
Bobcats Set to Dance in Boise
3/10/2024 3:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Two-time defending Big Sky Tournament champion Montana State faces No. 4 seed Weber State on Monday evening at Idaho Central Arena
BOISE, Idaho – Montana State men's basketball will look to continue their recent tradition of long runs in Boise this week, facing off with No. 4 seed Weber State on Monday night at 5:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Championships from Idaho Central Arena.
The game will air statewide on MTN and be streamed live on ESPN+, with Tony Parks and Joe Cravens on the call. Live radio play-by-play from Voice of the Bobcats Keaton Gillogly will air on the Bobcat Sports Network.
The two-time defending Big Sky Tournament champions, fifth-seeded Montana State (14-17, 9-9 Big Sky) takes on fourth-seeded Weber State (20-11, 11-7 Big Sky) one week to the day after the two teams clashed in the regular season finale on ESPN2 last Monday in Worthington Arena.
Behind a 22-4 run across the final ten minutes of the game, the Bobcats came back from down eight to win, 76-64, to get to .500 in conference play under first-year head coach Matt Logie. John Olmsted continued his breakout down the stretch of his final college basketball season, matching his career-high for the second game in a row with 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Four Cats finished with at least a dozen points in the win, with the team shooting 13-of-27 (48.0%) from beyond the arc.
Montana State has advanced to a school-record three straight Big Sky Tournament championship games, winning the last two to advance to consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time in school history.
To advance to the championship game in each of the last two years, Montana State has had to squeak by Weber State to get there. Last season, the Cats won a semifinal thriller in double overtime, 60-58, as RaeQuan Battle finished off a lob in the final seconds to seal the win. In 2022, the Cats won 69-66 in the semifinal to get to the championship game.
Montana State is 5-5 all-time against Weber State at the Big Sky Tournament, and have won three in a row against the Wildcats at the tournament (2023, 2022, 2009).
Montana State was last a No. 5 seed in 2021, beating Idaho State in the second round and Southern Utah in the semifinal before falling in the championship game to Eastern Washington.
RIDICULOUS ROB
Robert Ford III was named 2023-2024 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, the conference announced on Thursday. The Portland native also earned First Team All-Big Sky honors and was selected to the All-Defensive Team. Ford averaged 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.8 steals per game on 46.5% shooting and 42.2% shooting from beyond the arc. Ford ranks second in the country in steals (90) and third in steals per game (2.90). Ford had at least one steal in all 31 games this season, and ranks second in school history in steals, trailing only Chris Conway, who had 94 steals during the 1987-1988 season. Among players under 6'3", Ford is second in NCAA Division I in rebounds per game (7.7)
THE SNOQUALMIE SNIPER
With his three 3-pointers last Saturday against Eastern Washington, Tyler Patterson became the fourth Bobcat in program history to reach 200 career triples. The junior from Snoqualmie, Washington, joins Danny Sprinkle, Tyler Hall, and Harald Frey. Patterson is also tied for third in program history for games played (124). Harald Frey holds the career record for games (127). Over his last three games, Patterson is 10-for-20 (50.0%) from three.
WE MEET AGAIN
No. 5 seed Montana State faces No. 4 seed Weber State on Monday night, one week to the day from the regular season finale in which the Bobcats defeated the Wildcats, 76-64, on ESPN2. Montana State used a 28-6 run over the final ten minutes to gain control of the game, and shot 13-of-27 from beyond the arc in the win to get the Cats to .500 in Big Sky play.
CAUSING HAVOC
Led by Robert Ford III, Montana State has recorded 259 steals this season--the fourth-most in a season in program history. Montana State leads the Big Sky in both steals and turnovers forced per game, and is 37th in NCAA Division I in steals and 60th in turnovers forced.
JOHN 'WICK' OLMSTED
Graduate transfer John Olmsted comes into Boise riding the best week of his basketball life. After playing 27 combined minutes in the month of February, the former walk-on played a massive role in the final two regular season games of the year, scoring a career-high 15 points in 29 minutes in an overtime loss at Eastern Washington before helping lead the Cats' to a thrilling win on ESPN2 over Weber State last Monday, matching his new career-high with 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists across 22 minutes.
THE MARCH TO MARCH
Montana State and Weber State will meet for the third straight year in the Big Sky Tournament. The Bobcats and Wildcats clashed last year in the semifinal, with Montana State winning a thriller, 60-58, in double overtime. The game saw 44 combined fouls and 79 free throws. In 2022, Montana State won 69-66. Each of the last two years, semifinal wins over Weber State have resulted in Big Sky Tournament championships for Montana State, who have appeared in a school-record three consecutive Big Sky Tournament title games.
IN THE CATS' FAVOR
Though entering Monday as the No. 5 seed, Montana State has beaten three of the top four seeds at the Big Sky Championships in the last two months The Cats beat Northern Colorado on January 13 (90-81), Eastern Washington on February 1 (70-60), and Weber State on March 4 (76-64).
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 was good for an .826 winning percentage, the third-highest winning percentage in the history of all NCAA men's college basketball coaches.
ROBCAT
Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year Robert Ford III is currently second in NCAA Division I in steals and ranks second in MSU history for steals in a single season (90). Chris Conway had 94 in the 1987-88 season. Playing in just his second season at Montana State, Ford is already ninth in program history for career steals (123).
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Weber State's Dillon Jones and Montana State's Robert Ford III were rated the top returning defenders in the Big Sky entering the 2023-2024 season. Jones is currently the top-rated player in the conference according to KenPom.com, while Ford is rated the fourth most valuable player.
FREE THROW MAESTRO
Brian Goracke ranks 43rd in NCAA Division I in free-throw percentage (87.5%). That percentage is tied for the fifth-best mark in a single season in program history
FORCING MISTAKES
Montana State leads the Big Sky in steals per game (8.4) and turnovers forced per game (13.9)
ARC OF THE COVENANT
Montana State is in the top-50 in NCAA Division I in three pointers per game (8.9) and three point percentage (36.5%)
WALKING BUCKET
Brandon Walker is second in the Big Sky and is 50th nationally in field goal percentage (55.6%). Walker was named Honorable Mention All-Big Sky this season, ranking tenth in the conference in scoring (13.3 ppg)
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.)
MORE ON MATT
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.
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