Montana State University
8-10,3-2Big Sky
Montana
12-6,3-2Big Sky
Cats Fall to Griz on Saturday
1/20/2024 9:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Robert Ford III's career night not enough as Grizzlies pull away in second half
BOZEMAN, Montana – Robert Ford III's career-high 30 points wasn't enough to overcome a balanced Montana offensive attack, as the Grizzlies topped Montana State 87-77 in Bozeman on Saturday.
Four Grizzlies scored at least 14 points, led by Jaxon Nap's 17, and UM shot a scorching 61.5% from the floor and 64.3% from three-point range. Fueled by Ford III's 12-for-18 shooting the Bobcats (8-10, 3-2 Big Sky) stayed close for most of the evening, leading by as many as eight in the first half and trailing by no more than 12 points. UM (12-6, 3-2 Big Sky) iced the win by converting all six free throws in the game's final minute.
"Credit to Montana, their experience showed up today," head coach Matt Logie said. "We got off to a good start, then got behind—the guys fought back and got it down to two at the half. At that point it's anyone's game. Ultimately it just came down to getting stops tonight. Normally you score 77 points, you're going to have a pretty good chance to win, but you can't allow someone to shoot 61% from the field."
The teams played even through the game's first three-and-a-half minutes, but the Bobcats used an 8-0 run to grab a 16-8 lead. It was short-lived, as Montana used an 11-2 run to grab a 19-8 lead. A Josh Vazquez three-pointer. That was Montana State's last lead of the night.
The Grizzlies led by five twice late in the first half, but Brian Goracke's three-pointer as time expired drew the Bobcats within two at the intermission. At that point the visitors had shot 56.5% from the floor, while MSU topped that with 59.3% shooting. UM's nine free throws made, to Montana State's two, was a stark difference.
Ford III kept the Bobcats in the game. He scored 19 of his 30 points after halftime, hitting seven of his 11 shots in the second half. On the game, Ford III also grabbed seven rebounds with five steals and three assists. Brandon Walker hit all eight of his field goals, scoring 18 points with four rebounds, while Brian Goracke added 13 points and Eddie Turner III 12. Ford's 30 points are the most scored in the series since Harald Frey had 37 in Missoula on February 1, 2020.
While Nap led the Grizzlies, Aanen Moody's three-point shooting fueled the Grizzlies in the second half. He finished with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, 4-or-6 from the arc. Te'Jon Sawyer scored 16 points on 7-for-8 sooting, while Brandon Whitney scored 15 points, Vazquez added 14. Vazquez and Whitney each grabbed six rebounds.
Saturday's announced attendance of 6,648 is the fifth-largest crowd for a basketball game at Worthington Arena since the 2005-06 season.
UP NEXT
The Bobcats host Idaho State on Monday night at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with live radio play-by-play airing on the Bobcat Sports Network.
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