The Bobcats took down a legend on New Year's Day, 1930
In 1930, the Golden Bobcats Celebrated the New Year in Style
12/31/2014 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Bobcats topped powerful Purdue and a future legend in 1930
Montana State's first game in 2015 has a historic ring to it. The Bobcats open the New Year, and the new conference season, by welcoming North Dakota to Worthington Arena at 1 pm on Thursday afternoon. The game also stands as Brian Fish's first league game as MSU's head coach.
As imbued with significance as Thursday's tilt may be, though, it will be hard to top the historic context of the school's first-ever New Year's Day game. That came 85 years ago, when the Golden Bobcats took down college basketball's most legendary figure.
On its annual Christmas break trip at the end of the 1929 fall quarter, the Bobcats travelled east. The "Wonder Team", as it was dubbed, lost a pre-Christmas ball game at Butler on Dec. 23, 49-32, but bounced back with a 39-30 win at Marquette five days later. On New Year's Eve, MSU lost to Loyola in Chicago, 38-28, setting up a memorable visit to Lafayette, Ind.
Facing a Purdue squad that would roll through the Big 10 with a 10-0 record, the Bobcats slipped past the perennial national power 38-35. But that doesn't tell the story of the game, as the wandering westerners dominated the game after halftime. The Boilermakers led MSC 25-14 at halftime, but the Cats roared out of the intermission. Montana State outscored Purdue 24-10 in the second half for the win.
While Purdue gained fame in the moment that season for a 13-2 record to supplement its league crown, its ever-lasting trademark is the presence of John Wooden. The future UCLA head coach was equally known for his playing prowess, earning All-America honors at Purdue.
Frank Ward, Montana State's formidable center, led the Bobcats with 14 points. Purdue center "Stretch" Murphy led all players with 15. The win raised awareness for a Montana State program lauded for its "point-a-minute" offense, popularly called "racehorse basketball," and featured the core of players that had won the Helms Foundation National Championship just months earlier. Cat Thompson starred in the Marquette game, while Ward was steady throughout the trip.
The Cats continued to showcase their wares by moving further east. On January 7 Montana State beat Penn State, with Ward and Thompson each scoring 14 points. The Bobcats lost a buzzer-beater at Pitt, but for good measure on the way back to the Treasure State humbled a completely out-manned, out-coached Nebraska team 61-30. So thorough was Montana State's dominance that it was said to have "toyed with" its hosts throughout the second half.
Another thrilling and successful season ended with a two games to one loss to Utah State in the Rocky Mountain Conference Championship Series. The Cats hammered Montana in the two meetings between the in-state rivals, split series with Utah and Ott Romney's BYU squads, and didn't lose a game to an in-state squad. But the lasting legacy of that team was a successful trip through the east and Midwest, which featured a win over a powerful Purdue squad and legendary John Wooden.
As imbued with significance as Thursday's tilt may be, though, it will be hard to top the historic context of the school's first-ever New Year's Day game. That came 85 years ago, when the Golden Bobcats took down college basketball's most legendary figure.
On its annual Christmas break trip at the end of the 1929 fall quarter, the Bobcats travelled east. The "Wonder Team", as it was dubbed, lost a pre-Christmas ball game at Butler on Dec. 23, 49-32, but bounced back with a 39-30 win at Marquette five days later. On New Year's Eve, MSU lost to Loyola in Chicago, 38-28, setting up a memorable visit to Lafayette, Ind.
Facing a Purdue squad that would roll through the Big 10 with a 10-0 record, the Bobcats slipped past the perennial national power 38-35. But that doesn't tell the story of the game, as the wandering westerners dominated the game after halftime. The Boilermakers led MSC 25-14 at halftime, but the Cats roared out of the intermission. Montana State outscored Purdue 24-10 in the second half for the win.
While Purdue gained fame in the moment that season for a 13-2 record to supplement its league crown, its ever-lasting trademark is the presence of John Wooden. The future UCLA head coach was equally known for his playing prowess, earning All-America honors at Purdue.
Frank Ward, Montana State's formidable center, led the Bobcats with 14 points. Purdue center "Stretch" Murphy led all players with 15. The win raised awareness for a Montana State program lauded for its "point-a-minute" offense, popularly called "racehorse basketball," and featured the core of players that had won the Helms Foundation National Championship just months earlier. Cat Thompson starred in the Marquette game, while Ward was steady throughout the trip.
The Cats continued to showcase their wares by moving further east. On January 7 Montana State beat Penn State, with Ward and Thompson each scoring 14 points. The Bobcats lost a buzzer-beater at Pitt, but for good measure on the way back to the Treasure State humbled a completely out-manned, out-coached Nebraska team 61-30. So thorough was Montana State's dominance that it was said to have "toyed with" its hosts throughout the second half.
Another thrilling and successful season ended with a two games to one loss to Utah State in the Rocky Mountain Conference Championship Series. The Cats hammered Montana in the two meetings between the in-state rivals, split series with Utah and Ott Romney's BYU squads, and didn't lose a game to an in-state squad. But the lasting legacy of that team was a successful trip through the east and Midwest, which featured a win over a powerful Purdue squad and legendary John Wooden.
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