. “Tonight we were able to get the ball to (Xavier) in good spots, and he made contributions.”
The teams played on even terms through the first half. MSU held a 26-21 lead with 3:48 to play after Blount's layup, but the Roadrunners finished the half on an 11-0 run to grab a 32-28 lead at the intermission.
CSU Bakersfield led by as many as eight early in the second half, but at the 13:42 mark MSU began a 14-5 run to grab a one point lead, 53-52, on a pair of Blount free throws. After CSUB scored on a Rashad Savage dunk, MSU answered with 9-2 run to take control of the game. Blount triggered the run with a jumper, a pair of free throws, and a layup with 4:20 to play.
The Bobcats would not relinquish the lead, but it got close. CSUB scored four straight points when Robert Hayes hit a three-pointer and Zach Lamb made one of two free throws. But Blount hit a pair of charity tosses to push MSU's lead to 68-64 with 23 seconds left. Donald Johnson's three-pointer brought CSUB within one, but Blount's two free throws and one of two by Singleton closed the win.
“It was a real battle,” Huse said. “It was like a league game in a sense, where you struggle to score but your defense keeps you in it. We figured out a way, and that's a positive.”
Montana State raises its record to 4-3 with its second straight win, while CSUB falls to 4-2 on the season, its four-game winning streak coming to an end. The Bobcats host Willamette on Wednesday night at 7 pm.
Blount saved his best work for late, scoring 21 points in the second half, nailing all four of his free throw attempts in the last minute to seal the win. The junior also grabbed four rebounds and dished out a pair of assists.
“I think one of the real assets of this team is that a lot of different guys can contribute,” said MSU coach Brad Huse. “Tonight we were able to get the ball to (Xavier) in good spots, and he made contributions.”
The teams played on even terms through the first half. MSU held a 26-21 lead with 3:48 to play after Blount's layup, but the Roadrunners finished the half on an 11-0 run to grab a 32-28 lead at the intermission.
CSU Bakersfield led by as many as eight early in the second half, but at the 13:42 mark MSU began a 14-5 run to grab a one point lead, 53-52, on a pair of Blount free throws. After CSUB scored on a Rashad Savage dunk, MSU answered with 9-2 run to take control of the game. Blount triggered the run with a jumper, a pair of free throws, and a layup with 4:20 to play.
The Bobcats would not relinquish the lead, but it got close. CSUB scored four straight points when Robert Hayes hit a three-pointer and Zach Lamb made one of two free throws. But Blount hit a pair of charity tosses to push MSU's lead to 68-64 with 23 seconds left. Donald Johnson's three-pointer brought CSUB within one, but Blount's two free throws and one of two by Singleton closed the win.
“It was a real battle,” Huse said. “It was like a league game in a sense, where you struggle to score but your defense keeps you in it. We figured out a way, and that's a positive.”
Montana State raises its record to 4-3 with its second straight win, while CSUB falls to 4-2 on the season, its four-game winning streak coming to an end. The Bobcats host Willamette on Wednesday night at 7 pm.
Bobcat Insider TV Show
Thursday, March 03
Inside The Brick (Amin Adamu)
Friday, November 05
Inside The Brick (Nick Gazelas)
Monday, November 01
Inside The Brick (Abdul Mohamed)
Sunday, October 31
