Erik Rush scored 16 points to lead the Bobcats at NAU on Saturday.
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Lumberjacks Rally to End Bobcat Season
3/5/2011 9:20:20 PM | Men's Basketball
NAU overcame a 16-point second-half MSU lead
Northern Arizona eradicated a 16-point Bobcat lead in the second half, advancing to the Big Sky Conference Tournament semifinals with a 65-62 win over MSU in Flagstaff on Saturday.
“That was a heartbreaker,” said MSU head coach Brad Huse, who watched NAU's suffocating defense force 20 Bobcat turnovers, 11 after halftime, and eight in a 10-possession stretch during which the Lumberjacks cut MSU's lead down to a manageable size.
“It's a heartbreaker for those seniors,” Huse continued. “They put us in position to win the game. We just couldn't finish the job.”
When Erik Rush converted a layup and free throw with 10:44 to play, the Bobcats led 49-33. Shane Johanssen's layup preceded Eric Platt's three-pointer to key a 15-3 run. MSU's only basket in that span was a backcourt steal and layup by Rod Singleton, and the Bobcat dry spell coincided with eight turnovers in 10 trips, mostly against NAU's full-court pressure.
“It comes down to those 20 turnovers,” Huse said. “We didn't keep our heads up and look down the floor, we tried to dribble through too many double teams.”
The Bobcats regained their composure and the lead at 59-57 on a Howard's two free throws, but Cameron Jones answered with a layup and after one free throw by Rush Eric Platt corralled a loose ball on a second-chance possession and coolly drained a three-pointer for a 62-60 lead. Howard missed a turnaround next time down, and NAU sealed the win with free throws.
“I'm really proud of our guys,” Huse said. “This is a game they'll always look back on, but they've done so much for our program on and off the court. This is such a disappointing loss because we're playing our best basketball right now. I'm proud of how they finished the season, and I'm proud of the kind of people this group of kids is.”
Montana State finishes the year 13-18.
Thursday, March 03
Friday, November 05
Monday, November 01
Sunday, October 31
