EWU Strong Start Paces Eagles Over Bobcats in Big Sky Championship

Saturday, March 13

Boise, ID (Idaho Central Arena)

6 p.m.

Montana State University

13-10,8-6Big Sky

Eastern Washington

16-7,12-3Big Sky

Montana St.

Eastern Wash.

Photo by: Jack Murrey

EWU Strong Start Paces Eagles Over Bobcats in Big Sky Championship

3/13/2021 9:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

The Montana State men’s basketball team fell 65-55 to Eastern Washington on Saturday, March 13, in the Big Sky Conference championship game in Idaho Central Arena

By: Andrew Pedersen

BOISE, Idaho – Montana State continued its recent tough defensive play keeping Eastern Washington, one of the top offensive teams in the Big Sky Conference and among the top 50 in the nation, relatively at bay. The Bobcats just never picked up any momentum on the offensive side of the ball.

The Montana State men's basketball team fell 65-55 to Eastern Washington on Saturday, March 13, in the Big Sky Conference championship game in Idaho Central Arena. EWU, which improved to 16-7 overall, claimed the Big Sky crown and earned the conference's automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament.

"They've just been a really good team all year," Montana State head coach Danny Sprinkle said of EWU. "They were very deserving (to win), their big time players made big time plays today. They jumped us early. Their pace, they didn't look tired, but we looked tired. Credit to their defense, they made it hard (on us)."

MSU fell behind early as the Eagles were clicking offensively to open the contest. Eastern Washington made eight of its first 12 field goal attempts and jumped out to a 20-3 advantage less than eight minutes into the game. EWU held as large of a lead as 20 before the Bobcats got into double digits scoring.

The Bobcats carved into the deficit and went into halftime trailing 38-24.

Senior Abdul Mohamed led Montana State in the second half by scoring 12 of his team-high 15 points. The Bobcats got within nine, 60-51, with 4:41 remaining in the contest. However, the Eags scored four consecutive points to keep the game in double digits the rest of the way. MSU closed out the game by out-scoring EWU 31-27 in the second half.

"We just talked about chipping away, it's what we do," Mohamed said. "We just take four minutes at a time and we did it in the second half. They just got out to a big lead in the first half, it was a hard fight to get back into it."

Montana State held Eastern Washington to 21-for-52 (40.4%) from the field which was the Eagles' second lowest output of the season. The Bobcats however finished shooting 34.5% for their second lowest field goal percentage of the year.

"I don't think they get enough credit defensively," Sprinkle said. "They're physical, they protect the paint, they guard on the perimeter. They made it really hard on us. They jumped us early and I was proud of our guys (for) the way we fought back. That's a game a lot of teams get beat by 35. Especially when you're tired on the third night in a row, but (the) guys kept battling."

Montana State's Amin Adamu and Jubrile Belo were named to the All-Tournament team for their performance over the course of the conference tournament. Belo went 6 of 10 from the field for 12 points and had 10 rebounds to complete a double-double on Saturday. Adamu recorded six points against the Eags after his 29-point outburst in the semifinals Friday.

Mohamed helped spur the 'Cats by going 9 of 11 from the free throw line while he also snagged eight rebounds. Mike Hood and Kellen Tynes each scored seven points for MSU, with Hood registering a team-high three steals and Tynes grabbing seven boards. Montana State, following its deepest run in the Big Sky Tournament in 12 years, finished its season with a 13-10 overall record.

"We believed all weekend," Mohamed said. "We did it against Idaho State, we did it against Southern Utah, we just fell short today. The group of guys that we got in that room and the guys that are coming back to play for Danny Sprinkle, you're going to see them here (again)."