Tuesday, December 22
Portland, OR
1 p.m.
Montana State University
at
Portland
Photo by: Shelly Hanks
Bobcats Meet Pilots in Final Non-Conference Clash
12/21/2020 3:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana State heads into its final non-conference matchup of the 2020-21 season when the Bobcats take on the Portland Pilots on Tuesday
| Montana State Bobcats (2-2) vs. Portland (5-2) | |
| Date and Time | Tuesday, December 22 - 1 p.m. MDT |
| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Site | Chiles Center |
| Television | NBC Sports Northwest |
| Radio | KMMS 1450 AM | Bobcat Sports Radio Network |
| Listen Live | TuneIn app |
| Stream | WCC Network |
| Live Stats | PortlandPilots.com (Statbroadcast) |
| Tickets | N/A |
| Montana State | Game Notes | Men's Basketball Home Page |
| Portland | Men's Basketball Home Page |
Montana State heads into its final non-conference matchup of the 2020-21 season when the Bobcats take on the Portland Pilots at 1 p.m. MDT on Tuesday in the Chiles Center. The Bobcats open their Big Sky schedule on December 31 with back-to-back contests against Southern Utah.
MSU enters Tuesday's contest with a 2-2 overall record after falling to Washington State, 82-54, on Dec. 18. The Cougars jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first seven minutes of the game and held on to its advantage by shooting over 60% from the field in the first half. Amin Adamu (12) and Mike Hood (11) were the lone Bobcats in double figures as Montana State shot a season-low 26.8%.
Despite compiling season low numbers against Washington State in scoring, 3-point field goals and 3-point field goal percentage, Montana State continues to sit among the Big Sky leaders in the categories in the early part of the season. The Bobcats are ranked first in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (39.6%) and 3-point field goals per game (9.0). They sit second in free throw percentage (77.5%) and rank third in scoring offense (82.2). MSU is among the top 100 teams in Division I men's basketball currently in the four statistical outputs.
The Bobcats look to complete their non-conference schedule with a winning record prior to Big Sky play for a second consecutive season. A year ago, MSU went 6-5 out of conference, earning a winning record ahead of the Big Sky slate for the first time in 12 years.
A contingent of upperclassmen have helped lead Montana State in the opening four games of the season. Seniors Amin Adamu and Xavier Bishop each pace the squad by scoring 14.3 points per game apiece. Adamu is currently second in the Big Sky in assist/turnover ratio (2.0) and is nearing 400 points as a Bobcat in the midst of his second year at Montana State. Bishop sits at 1,098 career points heading into Tuesday's matchup and moved over the 300-assist threshold in MSU's overtime loss to Pacific on Dec. 2. He's in his first year as a Bobcat after playing three years at Kansas City.
Junior Jubrile Belo has continued to serve as the leader on the boards for the Bobcats. His current 6.3 rebounds per game mark is on pace with his 6.4 clip he had as a sophomore a season ago. He also is averaging 12.5 points per game while shooting 53.8% from the field.
Montana State and Portland are set to meet for the 21st time in men's basketball when they tip-off on Tuesday. The Pilots lead the series 11-9 which dates back to the 1958-59 season. Portland won the last meeting 87-60 on Dec. 20, 2014, by shooting 55% and holding MSU to just 36.7% from the floor. Then Bobcat junior Danny Robison scored a career-high 24 points in the contest.
The Pilots are 5-2 overall this season and are led by leading scorer Ahmed Ali who averages 19.3 points per game. Portland held a five-game winning streak, which included an overtime victory at Oregon State, before falling 80-41 on Dec. 19 in its last outing at Oregon.
Tuesday's game will be broadcast in the Portland region on NBC Sports Northwest. Portland home games are streamed on the WCC Network. All Bobcat basketball games are available to listen to as part of the Bobcat Sports Radio Network airing locally on KMMS 1450 AM, on the TuneIn app or at msubobcats.com/watch.
Players Mentioned
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