Montana State University
Idaho
Bobcats Travel to Face Idaho and Eastern Washington on Final Weekend of Regular Season
2/28/2024 12:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana State looking to peak in important road contests ahead of Big Sky Tournament in Boise
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- As the calendar turns to March, Montana State men's basketball will take to the road one final time in the regular season, facing Idaho on Thursday and Eastern Washington on Saturday.
Tip from ICCU Arena in Moscow, Idaho, on Thursday night is set for 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. MT, while Saturday's game from Reese Court in Cheney, Washington, will get underway at 2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT.
Both games will be streamed on ESPN+, with live radio play-by-play from Voice of the Bobcats Keaton Gillogly airing on the Bobcat Sports Network.
Montana State (12-16, 7-8 Big Sky) enters the final three games of conference play before the Big Sky Tournament in Boise in fifth place in the Big Sky, holding a tiebreaker over Idaho State. The Bobcats are aiming to claim a first round bye through to the Monday games at the tournament, which are played between seeds No. 3-No. 6.
The Bobcats are coming off a split at home this past weekend, defeating Portland State in a thriller last Thursday, 72-67, before falling to Sacramento State on Saturday, 66-63.
Eddie Turner scored a career-high 27 points in the win over the Vikings, shooting 9-of-15 from the floor and 5-of-8 from deep to lead the Cats to a much needed win that snapped a four-game skid.
Idaho (11-17, 5-10 Big Sky) is ninth in the Big Sky but has turned a corner in February, winning four games in a seven-game stretch that began with an upset 81-75 win over Montana State at Worthington Arena on February 3. Billings native Julius Mims recorded 15 points and 14 rebounds to pace the Vandals to the win.
Eastern Washington (18-10, 12-3 Big Sky) has been the class of the conference this season, led by a balanced attack that features six players all averaging at least 9.2 points per game. The Eagles are one of the best shooting teams in the country, ranking sixth in field goal percentage (49.7%) and 24th in three-point percentage (37.2%). Montana State scored a signature win on February 1 in Bozeman, holding EWU to their lowest offensive output of the season in a 70-60 victory that gave the Eagles their first conference loss of the year.
After this weekend, Montana State will have a quick turnaround, hosting Weber State at Worthington Arena on Monday for Senior Night in a game that will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
WE MEET AGAIN
Montana State readies for rematches with Idaho and Eastern Washington on the road this weekend after splitting with the two teams at Worthington Arena on February 1 and February 3. The Bobcats recorded one of the signature wins of their season to begin this month against previously-unbeaten-in-conference Eastern Washington, 70-60, before falling to Idaho two days later, 81-75. Robert Ford III finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals in the EWU win, and the Cats held the Eagles to their lowest offensive output of the season: 60 points and 2-of-18 shooting from beyond the arc.
RIDICULOUS ROB
Robert Ford III continues a special season, averaging 15.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.9 assists per game on 46.8% shooting and 42.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Ford ranks third in the country in steals (80) and third in steals per game (2.86). Ford has had at least one steal in all 28 games this season. Ford ranks second in school history in steals, trailing only Chris Conway, who had 94 steals during the 1987-1988 season.
MILESTONE WATCH
Tyler Patterson currently ranks fifth in MSU history for made three point field goals (194), and is seventh in program history for games played (121). Patterson is two more threes away from moving up to fourth all-time in Bobcat history for career three point field goals, needing to pass Casey Durham (2004-2008).
EDDIE TURNING HEADS
Eddie Turner III dropped a career-high 27 points last Thursday in a thrilling 72-67 win over Portland State to help the Cats snap a four-game losing streak. The graduate transfer from Columbia went 9-of-15 from the floor and 5-of-8 from deep to pace the Cats--an emotional game for the guard after injuries and tragedy off the court caused the Seattle native to play in just 18 games and score 101 points in four years at Columbia before he graduated with a degree in architecture.
CAUSING HAVOC
Led by Robert Ford III, Montana State has recorded 231 steals this season--tied for the fifth-most in a season in program history.
LAST TIME IN CHENEY
Montana State's last trip to Cheney resulted in one of the games of the year in the Big Sky in 2022-2023, as the Cats won 79-74 in the regular season finale before going 3-0 in Boise on the way to their second consecutive Big Sky Championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament
SERIES HISTORY (IDAHO)
Montana State has won ten of the last 13 overall in the series with Idaho that dates back to 1917, and leads the series, 70-53. The Bobcats are 43-17 against the Vandals all-time in Bozeman, and have won 13 of the last 15 matchups inside Worthington Arena, with the only two home losses since 1994 coming in 2015 and 2024. Montana State split the series last season, winning in Bozeman, 72-58, before falling in Moscow, 74-70. Montana State is 23-33 against the Vandals in Moscow, but has won four of the last six meetings on the road.
SERIES HISTORY (EASTERN WASHINGTON)
Saturday marks the 99th matchup all-time between Eastern Washington and Montana State, with the series evenly split, 49-49. The Eagles have won 30 of 43 meetings in Cheney all-time, and had won 10 in a row at Reese Court over the Bobcats prior to last season's 79-74 victory for the Bobcats. Prior to last season, the Cats' last win in Cheney had come in 2011.
LECHOLAT COMING ALIVE
Sam Lecholat recorded his first career double-double in the Cats' 70-60 win over the Eagles on February 1, with 11 points and ten rebounds. That game sparked a resurgence for the junior, who is playing his best basketball in the month of February.
GOLDEN AGE OF BOBCAT BASKETBALL
The Bobcats are coming off of their two best seasons in the modern era. In 2021-22, Montana State went 27-8, which included a 13-1 record at home and a program-record 16 wins in conference play. In 2022-2023, Montana State went 25-10, collected a 12-1 record at Worthington Arena, and went 15-3 in conference action. Montana State has played in three straight Big Sky Tournament championship games, gone 37-7 against Big Sky opponents over the last two seasons, won at least 25 games in two straight seasons for the first time since 1927-1929, and are coming off consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in school history.
WELCOME TO THE LOGIE ERA
First-year head coach Matt Logie comes to Montana State after four seasons at Point Loma in California, where his teams rolled up an 82-23 record with three conference championships. His 12 seasons as a head basketball coach includes eight at Whitworth University in Spokane (2011-19), where his Pirates compiled a 194-35 record. Logie's 276-58 career mark in 12 seasons entering this year is good for an .826 winning percentage, the third-highest winning percentage in the history of all NCAA men's college basketball coaches.
ROBCAT
Robert Ford III is currently third in NCAA Division I in steals and ranks second in MSU history for steals in a single season (80). Chris Conway had 94 in the 1987-88 season.
FREE THROW MAESTRO
Brian Goracke ranks 56th in NCAA Division I in free-throw percentage (86.8%).
TURNOVER CHAIN
Montana State leads the Big Sky in steals per game (8.2) and turnovers forced per game (13.7)
WALKING BUCKET
Brandon Walker leads the Big Sky and is 42nd nationally in field goal percentage (56.7%)
THREE-POINT SHOOTING AT A PREMIUM
Eastern Washington and Montana State are the top two teams in the Big Sky in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage
OFFENSIVE BALANCE
Montana State has had five different players score at least 18 points in a game this season: Robert Ford III (31), Brian Goracke (29), Eddie Turner III (27), Brandon Walker (26), and Tyler Patterson (20).
POWER FIVE WIN
Before beating Cal on Nov. 16, Montana State had last taken down a Power Five opponent on December 9, 2018, defeating Washington State, 95-90 in a neutral site game in Kennewick, Wash. Montana State is 54-101 against schools currently making up the Pac-12 (including Colorado, Utah, etc.)
LOGIE FILE
First year head coach Matt Logie would work for five seasons at his alma mater, Lehigh, before being promoted to associate head coach for two years. While there he recruited CJ McCollum, the 2013 NBA Draft pick and current member of the New Orleans Pelicans and helped lead the Mountain Hawks into the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The team whom Coach Logie helped to build at Lehigh before leaving for Whitworth in 2011 would go on to beat Duke in the 2012 NCAA Tournament in one of March Madness' greatest upsets.
MORE ON MATT
Logie watched from the sidelines as current Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder played for Logie's grandfather, Ed Pepple, at Mercer Island High School outside of Seattle. Snyder went on to star at Duke after a McDonald's All-American career at Mercer Island, before an NBA playing and coaching career. Logie was a ballboy and later played for his grandfather at Mercer Island, leading the Islanders to state championships in 1997 and 1999. Pepple was named the national high school coach of the year in 1998.
#GoCatsGo
