Bobcats Visit Great Falls for First Time Since December, 1951
11/9/2017 1:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana State hosts Omaha in Electric City
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Opening a season away from home is nothing new for the Montana State men's basketball team. The Bobcats have opened each of Brian Fish's three previous seasons as the program's head coach away from Bozeman, and in fact have opened on the road
But never like this.
"This is a unique situation and something that everyone in our program is very excited to experience," Fish said. "
The Cats travel three hours northwest Friday to host Omaha in Great Falls, but in a way MSU also travels back in time. Friday's season opener is Montana State's first game in the Electric City since December, 1951, when Brick Breeden led the Bobcats and Harry Truman led the United States. Montana State beat Eastern Washington 84-81.
The date of the Bobcats' most recent visit to Great Falls for a regular season game was December 27, 1951. This year's team is led by the spectacular play of Tyler Hall, destined to be remembered as one of the program's most productive player in history. He already holds the single-season records for points and three-pointers. But in 1951-52, mercurial guard Joe McKethen led the Cats northward.
The Great falls game – one of four the Bobcats played on that trip, were among the last McKethen would play for the Bobcats. Eligibility issues stemming from a transfer ended his career after Montanan State's 17th game that season. In the three games against Eastern Washington (one in Great Falls, one in Havre, one in Glasgow) McKethen poured in 67 points, including 26 in Great Falls.
While McKethen's play on the trip was special, the trip's end was special for one Bobcat. Montana State's fourth game on the trip was against the Fairfield Merchants in the hometown of Bobcat great Holgrim Hollo. The presence of Hollo in his his native land "gave the hometown fans a thrill," The Montanan reported. Hollo scored a dozen points on his home court and 26 on the trip.
Montana State's win in Great Falls snapped a four-game losing streak, three of them against Wyoming, and launched a 10-game winning streak that eventually propelled the team, even without McKethen, to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. The Cats beat American International before losing to Hamline.
But never like this.
"This is a unique situation and something that everyone in our program is very excited to experience," Fish said. "
The Cats travel three hours northwest Friday to host Omaha in Great Falls, but in a way MSU also travels back in time. Friday's season opener is Montana State's first game in the Electric City since December, 1951, when Brick Breeden led the Bobcats and Harry Truman led the United States. Montana State beat Eastern Washington 84-81.
The date of the Bobcats' most recent visit to Great Falls for a regular season game was December 27, 1951. This year's team is led by the spectacular play of Tyler Hall, destined to be remembered as one of the program's most productive player in history. He already holds the single-season records for points and three-pointers. But in 1951-52, mercurial guard Joe McKethen led the Cats northward.
The Great falls game – one of four the Bobcats played on that trip, were among the last McKethen would play for the Bobcats. Eligibility issues stemming from a transfer ended his career after Montanan State's 17th game that season. In the three games against Eastern Washington (one in Great Falls, one in Havre, one in Glasgow) McKethen poured in 67 points, including 26 in Great Falls.
While McKethen's play on the trip was special, the trip's end was special for one Bobcat. Montana State's fourth game on the trip was against the Fairfield Merchants in the hometown of Bobcat great Holgrim Hollo. The presence of Hollo in his his native land "gave the hometown fans a thrill," The Montanan reported. Hollo scored a dozen points on his home court and 26 on the trip.
Montana State's win in Great Falls snapped a four-game losing streak, three of them against Wyoming, and launched a 10-game winning streak that eventually propelled the team, even without McKethen, to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. The Cats beat American International before losing to Hamline.
Players Mentioned
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