Cold-Shooting Bobcats Fall to League-Leading Montana

Saturday, January 20

BOZEMAN

7 pm

Montana State University

4-311-9/ Big Sky

Montana

7-014-5/ Big Sky

Montana

Montana State

Keljin Blevins

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

1/20/2018 11:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score MSU-UM Box Score 2017-18 MSU Season Stats

Grizzlies hold MSU to 16.7% shooting after halftime

By: Bill Lamberty

BOZEMAN, Montana – Montana State shot just 16.7% in the second half, falling to Montana 67-52 in Bozeman on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd of 6,772 in Worthington Arena.

The Grizzlies used a 9-2 spurt six-and-a-half minutes into the second half, taking advantage of MSU's cold shooting to take control of the game. "It was a great game in the first half and we got some good looks early in the second half," said Bobcat coach Brian Fish. "But we struggled. Four-for-24 (shooting in the second half), we struggled, and that's going to wear you down."

Montana did much of its damage inside. Jamar Akoh scored 15 points and Ahmaad Rorie 13, as UM out-scored MSU 40-16 in the paint. "I think they're a really good team and they played really well tonight," Fish said.

The Cats led by eight through much of the first half, and Harald Frey's three-pointer at 6:56 pushed the Bobcats to a 23-14 lead. But the Grizzlies countered, using a 12-3 spurt to tie the score. Another Harald Frey triple gave the Bobcats a 33-28 lead with 49 seconds remaining, but UM scored the last five points of the half on two Akoh charity shots and a Timmy Falls triple to send the game into the locker room tied at 33.

The story of the game is easily boiled down to second half shooting. Montana hit 43.3% of its shots, Rorie's nine points leading the Grizzlies to 34 after intermission. "I thought at times our defense was really good," Fish said. "You've got to give something away to take something away and they exposed us at times, but I thought we defended well for long stretches."

On the other end, though, the Bobcats struggled mightily. MSU got single baskets from Keljin Blevins, Zach Green, Joe Mvuezolo Jr., and Konner Frey after halftime, with none behind the three-point arc. It was MSU's worst shooting half of the season.

"Four-for-24 in the second half," Fish said. "At some point that just demoralizes you."

Harald Frey scored 13 points to lead the Bobcats, all in the first half. Tyler Hall scored 10. Keljin Blevins' 12 rebounds tied for game-high honors. MSU out-rebounded the Grizzlies 41-to-36, but shot just 17-of-26 from the free throw line.

Montana State falls to 11-9 on the season, 4-3 in Big Sky play. Montana raised its record to 14-5 overall, and leads the Big Sky with a 7-0 mark. The Bobcats return to action Thursday in Worthington Arena, hosting Northern Arizona at 7 pm.