Davis Tallies 15, Hodges Adds 14 as Montana State Defeats Long Beach State, 78-72

Friday, November 21

Long Beach, Calif.

8 p.m.

Montana State University

3-4,0-0Big Sky

Long Beach State

1-5,0-0Big West

Montana St.

Long Beach St.

Photo by: Noah Syverson

Davis Tallies 15, Hodges Adds 14 as Montana State Defeats Long Beach State, 78-72

11/21/2025 11:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Bobcats capture Battle at the Beach title after winning two games in two days

By: Pershelle Rohrer

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Jeremiah Davis tallied 15 points and Chris Hodges added 14, both career highs, as the Bobcats earned a 78-72 win over Long Beach State to take the Battle at the Beach crown with their second-straight win on Friday night.

Davis shot 6-of-7 from the field and added three steals to lead the Bobcats in scoring and swipes while Hodges posted an impressive 7-of-8 clip in strong performances for Montana State. Five Bobcats scored in double figures for the first time since the 2023-24 season as Davian Brown tallied 13 points, Jed Miller added 12, and Patrick McMahon pitched in 10.

"I'm really proud of our guys hanging in the fight today," Montana State head coach Matt Logie said. "Winning is hard, especially on the road, and we stuck together and found a way to win. I couldn't be happier for Jeremiah Davis. Talk about perseverance and attitude being rewarded. He's overcome so much to get to this point, and to play like we know he can in his hometown is really special to see. Chris Hodges gave us some tremendous play inside tonight – blocked some shots, finished well, and had some crucial offensive rebounds."

The Bobcats and Beach played a tightly-contested first half, with Montana State shooting 48.3% from the field in the first half to Long Beach State's 43.8%. The Cats tallied the first five points of the game before Long Beach State responded with four points of their own. The two teams traded buckets up to the halfway point in the first half before Davian Brown drained a three-pointer to ignite a Montana State 14-4 run that concluded with a Chris Hodges dunk at the 5:41 mark. Brown's bucket helped him eclipse the 2,000-point mark in his collegiate career while Hodges' basket gave the Bobcats a 30-21 lead, their largest of the half.

The Beach chipped away at the Bobcats' lead, coming within one point of Montana State, 30-29, thanks to an 8-0 run that concluded with 2:48 left in the first half. The Cats extended their lead back to four points, 35-31, on a pair of Jeremiah Davis free throws with 1:08 remaining before the Beach knocked down a pair of threes to take a 37-35 at the halftime buzzer. Montana State led for 17:49 in the first half thanks to its 48.3% clip, including 40.0% from deep, while tallying 17 bench points and 20 points in the paint. Davis shot a perfect 4-of-4 with 11 first-half points while Hodges chipped in eight.

Montana State regained the lead on a Christian King three-pointer to open the second half and never looked back, remaining tied or ahead of the Beach for the remainder of the contest. After Long Beach State tied the game at 42 points apiece, the Cats used a 6-0 run to increase their lead to 48-42 with 14:51 remaining in regulation. The Beach battled back to trim the lead to one, 48-47, before Montana State countered with a 7-2 run to bring its advantage back to five points, 55-49. The Bobcats matched their largest lead of the game, 70-61, thanks to a Davis layup with 5:05 to play, but the Beach did not quit, cutting the Cats' lead to three, 73-70, following a 9-3 run that ended with 47 seconds remaining in regulation. Patrick McMahon sealed the game for the Bobcats with a three-point play with 23 seconds to play, and Jed Miller knocked down two free throws to bring the final score to 78-72 and secure the Battle at the Beach title for Montana State. Montana State had just one turnover in the second half and scored 14 points off five Long Beach State giveaways.

"I thought we got off to a slow start defensively, and Long Beach State was the aggressor in the first half," Logie said. "Our guys really responded in the second half and were able to create some extra possessions."

Montana State shot 28-of-58 (48.3%) from the field against the Beach, tallied 58 points in the paint, and scored 21 points off 11 Long Beach State turnovers in the contest. Five players scored in double figures for the first time since the Cats' overtime loss to Eastern Washington, 108-104, on March 2, 2024.

Davis led the Cats with 15 points and three steals, both career highs, and Hodges chipped in 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Brown tallied his 2,000^th career college point in the first half and finished the game with 13 points. Miller posted 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in the contest while McMahon added 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds alongside three assists.

The Bobcats will take a week off from competition before traveling to Logan, Utah, to take on Utah State on Saturday, Nov. 29. The contest marks the final game of a five-game slate away from Bozeman for the Cats. Tipoff from Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is set for 2 p.m., and the game will air live on Mountain West Network.

Follow the Bobcats
For the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes coverage of the Montana State men's basketball team, follow the Bobcats on Twitter and Instagram at @MSUBobcatsMBB and on Facebook at Montana State Men's Basketball. Information on the Montana State athletic program can be found online at msubobcats.com or by following the Bobcats on Twitter at @MSUBobcats, Instagram at @MontanaStateBobcats, and on Facebook at Montana State Bobcats.