Slow Start Spells Doom for Bobcats in Loss to Portland State

Saturday, January 9

2:05 pm

Montana State University

2-27-9/ Big Sky

Portland State

2-17-8/ Big Sky

Portland State

Montana State

Tyelr Hall scores two of his 24 points Saturday

Photo by: Sepp Jannotta

Slow Start Spells Doom for Bobcats in Loss to Portland State

1/9/2016 5:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PSU's Cameron Forte scores 26 points with 11 rebounds

By: Bill Lamberty

The start couldn't have been much worse for Montana State, and it ultimately spelled the Bobcats' doom in a 77-70 loss to Portland State in Bozeman on Saturday.

The Vikings scored eight of the game's first 10 points, led by as many as 18 in the first half, and held off a furious Bobcat comeback in the second half. "They played pretty hard in the first half," said MSU guard Tyler Hall. "There was about a 10-minute stretch in the first half where we weren't really playing, weren't really focused or locked in. That's where it got out of hand."

Portland State led 38-25 at halftime and maintained control through the game's first 30 minutes. Trailing 59-44 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game, MSU rallied. Sarp Gobeloglu drained two free throws, Quinton Everett converted a layup, and Gobeloglu laid one in to cut the lead to nine. The Bobcats extended that run to 13-0, and eventually took a 62-61 lead on a Hall three-pointer with four-and-a-half minutes remaining.

"We just put in more of an effort, played more defense," Everett said of MSU's stemming the tide. "We played a little more loose, and stopped turning the ball over."

The teams traded baskets, with MSU's final lead coming on a Gobeloglu layup with 3:16 to play. Isaiah Pineiro hit a jumper to restore PSU's lead, then Bryce White's three-pointer pushed the lead to four. The Cats never again had a possession to tie or lead.

Fish credited Portland State's intensity. "I think more than anything they played way harder than us in the first half," he said.

Cameron Forte led all players with 26 points and 11 rebounds for Portland State, dominating the paint. White (20 points) and Pineiro (10 points, seven boards) provided Forte plenty of help. The Vikings had no answers for Hall, MSU's sensational freshman, who poured in 24 points and snagged eight boards. Gobeloglu and Everett each added a dozen points.

Montana State dropped to 7-9 with the loss, 2-2 in Big Sky play. The Bobcats travel to North Dakota for a Thursday night contest next week. Portland State is now 7-8 overall, 2-1 in the league.