Saturday, January 21
Portland, OR
8 p.m. MT
Montana State University
at
Portland State
Quinton Everett
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Bobcats Visit Portland State Saturday Night
1/21/2017 5:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MSU, Vikings meet in Big Sky showdown
Much of what Brian Fish wants to see from his Montana State men's basketball team on Saturday won't be identified in the box score. It won't be quantifiable, except in the final score.
"We need to be tough," Fish said as his team prepared to face red-hot Portland State two nights after the Bobcats captured their first road win of the season at Sacramento State. "We need to talk (during the game), we need to have a mindset that if something (bad) happens we're going to move on."
The Vikings beat Montana 88-79 in the Stott Center on Thursday, the team's third game in an eight-day stretch of four games. The Cats close that stretch on Saturday against a PSU team that has won eight of its last 10 games.
"They're athletic, they're an older team, they have some experience," Fish said. "They're a lot of things we're not. They're very quick, they force you to turn it over."
The Bobcats committed 11 turnovers Thursday night, and Fish said his team will need similar vigilance Saturday. "We're going to have to take care of the ball and keep the turnovers low," he said. "We need to get our share of shots."
Senior guard Calaen Robinson, an Arizona State transfer, leads the Vikings' balanced offense at 14.0 points a game.His 40 three-pointers is one of the top marks in the Big Sky, and he connects at a 36.0 percent rate. DeSean Parsons is a versatile 6-7 forward, also a senior, averaging 12.4 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds a game. Five Vikings average at least 10 points a game.
Portland State's ability to score in the open court is an emphasis on Saturday, Fish said. "We're going to need to play defense after scoring baskets," he said. "If they get it going in transition they're a handful."
Montana State's Thursday win serves as a template for road success. The Cats shot 45.5 percent from the floor, topping Sac State (42.6 percent) in that category, but MSU was efficient from long range. The Cats made eight of 20 three-pointers, and forced the Hornets into an 8-for-21 shooting night from deep, nearly six attempts more than Sac State averages in league play.
Harald Frey and Tyler Hall combined for 39 of MSU's 74 points, and 21 of those points came from behind the arc. But those three-pointers generally came off open looks. Hall and Frey shot 7-for-11 combined from the arc.
MSU's tandem of off guards contributed heavily to the win. Quinton Everett scored seven points, grabbed five boards, and dished out three assists. He also blocked a shot and snagged a steal. Klines scored eight points and came up with two steals.
Tipoff is 8 pm MT on Saturday.
"We need to be tough," Fish said as his team prepared to face red-hot Portland State two nights after the Bobcats captured their first road win of the season at Sacramento State. "We need to talk (during the game), we need to have a mindset that if something (bad) happens we're going to move on."
The Vikings beat Montana 88-79 in the Stott Center on Thursday, the team's third game in an eight-day stretch of four games. The Cats close that stretch on Saturday against a PSU team that has won eight of its last 10 games.
"They're athletic, they're an older team, they have some experience," Fish said. "They're a lot of things we're not. They're very quick, they force you to turn it over."
The Bobcats committed 11 turnovers Thursday night, and Fish said his team will need similar vigilance Saturday. "We're going to have to take care of the ball and keep the turnovers low," he said. "We need to get our share of shots."
Senior guard Calaen Robinson, an Arizona State transfer, leads the Vikings' balanced offense at 14.0 points a game.His 40 three-pointers is one of the top marks in the Big Sky, and he connects at a 36.0 percent rate. DeSean Parsons is a versatile 6-7 forward, also a senior, averaging 12.4 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds a game. Five Vikings average at least 10 points a game.
Portland State's ability to score in the open court is an emphasis on Saturday, Fish said. "We're going to need to play defense after scoring baskets," he said. "If they get it going in transition they're a handful."
Montana State's Thursday win serves as a template for road success. The Cats shot 45.5 percent from the floor, topping Sac State (42.6 percent) in that category, but MSU was efficient from long range. The Cats made eight of 20 three-pointers, and forced the Hornets into an 8-for-21 shooting night from deep, nearly six attempts more than Sac State averages in league play.
Harald Frey and Tyler Hall combined for 39 of MSU's 74 points, and 21 of those points came from behind the arc. But those three-pointers generally came off open looks. Hall and Frey shot 7-for-11 combined from the arc.
MSU's tandem of off guards contributed heavily to the win. Quinton Everett scored seven points, grabbed five boards, and dished out three assists. He also blocked a shot and snagged a steal. Klines scored eight points and came up with two steals.
Tipoff is 8 pm MT on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
Bobcat Insider TV Show
Thursday, March 03
Inside The Brick (Amin Adamu)
Friday, November 05
Inside The Brick (Nick Gazelas)
Monday, November 01
Inside The Brick (Abdul Mohamed)
Sunday, October 31
