Bobcats Hit First Nine Shots to Topple Portland State

Friday, December 30

Bozeman, MT

7:00 PM

Montana State University

PORTLAND STATE

Xavier Blount led the Bobcats with 24 points against PSU Friday

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

12/30/2011 9:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball

MSU shoots better than 50% in a half for first time in four games

By: Bill Lamberty

Montana State hit its first nine shots and never looked back, posting an 86-74 win over Portland State in Bozeman on Friday.

MSU vs. PSU box score

The Bobcats' hot start spurred the team to a 53.4% shooting night, its best effort against a Division I opponent all season, and helped MSU snap a string of eight consecutive halves shooting less than 45%. Bobcat coach Brad Huse said the team's hot start set the tone.

"We've had teams do that to us, and certainly it was nice to see some shots fall early. That takes a lot of pressure off. We just made shots," Huse said. "This game becomes a little easier when you do that. It was nice to see them drop for our guys, and I think everyone loosed up after that start."

Junior Xavier Blount carried much of the scoring load late for the Bobcats, finishing with a game-high 24 points and five assists. But guard Christian Moon, also a junior, scored at least 20 points for the second straight game, capping a weekend of 12-for-23 shooting, including 9-for-13 from three-point range. Moon finished with 21 points.

While the hot shooting stood starkly against the team's recent cold hand, Huse credited MSU's passing for creating open looks. "That's the key to a good offense," he said. "We had to work to get the looks we got. It helps when you make those extra passes, and it's nice to look up at the shot clock and see single-digits when you score rather than shooting early."

Blount nailed a three-pointer on the game's first possession to help MSU jump out of the gates. The Bobcats led 19-8 at the first media time out nad bult a cushion as big as 18 in the first half, 33-15 at 7:38. The only blemish in that stretch was a six-possession run in which the Bobcats turned the ball over every trip down the floor. A 9-0 Viking run at the end of the half helped PSU closed to 41-32 at the intermission.

What the Vikings started late in the first half they nearly finished in the second half, pulling to within six on a handful of occasions, includingthe last on a layup by Charles Odum at 13:44 to make the score 50-44. But back-to-back dunks by Tre Johnson and Mohamed Fall gave MSU breathing room, and when Shawn Reid alternated jumpers with Moon, both of Moon's coming behind the arc, MSU had rebuilt its lead to 18.

The win snapped a four-game Bobcat losing streak and raised the team's record to 6-7 overall, 1-1 in Big Sky play. The Vikings' road record drops to 0-8, while PSU is 6-8 overall and 0-2 in Big Sky action. MSU begins a three-game road trip on Thursday at Idaho State. Tipoff is at 7:05 pm.