Friday, February 26
Moscow, ID
5 p.m.
Montana State University
at
Idaho
Photo by: Garrett Becker
Men’s Hoops Returns to Hardwood in Moscow to Face Vandals
2/24/2021 3:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana State men’s basketball is set to travel to Moscow, Idaho, to face the Vandals in a two-game series in Memorial Gym
| Montana State Bobcats (9-7, 6-4) vs. Idaho Vandals (0-19, 0-16) | |
| Date and Time | Game 1: Friday, February 26 - 5 p.m. MDT Game 2: Sunday, February 28 - 1 p.m. MDT |
| Location | Moscow, Idaho |
| Site | Memorial Gym |
| Television (Game 1 Only) | SWX Montana (Check local listings) |
| Radio | KMMS 1450 AM | Bobcat Sports Radio Network |
| Listen Live | TuneIn app |
| Stream | Pluto TV (Channel 1060) |
| Live Stats | GoVandals.com |
| Tickets | N/A |
| Montana State | Game Notes Game 1 | Game Notes Game 2 | Men's Basketball Home Page |
| Idaho | Men's Basketball Home Page |
BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State men's basketball is set to travel to Moscow, Idaho, to face the Vandals in a two-game series in Memorial Gym. The first game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. MDT Friday. Sunday's game is slated to start at 1 p.m. MDT.
The Bobcats and Vandals match-up for the first time in over a year on Friday. MSU won both games between the two programs a season ago and have won the last six straight head-to-head contests overall.
Last season, the Bobcats rallied late for a 71-68 victory over the Vandals on Jan. 9 in Moscow. MSU trailed by as many as nine in the second half and were down 68-67 with 13 seconds remaining. Senior Harald Frey converted on two free throws and the 'Cats held on to the lead following an Idaho attempt for a game-winning shot. The Bobcats used a 24-4 second-half run to put the Vandals away in a 72-50 victory on Feb. 6 in Worthington Arena. Borja Fernandez registered a double-double in the opening matchup and a career-high 18 points in the second game against the Vandals.
Idaho enters this weekend's games 0-19 overall and 0-16 in Big Sky play. The Vandals have been by double-digit scorers in Scott Blakney (10.8) and Damen Thacker (10.6).
"You can't look at their record," Montana State head coach Danny Sprinkle said. "It's easy to say they're way better than their record, but they are. They've lost a lot of close games, they've played a lot of teams deep into the second half. They played Eastern Washington close, I think it was a one-point game in the second dhalf of one of their games. Idaho State hit a crazy 3-pointer to put it into overtime to beat them.
"They're capable, they're playing really hard and they executive offensively. They've got some really good post guys and guys that can make shots, so they can be a dangerous team."
Montana State returns to the court in Moscow following a pause in activities due to COVID-19. The Bobcats most recently played a two-game series in Bozeman versus Eastern Washington from Feb. 11-13.
The Eags shot over 50% from the field in both contests en route to victories. MSU fell to EWU 93-77 on Feb. 11 and 85-69 on Feb. 13 inside Worthington Arena. Prior to the series against the Eagles, the Bobcats picked up their first Big Sky losses in a two-game series at Weber State. MSU dropped a 96-88 decision on Feb. 4 as the Wildcats shot over 62% as a team. The Bobcats held with six minutes remaining on Feb. 6 against the Wildcats, but Weber State eventually pulled away with an 82-74 win.
Montana State held a seven-game winning streak, its longest in 19 years, before its series against Weber State. The Bobcats opened the New Year with a home victory over Montana Western, then completed conference sweeps of Northern Colorado, Portland State and Northern Arizona.
Montana State has had three Big Sky series affected due to COVID-19 this season. The Bobcats' Big Sky opener against Southern Utah was canceled due to a positive case within the T-Birds program. Their two-game series against Montana scheduled for Jan. 28-30 was also affected due to the same issue within the Grizzlies' program.
The Bobcats are currently sitting fifth in the Big Sky standings with four games remaining on the regular season schedule. MSU is slated to finish the season with a two-game series against Sacramento State from March 4-6 in Worthington Arena.
MSU's lineup has been led by a contingent of upperclassmen throughout the season, including its group of international players. The Bobcats' six international players average 40.9 points per game. That mark is the second highest among all Division I men's basketball teams, only trailing Cal Baptist (59.5).
Friday's contest versus Idaho will be broadcast on SWX Montana for those that carry the channel. Both games will also be streamed on channel 1060 of the Pluto TV app. All Bobcat basketball games are available to listen to as part of the Bobcat Sports Radio Network and air locally on KMMS 1450 AM.
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