Saturday, March 2
Bozeman, MT
7:05 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
MONTANA
Brad Huse and the Bobcats host Montana on Saturday night
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcats Host Grizzlies in Crucial Showdown
3/1/2013 2:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
After road win Thursday, MSU returns to Bozeman for Cat-Griz
After an important win Thursday night and a long travel day Friday, Montana State faces an important and difficult challenge on Saturday when Big Sky-leading Montana comes to Bozeman. The 7 pm showdown holds strong post-season implications for both.
“This game holds an importance of its own,” says Bobcat coach Brad Huse, perfectly summarizing the evening's events.
Montana State took a step forward Thursday night, ending a five-game losing streak with a dramatic 62-61 win at Southern Utah on Thursday. Junior guard Antonio Biglow produced two pilfers in the game's final 71 seconds, one of them producing the only Bobcat lead of the game, and the Bobcats stole away from Cedar City with a victory that pushed them into the middle of a knot of five teams with either seven or eight wins that are competing for the final four spots in the Big Sky Tournament.
UM, on the other hand, enters weekend play holding onto first place with a 15-1 Big Sky record. That spot would draw the league tournament to Missoula, where the Grizzlies have not lost to a Big Sky opponent in several years.
Montana State's Thursday win followed a familiar script. The Bobcats turned the ball over only eight times while coming up with seven steals. The team Shot only 26.5% in the first half, but better raised that to 46.7% in the second half while out-scoring the Thunderbirds 35-29. MSU
Montana last played on Saturday, losing in overtime at Davidson in a Bracketbuster contest. UM played without big man Mathias Ward in that game, and lost sensational guard Will Cherry in the second half. Neither player is listed among the team's starters for Saturday's game. Guard Kareem Jamar, however, is still going strong. He averages 13.9 points and 6.2 rebounds a game, among the league's top seven players in both categories.
Montana State's most consistent performer has been Christian Moon. The senior guard has averaged 13.4 points a game, and his five times leading the team in scoring (along with Antonio Biglow) is the most on the team in spite of the fact that he missed the first seven games. His three 20-point games is also the most on the team. Moon led the Bobcats with 17 points in Thursday's win.
Huse knows balance is crucial in Saturday's matchup. “We're going to have to make shots,” Huse said. “It's important to get the ball to good spots on the floor in our offense, but we're going to need to shoot well.”
Both Saturday's men's and women's (3 pm in Bozeman) games are televised across the state on Max Media stations.
“This game holds an importance of its own,” says Bobcat coach Brad Huse, perfectly summarizing the evening's events.
Montana State took a step forward Thursday night, ending a five-game losing streak with a dramatic 62-61 win at Southern Utah on Thursday. Junior guard Antonio Biglow produced two pilfers in the game's final 71 seconds, one of them producing the only Bobcat lead of the game, and the Bobcats stole away from Cedar City with a victory that pushed them into the middle of a knot of five teams with either seven or eight wins that are competing for the final four spots in the Big Sky Tournament.
UM, on the other hand, enters weekend play holding onto first place with a 15-1 Big Sky record. That spot would draw the league tournament to Missoula, where the Grizzlies have not lost to a Big Sky opponent in several years.
Montana State's Thursday win followed a familiar script. The Bobcats turned the ball over only eight times while coming up with seven steals. The team Shot only 26.5% in the first half, but better raised that to 46.7% in the second half while out-scoring the Thunderbirds 35-29. MSU
Montana last played on Saturday, losing in overtime at Davidson in a Bracketbuster contest. UM played without big man Mathias Ward in that game, and lost sensational guard Will Cherry in the second half. Neither player is listed among the team's starters for Saturday's game. Guard Kareem Jamar, however, is still going strong. He averages 13.9 points and 6.2 rebounds a game, among the league's top seven players in both categories.
Montana State's most consistent performer has been Christian Moon. The senior guard has averaged 13.4 points a game, and his five times leading the team in scoring (along with Antonio Biglow) is the most on the team in spite of the fact that he missed the first seven games. His three 20-point games is also the most on the team. Moon led the Bobcats with 17 points in Thursday's win.
Huse knows balance is crucial in Saturday's matchup. “We're going to have to make shots,” Huse said. “It's important to get the ball to good spots on the floor in our offense, but we're going to need to shoot well.”
Both Saturday's men's and women's (3 pm in Bozeman) games are televised across the state on Max Media stations.
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