Saturday, February 19
Cedar City, UT
2 p.m.
Montana State University
at
Southern Utah
Photo by: Andrew Pedersen
Men’s Hoops Heads to Southern Utah for Matchup Against T-Birds
2/18/2022 10:40:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Montana State hits the air again for a trip from the Spokane area and arrives in Cedar City next to face Southern Utah at 2 p.m. on Saturday
| Montana State Bobcats (20-6, 12-3) vs. Southern Utah Thunderbirds (16-8, 10-4) | |
| Date and Time | Saturday, Feb. 19 - 2 p.m. MT |
| Location | Cedar City, Utah |
| Site | America First Event Center |
| Stream | ESPN+ |
| Radio | KMMS 1450 AM | Bobcat Sports Radio Network |
| Listen Live | Varsity Network app |
| Live Stats | SUUTBirds.com |
| Montana State | Game Notes | Men's Basketball Home Page |
| Southern Utah | Men's Basketball Home Page |
Montana State hits the air again for a trip from the Spokane area and arrives in Cedar City next to face Southern Utah at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The matchup features two of the top three teams in the Big Sky when the Bobcats and T-Birds square off.
MSU is coming off a tough defeat to Eastern Washington on Thursday. The Bobcats trailed by as many as 11 in the first half but rallied back to tie things up at 36. EWU took a three-point lead into halftime. The two sides traded baskets and MSU held two seven-point advantages. The Eags scored the final seven points of regulation to force overtime with a 74-all score.
EWU scored the opening points of overtime and never trailed. MSU was down by four when a RaeQuan Battle 3-pointer and resulting foul called put him at the free throw line where he tied the score at 86 with 22 seconds left. Rylan Bergersen hit a jumper with five seconds to go put EWU ahead, 88-86. MSU had an opportunity to tie the game with 0.3 seconds left, but their inbounds pass and shot attempt was waved off.
MSU's loss to EWU ended the Bobcats' longest winning streak in 22 years. The 'Cats had earned 11 straight victories which was the second longest in a season in their Big Sky era, while it was the longest stretch of wins ever in conference play for MSU.
MSU's 20-6 overall record remains its best through 26 games in a season since the 1986-87 campaign. That group began the year with the same mark. MSU's most overall wins since joining the Big Sky in 1963 is 21.
The Bobcats' 12-3 start in Big Sky play is one of their best this century. MSU went 12-2 in league play in 2001-02 and 1986-87. The Bobcats have never won more than 12 Big Sky games in a single season.
MSU held a six-game winning streak in true road contests when it visited EWU on Thursday. That game-game stretch was the longest for the program during its Big Sky era. The Bobcats have already assured themselves a positive winning percentage in away games this year with its current 8-5 mark. Its only other winning away records since 1963 include the 2002 (6-1), 1995 (7-4) and 1988 (8-6) seasons.
Montana State made its way into the conversation among some of the best mid-major teams in the country. The Bobcats, originally listed No. 21 in the Feb. 7 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, currently sits at No. 17. The Big Sky's highest rated team at this time, the ranking is the first for the Bobcat program in recent memory.
Danny Sprinkle helped the Bobcats through a strong four-year run as a player and now he's doing it at a historical level guiding the program. Sprinkle is the first Bobcat coach to reach 49 wins before the end of his third season in over 84 years. His 49-31 mark only trails Brick Breeden who from 1935-38 led the Bobcats to a 50-23 mark.
MSU is currently ranked 135th in the NCAA's Net Rankings. The ranking is the highest for MSU since 2002 and is among the best for the Bobcats ever, trailing their RPI at the end of the 1987 (63rd), 1996 (72nd) and 2002 (97th) seasons.
Montana State and Southern Utah meet in the regular season for the first time since 2019-20. Last season, the two sides faced off just once, in a Big Sky Tournament semifinal game that ended in overtime. The Bobcats made it to the championship game for the first time since 2009 by toppling the top seeded Thunderbirds, 80-77.
Montana State's game versus Southern Utah 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.
Players Mentioned
G
/ 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
