Saturday, January 18
BOZEMAN
4 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Eastern Washington
Photo by: Garrett Becker
Bobcats and Eagles Meet for Saturday Showdown in Worthington Arena
1/16/2020 1:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Montana State men’s basketball team returns from its longest layoff between games in over a month when the Bobcats host Eastern Washington in Worthington Arena on Saturday
| Montana State Bobcats (9-8, 3-3) vs. Eastern Washington (9-6, 2-2) | |
| Date and Time | Saturday, Jan. 18 - 4 p.m. MST |
| Location | Bozeman, Mont. |
| Site | Worthington Arena (6,772) |
| Television | SWX Montana (check local listings) |
| Radio | KMMS 1450 AM | Bobcat Sports Radio Network |
| Listen Live | msubobcats.com/watch | TuneIn app |
| Stream | Pluto TV | WatchBigSky.com |
| Live Stats | MSUBobcats.com (Statbroadcast) |
| Tickets | MSUBobcats.com |
| Montana State | Game Notes | Men's Basketball Home Page |
| Eastern Washington | Men's Basketball Home Page |
BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Montana State men's basketball team returns from its longest layoff between games in over a month when the Bobcats host Eastern Washington in Worthington Arena on Saturday. Tipoff between the Bobcats and Eags is slated for 4 p.m.
MSU enters Saturday's matchup with a 9-8 overall record. EWU is currently 9-6 overall and 2-2 in the Big Sky standings as the Eags prepare to play the Idaho Vandals in Moscow Thursday evening.
The Eags feature the nation's second highest scoring offense averaging 84.4 points per game. Their 46.8% field goal percentage is among the top 40 in the country and their 17.7 assists per game are atop the Big Sky. Jacob Davison, Kim Aiken Jr., and Mason Peatling rank among the best in several offensive individual categories for EWU.
"They can really, really score the ball," Montana State head coach Danny Sprinkle said. "They've been one of the top three teams in the country in scoring. They've hit a little bit of a down scoring wise in the last couple of weeks, but they're so potent offensively, we're going to have to pick up our defensive intensity and be on point this Saturday."
MSU opened its Big Sky schedule with six games during a 15-day span and collected a 3-3 record during the stretch. The Bobcats won their first two games at home over Sacramento State and Northern Arizona. They followed that with defeats at Northern Colorado and Southern Utah, but closed out its third consecutive game on the road with a win at Idaho on Jan. 9. MSU fell in its last time out versus Portland State, 77-76, on Jan. 11.
MSU's recent loss to Portland State ended as its sixth one-possession game of the season. The Bobcats had topped Idaho, 71-68, in Moscow prior to the home matchup against the Vikings. MSU is 4-2 this season, with its other defeat to CSU Bakersfield on Dec. 19 in contests decided by a single field goal.
"The positives are that we are in close games because of our defense and rebounding," Sprinkle said. "I think we're starting to execute a little better which is giving us a chance at the end of games. I think the more close games you're in, the more it will help you come March."
The Bobcats are 8-3 this season when holding opponents to less than 70 points. A season ago, MSU held opponents to less than 70 only seven times. The last season MSU kept at least 11 opponents to 70 points or less was the 2014-15 campaign. The 'Cats kept foes to under 70 points in their first five Big Sky contests.
Although they kept their turnover count below their average with 12 against Portland State, Montana State continued a trend as the Vikings tallied 11 giveaways. The Bobcats have won or tied the turnover battle in five matchups this season, turning in a 5-0 record when doing so.
The Bobcats have outshot opponents in 14 of 17 games this season. MSU improved to 1-2 in games they are topped from the field when the 'Cats defeated Idaho. The Vandals held the edge from the field 45.5-42.6%, but MSU took advantage by owning the battle on the boards (36-31) and hitting six more free throws (21-15).
Montana State's highest ranking on the NCAA team statistical chart is its 3-point field goal defense. The Bobcats are ranked 21st in Division I basketball giving up a 28.2% clip from long range to opponents. Green Bay hit 10 of 22 3-pointers for 45.5% and is the only team this season to shoot over 40% from deep against MSU this season.
Seventeen games into the 2019-20 slate and only two opponents have shot over 50% against Montana State. Green Bay and CSU Bakersfield each surpassed the mark in victories over MSU, while the 'Cats are 9-6 when keeping opponents to converting on less than half of their shots.
The Bobcats have been one of the better teams in the Big Sky this season when it comes to field goal percentage. MSU's clip of 45.4% on offense and 40.6% on defense each rank in the top 100 in Division I basketball. They both also rank fifth and third, respectively, among Big Sky members.
Harald Frey passed Marcus Colbert on MSU's career assists chart in the Bobcats' last contest. He now sits second in program history with 457 assists behind Scott Hatler (608). Frey nears the number two spots in free throws and 3-pointers made among MSU players all-time, as he lies just 11 free throws and 18 3-pointers away from each.
Saturday's matchup will be televised by SWX Montana. SWX Montana can be found on channel 199 or 503 for Charter Spectrum subscribers, while it can also be found through digital antenna offering which can be found here. The game will be streamed on the Pluto TV app and on WatchBigSky.com. All Bobcat basketball games are available to listen to as part of the Bobcat Sports Radio Network and airing locally on KMMS 1450 AM. All tickets for home games are available at msubobcats.com/tickets, by calling 406-994-CATS or by visiting the Bobcat Ticket Office.
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