Bobcats Welcome Big Sky Preseason Favorite Weber State to Fieldhouse

It might be natural for Montana State coach Brian Fish to breathe a sigh of relief that Big Sky Conference play starts Thursday, after a non-league schedule that closed with three key players missing from the lineup and a six-game losing streak.

But then he looks at the schedule.

"Weber State is the preseason (Big Sky) favorite for good reason," Fish said of the team MSU faces at 7 pm Thursday in Worthington Arena. "They have an outstanding player in Jeremy Senglin, but they have a lot of talent around him. They shoot the ball very well and they have won three straight games, so it's a hot team, too."

Senglin leads the Wildcats offensively, averaging 19.0 points a game, fifth-most in the Big Sky. That sets up another showdown for Tyler Hall, the league's leading scorer at 23.9 points a game. He went toe-to-toe with the nation's leading scorer, Central Michigan's Marcus Keene, a week ago, finishing with 29 points. Hall is currently third in the nation in scoring.

But the Wildcats bring much more to the table than the slick-shooting senior, Senglin. Kyndahl Hill chips in 9.8 points a game with 7.3 rebounds, while Zach Braxton gets 8.4 points and 6.4 boards a contest. Dusty Baker shoots 65.5% from three-point range, offering a solid complement to Senglin.

The Wildcats bring a 5-6 record into Thursday's contest, while the Cats are 5-8. Each team fought through difficult non-league schedules, with Weber notching what Fish calls "maybe the best non-conference win in our league this year" at Utah State last time out. The team's current three-game win streak also includes a home win over Utah Valley and a non-Division I victory.

The Bobcats face question marks as 2016 draws to a close. Sixth man Joe Mvuezolo remains out with a medical condition, starting forward Quinton Everett enters weekend play questionable with an injury, and reserve forward Sarp Gobeloglu has served his two-game suspension handed out before the South Dakota and Central Michigan home games.

In the face of questions, answers emerged. Sophomore transfer Devonte Klines joined the starting lineup with a jolt of energy and defense. Freshman center Devin Kirby blocked three shots in a four-game stretch, adding a defensive presence inside. And the most notable performance may have come from junior college transfer Benson Osayande, when he scored 21 points against Central Michigan.

"That's kind of been our trademark as a team," Fish said. "We've got contributions from a lot of different players in different ways."

After Thursday's league lid-lifter the Bobcats remain at home for a Saturday matinee against Idaho State, the first visit by MSU's two oldest out-of-state Big Sky rivals in two seasons. Saturday's 2 pm contest features the first Bobcat Brunch – purchase tickets here.

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Players Mentioned

Quinton Everett

Tyler Hall

Devin Kirby

Devonte Klines

Benson Osayande

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