Eddie Turner III Scores Career High 27 Points as Bobcats Cruise Past Portland State

Thursday, February 22

Bozeman, Mont.

7 p.m.

Montana State University

12-15,7-7Big Sky

Portland State

16-12,7-8Big Sky

Portland St.

Montana St.

Sam Lecholat

Photo by: Garrett Becker

Eddie Turner III Scores Career High 27 Points as Bobcats Cruise Past Portland State

2/22/2024 10:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

MSU withstood Vikings' defensive pressure

By: Bill Lamberty

BOZEMAN, Montana – Eddie Turner III cruised to a career-high 27 points and Montana State persevered against Portland State's pressure defense as the Bobcats topped PSU 72-67 in Worthington Arena on Thursday.

In a game featuring 15 lead changes and six ties, one of the game's biggest moments didn't officially happen. With 6:33 to play, Ismail Habib's short jumper was blocked by MSU's Sam Lecholat but ruled goaltending. That gave the Vikings a one-point lead, but upon review the call was reversed and when Eddie Turner hit a three-pointer just under 20 seconds later Montana State had a lead it would hold the rest of the night.

"Sam has been probably our best rim protector as of late," said Bobcat head coach Matt Logie, and his two blocked shots and six rebounds helped him emerge as one of the Bobcats' most impactful performers. "To clean up a mess like that has a huge impact on the game."

Portland State kept the game close using an large advantage in fouls drawn and free throws shot for much of the night. With eight minutes to play, the Vikings had drawn 18 Bobcat fouls while committing seven and had shot 10 free throws to MSU's three. The Cats held a narrow 54-53 lead, and PSU erased that with a free throw coming out of the media time out. But Lecholat hit a layup, Turner III hit a triple to stretch the lead to four after a Hayden Curtis free throw, and after an Isiah Kirby basket Turner III's fast break layup gave MSU a four-point lead and when he hit two free throws at 3:19 and another layup at 2:36 the Bobcats led 65-59.

Portland State drew within three on a fast break layup by Kirby with 20 seconds to play, but Jed Miller hit two free throws and Turner III closed it out by nailing two more with 11 seconds left. The Cats made five straight charity tosses in the game's final 31 seconds to finish 9-14 on the game. PSU was 11-18.

The game's back-and-forth nature emerged early in the first half, with neither team leading by more than five. They swapped the advantage 10 times with five ties. The Bobcats shot just 44 percent from the floor, but stayed in the game by hitting six treys against PSU's mixture of defenses. PSU shot 47 percent from the floor and drained six free throws. PSU's defensive aggression set the tone.

"They play a distinct style," Logie said, "and it was a game of two different defensive philosophies. They really put a lot of pressure on you to handle the basketball, put pressure on you to rebound the basketball, and we don't mind playing fast but defensively we wanted to be solid and make them take tough shots."

The Bobcats lost a late lead in Portland in January, dropping a hard-fought road contest, but Logie likes his team's progress. "I thought we showed our growth (in terms of poise). We've taken some medicine this year and you hope that it makes you feel better and that it makes you better."

The Bobcats raised their record to 12-15 overall, 7-7 in the Big Sky, with the win, scooching past Portland State in the standings. The Vikings stand 16-12 overall, 7-8 in the league. MSU hosts Sacramento State Saturday at 6 pm, while PSU visits Montana.

#GoCatsGo