Saturday, January 1
BOZEMAN
1 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Idaho State
Xavier Bishop
Photo by: Garrett Becker
Bobcats and Bengals Clash in Worthington Arena New Year’s Day
12/31/2021 3:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana State closes out a four-game homestand on Saturday as the Bobcats host Idaho State at 1 p.m. in Worthington Arena
| Montana State Bobcats (9-5) vs. Idaho State Bengals (2-10) | |
| Date and Time | Saturday, Jan. 1 - 1 p.m. |
| Location | Bozeman, Mont. |
| Site | Worthington Arena |
| Stream | ESPN+ |
| Radio | KMMS 1450 AM | Bobcat Sports Radio Network |
| Listen Live | Varsity Network app |
| Live Stats | MSUBobcats.com |
| Montana State | Game Notes | Men's Basketball Home Page |
| Idaho State | Men's Basketball Home Page |
BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State closes out a four-game homestand on Saturday as the Bobcats host Idaho State at 1 p.m. in Worthington Arena.
Both the Bobcats and Bengals look to get back in the win column following Big Sky Conference losses on Thursday. MSU dropped an 85-75 decision to Weber State, while Idaho State fell to Montana 78-54 in Missoula.
MSU's loss to Weber State featured a changing of fortunes for the two squads. Weber State, which came into the contest shooting 30% from 3-point range, went 12 of 20 from deep (60%). The Bobcats, ranked third in the Big Sky heading into the contest from 3 with a 37.2% clip, shot a season-low 15% (3-20).
The Wildcats were led by Kobe McEwen who poured in a career-high 31 points. McEwen is the second 30-point scorer against MSU this season. The Bobcats were led by Jubrile Belo's season-high 22 points, while MSU's 30 free throws made were the seventh highest mark in a single game ever by the Bobcats as a team.
Idaho State enters Saturday's matchup in Bozeman at 2-10 overall and 0-3 in Big Sky play. The Bengals were plagued by 16 turnovers in the contest against the Grizzlies' six. Montana also outshot ISU 47-38% from the field. The Bengals were led in the scoring column by Brayden Parker (15), Tarik Cool (13) and Malik Porter (13). Cool is the lone player out of the trio that averages double digits with his 11 points per game.
The two teams were set to meet twice last regular season but their matchups were canceled due to Covid-19 protocols. The squads eventually met in the Big Sky Tournament Quarterfinals in a 4/5 matchup on March 11.
MSU used a 9-0 run in the first half to create some separation and played lockdown defense in a 71-63 victory over Idaho State. The Bobcats held the Bengals to just 31% shooting while MSU went 32 of 40 (80%) from the foul line. Xavier Bishop scored 22 points, which included an 11-for-11 mark at the charity stripe. The win improved MSU's active win streak over Idaho State to five games.
Montana State closed out its non-conference slate on Dec. 22 with a 124-73 victory over SAGU American Indian College. The win improved the 'Cats to 9-4 overall and 8-3 in non-conference play. The non-con record is the best for the program since 1997-98 when that team went 9-2 against non Big-Sky schools.
The Bobcats have been paced by their customary starting lineup of Amin Adamu, Belo, Bishop, Tyler Patterson and Abdul Mohamed. Four of those Bobcats have started in every game while Patterson has started in each contest but one. Each of those players is averaging more than 25 minutes per game on the court.
Several key figures are starting to stand out as MSU enters the remainder of its Big Sky portion of its schedule for the 2021-22 season. The Bobcats are 9-2 this year when an opponent shoots under 50%, including an 8-1 mark when the 'Cats outshoot the opposition. The Bobcats are also 8-0 this season when they keep an opponent to scoring less than 70 points.
Montana State's game against Idaho State will be streamed on ESPN+. The game will also be broadcast on the Bobcat Radio Network on KMMS 1450 AM as well as on the Varsity Network app. Links for live streams, live stats and radio coverage are available on the men's basketball schedule page on msubobcats.com.
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/ Men's BasketballBobcat Insider TV Show
Thursday, March 03
Inside The Brick (Amin Adamu)
Friday, November 05
Inside The Brick (Nick Gazelas)
Monday, November 01
Inside The Brick (Abdul Mohamed)
Sunday, October 31
