Bobcats Hold On For Stirring Win over Weber State

Thursday, January 24

Bozeman, MT

7:05 p.m.

Montana State University

5-48-9/ Big Sky

WEBER STATE

8-113-4/ Big Sky

Weber State

Montana State

Antonio Biglow scored 18 points, boosting MSU to a win Thursday

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

1/24/2013 10:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

MSU hands Wildcats first league loss

By: Bill Lamberty

Montana State narrowly missed upending one of the Big Sky's two unbeaten teams Saturday. On Thursday, its aim was true.

The Bobcats hit all 14 of their free throws in the game's final minute and withstood a brain-rattling three-point barrage by Weber State at the end of the game to log a 79-74 win over the Wildcats in Bozeman, five days after losing in overtime at Montana. Weber State hit five of six three-pointers final 3:36, including four by Davion Berry, who finished with a game-high 24 points.

“I thought we played a real complete game against a high-quality team, a very efficient team that plays hard,” said MSU coach Brad Huse. “I thought our guys were up to the task tonight in sustaining the effort for 40 minutes. Hitting all those free throws at the end, that's become a trait of ours. It was nice to see.”

Both teams shot extremely well in the first half – Weber State checked in at 53.8%, MSU at 51.9% - but cooled in the second. After Weber State built a four-point lead, 43-39 with 18:14 to play, the Bobcats scored five straight points. MSU went ahead 46-45 on an Antonio Biglow layup with 14:30 to play, and never trailed again.

“It was a shootout there for a while, with neither team stopping the other,” Huse said. “We weren't hitting easy shots all the time, either. I was really pleased with how we executed offensively, stuck to the plan, and eventually got a lead in the second half that we held onto.”

Huse said he was proud of his team for fighting through late-game personnel land mines. “It's a little hectic because we had some odd lineups in there,” Huse said of the game's final minutes. “When Paul (Egwuonwu fouled) out and (Xavier Blount) went out (with an injury), we had some odd lineups that change up your entries in some of those inbound situations. They hit some tough shots, continually hit them, but that's the mark of what they are.”

The Bobcats pushed the lead to eight points with two-and-a-half minutes left, but Weber State's hot shooting counter-acted MSU's free throw efficiency. With six seconds to play, Scott Bamforth's three-pointer cut the lead to 77-74. But Christian Moon hit a pair of charity tosses to seal the win.

Huse liked his team's poise down the stretch. “Those guys had confidence in the moment, in the situation,” he said. “I thought Marcus did a great job being patient, getting it to the guys and drawing fouls. It's always tough protecting that lead because they're the aggressor and in sports it always seems like the aggressor wins. They do a great job of denying you. We did a good job getting the ball to good spots.”

Senior guard Christian Moon continued his hot play with 16 points for MSU, and classmate Xavier Blount added 18. But junior guard Antonio Biglow turned in perhaps his most solid outing of the season, scoring 18 points, dishing three assists and coming up with three steals.

“He's really been coming along since he's been back with us,” Huse said of Biglow, who missed five mid-season games with a suspension. “Tonight he did a good job negotiating our offense and making good reads, making solid plays for us. It's really encouraging moving forward, the depth we have in that backcourt and the things they all bring.”

Montana State's win raises the team's record to 8-9 overall, 5-4 in Big Sky play, while dropping Weber State to 13-4 overall, 8-1 in the league. Montana State hosts Idaho State on Saturday at 7:05 pm, while Weber State visits league-leading Montana.