Cold Shooting Dooms Bobcats

Thursday, February 5

7:05 pm

Montana State University

1-94-18/ Big Sky

Idaho

4-59-11/ Big Sky

Idaho

Montana State

Danny Robison scores two of his game-high 18 against Idaho

Photo by: Ruth Shellenberg

2/5/2015 10:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Again on the cusp of a league breakthrough, MSU comes up short

By: Bill Lamberty

The open shots were there for Montana State in the second half. The makes weren't.

That combination – a 31%-shooting second half for the Cats that followed a 52% first half – proved MSU's undoing, as Idaho overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to log an 80-71 win in Bozeman on Thursday. The win was Idaho's second straight in Bozeman, but the first in a Big Sky contest since 1994.

Montana State led by one after a back-and-forth first half, then scored the first 10 points of the second half to grab a 49-38 lead with 15:04 to play. From that point on, it was all Idaho.

"I think we made four field goals the rest of the way," said Bobcat coach Brian Fish. "We got the most open looks in the world, and shot 15 percent the rest of the way. We just have to make shots."

After calling a time out, the Vandals demolished the lead with urgency. A layup by Jordan Scott, a jumper by Perrion Callendret and a three-pointer by victor Sanders drew Idaho with 49-45. The a layup by Jordan Scott, another trey by Sanders, and another jumper by Callendret gave UI a 52-50 lead.

And the Vandals weren't done. Arkadiy Mkrtychyan hit two free throws, then one of two, Mike Scott hit a short basket, then both ends of a one-and-one. By the time Michael Dison hit a three-pointer to cut Idaho's lead to 59-56 with 7:22 to play, the Cats had gone almost eight minutes without a basket. Over that stretch, Idaho's run was 21-4.

The Bobcats weathered Idaho's long run, and had several possessions with the opportunity to tie or lead in the game's final eight minutes, but never again played from in front. The Cats pulled within 63-60 at the 6:20 mark and forced an Idaho turnover, but turned the ball over twice in the next three possessions as Idaho rebuilt the lead to 68-60. The Cats pulled within 68-65 with 2:32 remaining, but wasn't able to stop Idaho again.

Free throws proved a determining factor in the contest. While the visitors were hitting 20 of their 25 charity tosses, the Cats struggled. MSU was just 10-of-19 from the line.

Individually, Idaho's Jordan Scott proved decisive. The 6-6 freshman had scored nine points all season and never more than two in a game, but riddled MSU's interior defense for 13. Fish said that was part of a calculated gamble. "I was willing to give that up and try to hold those guards (Connor Hill and Mike Scott) to 22." Those two entered the game combining to average 30.4 points per game.

Montana State did much of its damage from long range. The Cats hit 13 three-pointers, the team's most since November, and launched 37, the most this season. MSU shot only 22 times inside the arc, an imbalance that didn't faze Fish. "I'd say 30 (of the three-point attempts) were really good looks."

Thursday's contest marked freshman Joey Frenchwood's first start as a Bobcat, and the first game Marcus Colbert came off the bench. The move seemed to benefit both, as the newcomer scored a career-high nine points while Colbert scored 13. "We're in a situation right now where I need to see and evaluate players, and Joey gave me seven good minutes the other night at Portland State," Fish said. "I decided to give him a chance, and he did some good things tonight."

Danny Robison matched his career high with 10 rebounds, while leading all players with 18 points. Eric Norman dished out a career-high eight assists, also snagging seven caroms. Jordan Scott and Mike Scott each scored 13 to lead the Vandals, who shot 52% in the first half and 51% in the second. MSU's 52% in the first half was tempered by the Bobcats' 31% after the intermission.

Montana State falls to 4-18 with the loss, 1-9 in conference play, while Idaho is 9-11 in its first year back in the Big Sky after a 19-year absence, 4-5 against its new league-mates. The Bobcats host Eastern Washington at 2:35 pm Saturday, while Idaho visits Montana.