Strong Sacramento State Second Half Spells Doom for Bobcats

Saturday, February 24

Bozeman, Mont.

6 p.m.

Montana State University

12-16,7-8Big Sky

Sacramento State

7-22,3-13Big Sky

Sacramento St.

Montana St.

Sam Locholat soars for a layup

Photo by: Garrett Becker

Strong Sacramento State Second Half Spells Doom for Bobcats

2/24/2024 9:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Montana State closed fast, but couldn't finish...

By: Bill Lamberty

BOZEMAN, Montana – Sacramento State shot 50 percent in the second half and held off a furious Montana State rally, beating the Bobcats 66-63 in Bozeman on Saturday.

The Hornets built a 37-27 rebounding advantage on the strength of 11 offensive boards, none bigger than the board snagged by Kovatchev with 28 seconds to play and the Bobcats holding a two-point lead. It came after a wild three-pointer to beat the shot clock by Austin Patterson, and led to a Patterson layup that extended Sac State's lead to two possessions.

"They're one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the nation," MSU coach Matt Logie summarized succinctly. "We're one of the worst. That's how it played out."

Sacramento State never lost a lead that had reached 13 points in the second half, but the Cats had opportunities late. Robert Ford III missed a three-pointer on the next possession, and after one Hornets free throw Brandon Walker made one free throw, increasing his output to 19 points, and Sam Lecholat's charity toss trimmed the lead to 65-62 with 13 seconds to play. Lecholat's missed free throw led to a three-point attempt by Ford III, which caromed off and was corralled by Akol Mawein. The teams swapped free throws in the final 12 seconds to reach the final margin.

On a night filled with frustration, Logie was pleased with the fight Montana State showed. "That's what this team does," he said. "They compete to the end."

Montana State's frustrations centered around shooting. The late flurry pushed the Bobcats' shooting percentage to .412 for the game, shooting just 30.4 percent (7-23) from the arc and 66.7 percent (14-21) from the free throw line. The Bobcats' defense held Sac State to 38.9 percent, including 8-24 from the arc. The Hornets hi 16 of their 27 free throws.

For the second straight first half of the homestand, the visitors outscored the Cats. Sac State held the advantage for 17:37 of a first period whose main feature was poor shooting. The Cats shot 36 percent from the floor, and held Sacramento State to 26.9 percent, but the Hornets scored 12 points from the free throw line (12-16) to MSU's five (eight attempts). The Hornets also made three triples to MSU's two, with Zee Hamoda leading all scorers in the first half with 10 points.

Fouls emerged as another theme in the first half. Robert Ford III picked up his third about 14 minutes into the game, and spent the last portion of the period on the bench. Brian Goracke was also saddled with three in the first half, one via a technical foul, and three Bobcats accrued two. Sac State committed 10 fouls to MSU's 13, but no individual had more than two.

Patterson led all scorers with 20 for the Hornets. Brandon Walker scored 19 points and grabbed six boards for the Bobcats, while Eddie Turner III and Ford III each scored 13.

Montana State falls to 12-16 overall, 7-8 in Big Sky play, with the loss. Sacramento State is 7-22, 3-13. The Bobcats play at Idaho on Thursday night before visiting Eastern Washington on Saturday. Weber State helps MSU close the 2023-24 regular season next Monday for the Bobcats' Senior Night.

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