Montana State Stuns Top-Seed Southern Utah to Advance to Big Sky Title Game

Friday, March 12

Boise, ID (Idaho Central Arena)

5 p.m.

Montana State University

13-9,8-6Big Sky

Southern Utah

20-4,12-2Big Sky

OT 1

Montana St.

Southern Utah

Photo by: Jack Murrey

Montana State Stuns Top-Seed Southern Utah to Advance to Big Sky Title Game

3/12/2021 10:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Jubrile Belo hit a hook shot as time expired in regulation to push Montana State into a 69-69 tie with Southern Utah and send Friday's first Big Sky Tournament semifinal game into overtime. He scored two points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot in the extra period to lead Montana State to an 80-77 win.

By: Andrew Pedersen

BOISE, Idaho – It was worth the wait.

Jubrile Belo hit a hook shot as time expired in regulation to push Montana State into a 69-69 tie with Southern Utah and send Friday's first Big Sky Tournament semifinal game into overtime. He scored two points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot in the extra period to lead Montana State to an 80-77 win.

The Bobcats have waited since 2009 to play for a Big Sky title, but Belo has waited longer than that for his moment. "I wanted to be in that position my whole life," he said. "I wanted to be in the position to put my team in the place to win. And I did it."

The 6-foot-9 junior did it late on the offensive end, but he also did it all night on the defensive end. In addition to his 22 points, Belo grabbed eight rebounds, and his eight blocked shots set a Bobcat record. The Cats out-rebounded Southern Utah 43-38 and limited the Thunderbirds to 41.4% shooting.

"It was the number one thing that we had to do," Belo said of his team's effort on the glass. "Games like this rely on toughness plays, and we've got to make sure we control the boards, no second chance opportunities, limit them to one shot. That's the most important thing when you come down to the wire, limit the other team to one shot."

That the game came down to the final possessions seemed unlikely at the intermission. The Thunderbirds held MSU scoreless in the final 2:15 of the first half and closed that period on a 12-4 run to grab a 42-32 halftime lead. Southern Utah out-shot the Bobcats 47.2% to 37.5% in the first half.

MSU coach Danny Sprinkle, a freshman guard on the most recent Bobcat team to win the league tourney and advance to the NCAA Tournament in 1996, was pleased with his team's ability to chop that lead down to a manageable size as the second half progressed. "I thought our team handled adversity as well as we have all year. We were down by 10 at halftime and we talked about getting it back in four-minute chunks."

Amin Adamu hit the first two Bobcat buckets after the intermission to trim SUU's lead to seven, and it never reached double-figures again. While the Montana State offense was gaining steam in the early minutes of the second half, the defense entered lockdown mode. The Thunderbirds scored two points in the first 3:45 of the second half and only five in the first six minutes.

Adamu said poise then, and later, served as the foundation for the comeback. "The biggest thing, I told myself and the team to be composed no matter what, no matter if there's one second or 10 seconds, just be composed, that's the key," he said. "That's what happened."

The Bobcats made small runs throughout the second half and Southern Utah answered most of them. MSU trimmed the lead to three with 15:11 to play, but the Thunderbirds answered with a triple. Adamu's basket with 12:43 left cut the lead to one, but Dre Marin's three-pointer pushed it back to five. Abdul Mohamed's put-back with 9:49 left knocked SUU's cushion to one, 53-52, but Maizon Fausett's triple pushed it back to four.

On the teams went like that, until Jubrile Belo made two free throws with 4:42 remaining and Xavier Bishop's triple a minute-and-a-half later gave MSU its biggest lead, 67-63.

But the Thunderbirds were anything but finished.

Harrison Butler hit two free throws, and after an Adamu turnover, Tevian Jones converted an and-one and SUU had recaptured the lead. When John Knight III hit a pair of free throws with 1:45 to play, Southern Utah led 69-67. Borja Fernandez missed a short jumper that would have tied the score with about one minute to play, setting up the game's crucial defensive stand. Butler took a short jumper with 12 seconds to play, and Belo blocked it and grabbed the rebound.

After an MSU time out, Xavier Bishop found Belo deep in the paint, he coolly drained a hook shot to send the game to overtime. "He stepped up and made a big shot," Sprinkle said.

Adamu hit a shot to open the overtime, but Butler tied the game. Nick Gazelas hit a triple on the next possession, but Marin tied it. Adamu and Belo each hit one of two foul shots, but a Butler three-pointer gave SUU a 77-75 lead with 2:25 remaining.

With 25 seconds remaining and SUU leading 77-76, Jones penetrated the lane but his shot was blocked by Belo. Adamu grabbed the rebound, was fouled, and converted both charity tosses to push the Bobcats into the lead. Fausett missed a three-pointer with 16 seconds to play, and Belo grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He converted one free throw to give MSU a 79-77 advantage.

On the ensuing inbounds play, Adamu tipped the ball, then corralled it for a steal. He was fouled and made one free throw to give the Cats an 80-77 lead. On the game's final possession, Marin's long-range three-point attempt fell off the mark, and Montana State celebrated its first trip to the league tournament title game since 2009.

Adamu's big steal late in the game was foreshadowed with pregame words to his team. "We got the steal, I managed to make a big play, and that was huge. I told the guys before the game that we made history (on Thursday) so let's continue that legacy, and to do that we have to be confident in what we do and we have to stay composed. We did that."

Montana State's win was marked by historic guideposts and amazing individual achievements.

Sprinkle becomes the first Bobcat coach in history to win his first two Big Sky Tournament games. In fact, since the Helena High product helped lead MSU to the 1996 Big Sky title in Worthington Arena, MSU has won 10 Big Sky Tourney games. Sprinkle played in five of those and has been head coach in two.

Belo blocked eight Southern Utah shots, a Bobcat record. Mohamed grabbed 14 records, an MSU post-season record, while he completed a double-double by scoring 11 points. Adamu's 29 points is the third-most by a Bobcat in a Big Sky Tourney game.

But no play was bigger than Belo's hook to send the game to overtime and set up the historic win. It was a shot he'll never forget.

"I don't think I've had a shot like that in my whole career," Belo said. "It was unbelievable, honestly. I knew I was going to make the shot so I can't say I was surprised by it, but it felt great."
Montana State plays for a Big Sky title for the sixth time in program history on Saturday when the Bobcats face Eastern Washington. Sprinkle played in the 1996 championship win, and the 1998 loss to NAU at Flagstaff. MSU lost to Portland State in the 2009 title game in Ogden.

Tipoff is 6:05 p.m. MT and the game will be televised on ESPNU and can be streamed on the ESPN 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, while Westwood One radio will provide a national broadcast.