Montana State University
3-2,0-0Big Sky
UC Riverside
2-4,0-0Big West
Cats Win Thriller Over UC Riverside, 69-68
11/22/2023 10:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Tyler Patterson Drops 18 in the Second Half to Lead Bobcats to Bounce-Back Victory on Wednesday
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- In what is becoming routine for the Montana State men's basketball team this season, another non-conference clash came down to the final seconds on Wednesday night, with the Bobcats pulling out a thrilling 69-68 win over UC Riverside inside Worthington Arena.
Behind 18 second half points from Tyler Patterson, Montana State (3-2) found their offensive rhythm, going 6-for-10 from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes and overpowering UC Riverside (2-4).
The last four games for the Cats have been decided by a combined eight points.
"I just believe in these kids, man," head coach Matt Logie said. "They've been fighting for seven months, and we saw the work they put in all summer—the percentages are going to play out. I know it's hard to watch when they're not going down, but I trust these kids and love them, and the percentages balanced out tonight. I was really happy for Tyler to have the game that he had tonight. We had a lot of guys step up: Chika Nduka was awesome, Jed Miller had a terrific spurt for us going plus-14 in his minutes. I told them in the locker room—we don't have what we don't have, but we have enough, and we got better tonight."
Patterson alone was 4-for-4 from deep in the second half, and finished with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting. It was a massive bounce-back performance for the junior starting his 86th game in an MSU uniform following a tough shooting night in Monday's overtime loss to Green Bay.
"I think aside from the shots going in, because that's what we expect from Tyler, I think maybe what I'm most proud of from him is the higher degree of physicality and toughness he played with," Logie said. "He got in the mix on some things, he got some loose balls. Obviously we're wounded right now and need everyone to step up and sometimes do things they might not necessarily have done a lot in the past."
Robert Ford III was terrific on both ends, finishing his night with 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and four steals. The redshirt senior played all 40 minutes and did not commit a single turnover, while going 7-of-8 from the free throw line to help put the game away in the closing minutes.
With Ford and Jed Miller manning the point, the two combined for eight assists and no turnovers, helping the Bobcats win the turnover battle for the fifth straight game to open the season.
Brandon Walker finished with 16 points, with 12 coming in the first half as the focal point of the Montana State offense.
Chika Nduka provided a big lift off the bench, scoring six points in the first half on a pair of floaters and a hook shot. Nduka also found Ford on three separate occasions with feeds on backdoor cuts, finishing with his best game as a Bobcat since transferring from Portland over the summer.
The Bobcats trailed UC Riverside, 29-28, at the break, but Brian Goracke pinning a Highlander shot against the glass at the close of the opening half gave the home team momentum going into the break.
Montana State threw a variety of defensive looks at UC Riverside to disrupt flow, and took their first lead of the second half on a Patterson mid-range jumper, 42-41, at the 13:52 mark. From there, MSU would not give away the lead except for a brief 27-second period at the two-minute mark.
Goracke connected on a transition three to push the Montana State lead to 50-43 with 10:09 to go, then hit another the next trip down after UC Riverside had answered with a triple of their own.
With a raucous Brick Breeden Fieldhouse behind the Bobcats, UC Riverside, who brought back nine returners from a squad that won 22 games last season, was forced to take a timeout.
The two teams traded baskets before the Highlanders knocked down a three to cut it to a 59-58 MSU advantage with 2:17 remaining.
Sam Lecholat converted one of two free throws on the ensuing possession, before UC Riverside's Isaiah Moses hit one of his five triples on the night to give the Highlanders a 61-60 lead with 1:50 left.
Patterson answered right back with a three of his own, putting the Cats back in front permanently, 63-60.
With eight seconds left, Ford was fouled and made one of two free throws, cracking the door for UC Riverside to tie the game with a three. However, the Cats decided to foul up three with four seconds left, and the decision paid off as the front end of the Highlander one-and-one rimmed out.
Lecholat hit a free throw on the other end to put MSU up four before Moses splashed home a halfcourt heave at the buzzer to make the final score a one-point margin.
UP NEXT
Montana State continues the homestand with a Sunday afternoon date against Long Beach State. Tip time is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Worthington Arena.
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