Bobcats Fall to North Dakota in Big Sky Tourney Opener

Tuesday, March 6

Reno, NV

1:05 p.m.

Montana State University

North Dakota

Photo by: Andrew Pedersen

3/6/2018 4:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Montana State falls short after building second half lead

By: Bill Lamberty

RENO, Nevada – Kienan Walter hit a short putback with six seconds to play, erasing a 19-point Montana State lead and boosting North Dakota to a 76-74 win in the first round of the Big Sky Conference in Reno on Tuesday.

Walter's shot capped a steady comeback over the final eleven-and-a-half minutes that began after Konner Frey's layup gave the Cats a 64-45 lead. From that point Montana State failed to score for four minutes, and the Fighting Hawks closed the game on a 31-10 run.

"When you build a 19-point lead you just have to get stops," said Montana State coach Brian Fish. "You don't even have to score again if you can get stops, but credit North Dakota. They got on a roll and we couldn't get them stopped."

The win marked MSU's eighth consecutive Big Sky Tournament loss, a string that extends to the 2009 championship game. The Cats have lost 11 of their last 12 tournament openers.

"It's disappointing," said Bobcat forward Zach Green. "We just couldn't get it done. I don't know what else to say."

The Cats looked for much of the day like they could. Montana State played with great energy from the outset, following a stop on the game's opening possession the Bobcats scored on four of the first five possessions to jump out to an 11-3 lead. North Dakota scored on only two of its first 11 possessions, both those baskets from beyond the arc which kept the Fighting Hawks within range.

The Bobcats held the lead throughout the first half, even after a Geno Crandall half-court three-pointer that came after a shot clock violation was called with about three seconds remaining in the half after the ball appeared graze the rim. That trimmed MSU's margin to 40-33.

But the Cats charged out of the intermission, scoring on three straight possessions and eventually building the lead to 19. Sam Neumann, Devonte Klines and Keljin Blevins all keyed that charge, and all put together strong games. Blevins finished with 10 rebounds, Klines with a team-high 14 points, and Neumann with 10 points.

Bur North Dakota's Malon Stewart was nearly unstoppable, scoring a game-high 29 poitns. In a key stretch late in the second half he hit a three-pointer with 4:30 remaining he hit three straight baskts to cut MSU's lead to 68-65. When Dale Jones hit back-to-back three-pointers, North Dakota had its first lead, 71-70. MSU reclaimed the lead on a Joe Mvuezolo Jr. layup, then pushed it to 74-71 on a pair of Konner Frey free throws. But when Crandall's and-one play tied the game 74-74, the Fighting Hawks got a stop that would set up the winning sequence.

Montana State finishes the season 13-18.

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