Montana State University
14-17,9-9Big Sky
Weber State
20-11,11-7Big Sky
Olmsted, Ford Lead Bobcats to National TV Victory
3/4/2024 11:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana State downs Weber State, 76-64, in Senior Night thriller televised on ESPN2 from Bozeman
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- In front of a national television audience on ESPN2, Montana State men's basketball put an exclamation point on the regular season with a signature win on Monday night at Worthington Arena, defeating Weber State 76-64.
Montana State (14-17, 9-9 Big Sky) sent out Robert Ford III and John Olmsted in style, with both veterans contributing in big ways to the thrilling Senior Night win.
Olmsted matched his career-high in points with 15, adding five rebounds and five assists. The graduate transfer from Morenci, Arizona, had scored 34 points in 21 games this season before the last 72 hours, during which he scored 15 points on the road against Eastern Washington on Saturday before scoring 15 again on Monday night.
The former walk-on, honored pregame as part of Senior Night, exploded on the national stage shooting 6-of-7 from the floor and 1-of-1 from beyond the arc.
"It's crazy what hard work can make happen," Olmsted told ESPN postgame. "What can happen when you just keep your head down, keep working, and just believe in yourself."
In the last home game of his two-year career as a Bobcat, Ford put up 12 points with nine rebounds, five steals, and four assists—a familiar stat line for one of the most impactful players in mid-major college basketball. Ford now owns 90 steals this season, second in the country and second all-time in a single season in Bobcat history behind Chris Conway (94).
"I told the guys in the locker room that our team has taken on his identity, and there is no greater compliment to a leader than that," head coach Matt Logie said. "He has worn his heart on his sleeve all year long and again on Senior Night has a 12-point night with a nine rebound, five steal, four assist performance. We owe him so much. I'm so grateful that he chose to come back and finish his career here as a Bobcat."
It was a satisfying comeback victory for the Bobcats over Weber State (20-11, 11-7 Big Sky) avenging a lopsided December loss and asserting Montana State as a contender in next weekend's Big Sky Championships in Boise.
Weber State led by eight at the ten-minute mark of the second half on a Dillon Jones jumper to take a 56-48 advantage.
From there, Olmsted went on a solo 11-0 run to propel the Cats in front for good, scoring three buckets in the paint on consecutive possessions before a pair of free throws tied the game at 56-56.
Olmsted, who had made just his first career 3-pointer on Saturday, then calmly squared up and knocked down his second career 3-pointer to break the tie and give the Cats a 59-56 lead, sending the announced crowd of 3,131 inside Brick Breeden Fieldhouse into delirium.
Brian Goracke added 13 points and five rebounds, while Tyler Patterson hit four 3-pointers to finish with 12. Eddie Turner III led the way with six assists, while Jed Miller and Sam Lecholat each scored six points off the bench.
Goracke poured in 11 points in the first half, nailing three 3-pointers to set the tone from deep and help Montana State keep the game tied at 32-32 going into halftime
Montana State shot 13-of-27 (48.1%) from behind the three-point line for the game and finished with 22 assists on 29 made field goals.
The 22 assists are a season-high against a Division I opponent this season.
"We're getting hot at the right time going into Boise, and it's good to get hot at the right time—hopefully we can keep it rolling," Olmsted said.
UP NEXT
The Big Sky Championships in Boise await. A full bracket can be viewed here.
No. 5 seed Montana State will face No. 4 seed Weber State on Monday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m. MT inside Idaho Central Arena in a 3rd Round matchup. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Montana State is the two-time defending Big Sky Tournament champion, clinching the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years for the first time in school history.
#GoCatsGo
