Montana State University
Northwest
Montana State Set for Nonconference Finale Against Northwest
12/21/2025 1:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bobcats open three-game homestand against the Eagles on Monday at 1 p.m.
GAME 13
MONTANA STATE (5-7, 0-0 BIG SKY) vs NORTHWEST (3-8, 0-4 CCC)
Date: Monday, Dec. 22
Time: 1 p.m. MT
Venue: Worthington Arena
Location: Bozeman, Mont.
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Bobcat Radio Network
MSU Records: Home 2-1, Road 2-6, Neutral 1-0
NU Records: Home 0-2, Road 2-5, Neutral 1-1
Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
STORYLINES
THE 2025 FINALE: Montana State caps off 2025 with a home contest against Northwest University on Monday, marking its 13th and final nonconference game of the 2025-26 season. The game is the last of three games against non-Division I opponents, with the Bobcats previously defeating Northwest Indian, 114-44, on Nov. 5 and Nobel, 92-55, on Nov. 20. Monday marks the first-ever meeting between the Bobcats and the Eagles.
IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME: The Bobcats return home for the first time since their Big Sky-Summit Challenge victory over St. Thomas, 82-74, on Dec. 3, ending an 18-day stretch away from Bozeman. Monday's contest marks just the fourth home game of the season for the Bobcats, who finished the 2024-25 season with an 11-3 record in Worthington Arena. Montana State will play its next three games at home, its longest homestand of the 2025-26 season.
SHOOTERS SHOOT: Davian Brown and Jed Miller continue to impress from the three-point line, ranking second and fourth in the Big Sky, respectively, in three-point percentage. Brown shoots 41.9% from deep while making 31 total threes this season (third in the Big Sky), and Miller holds a 39.5% clip from three while sinking 32 over the course of the season (second in the Big Sky). Brown and Miller's three-point percentages rank 51st and 77th nationally.
MCMAHON STAYS HOT: Patrick McMahon led the Bobcats in scoring for the fifth time this season, including the fourth time in five games, in Montana State's win over Cal Poly on Dec. 16. McMahon matched his career high with 26 points against the Mustangs and has nine double-digit scoring performances, including four 20-point games, so far in 2025-26. The Palmer, Alaska, native ranks seventh in the Big Sky in scoring with 15.5 points per game to lead the Bobcats in the category.
NEW CAREER HIGHS: Patrick McMahon and Christian King both set new career highs in scoring in the Bobcats' 83-80 win over Cal Poly on Dec. 16. McMahon tallied 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting, and King posted 16 points in his return from an injury that sidelined him for four games.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL: The Bobcats commit fewer turnovers than any other team in the Big Sky with just 10.8 giveaways per game. Their turnover margin of 1.8 ranks second in the conference. Defensively, Montana State ranks third in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 70.5 points per game while sitting in third in the Big Sky with 7.3 steals per game.
SELFLESS BOBCATS: The 2025-26 Bobcats are known for their balanced scoring, with four or more Bobcats scoring in double figures in all but three contests this season. Ten different Bobcats have recorded at least one double-digit scoring performance through 12 games.
MILLER'S BREAKOUT SEASON: Jed Miller has enjoyed a strong senior season, surpassing his 2024-25 season points total (123) in just 10 games. Miller has scored in double figures in nine of 12 games so far and is one of two Bobcats (Chris Hodges) to appear and start in all 12 contests in 2025-26. The Agoura Hills, Calif., native leads the Bobcats in rebounds (4.8), assists (2.4), steals (1.6), and minutes (32.0) per game while ranking second on the team in three-point percentage (39.5%) and third in points per game (11.8).
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES: Northwest faces its lone Division I opponent of the season when it makes the trek to Bozeman on Monday. The Eagles enter the contest on a two-game losing streak after falling to Eastern Oregon, 97-81, on Dec. 19 and the College of Idaho, 73-70, on Dec. 20. The Eagles are set to conclude a tough schedule of three games in four days on Monday and will take a 10-day break before continuing their three-day road trip at Corban on Jan. 2. The Eagles lead the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) in blocks with 4.1 per game and rank third in rebounds with 38.8 per contest. Logan Stempniak leads the team in scoring with 15.0 points per game, good for eighth in the conference.
LOGIE CONTINUES HIS WINNING WAYS: Montana State head coach Matt Logie is no stranger to winning, owning a 313-101 (.756) career head coaching record across all NCAA divisions. Logie's 313 victories rank second among active Division I head coaches 45 years old or younger behind first-year Iowa head coach Ben McCollum with 435.
THE MATT LOGIE FILE: Third-year MSU head coach Matt Logie has taken his teams to the NCAA Tournament in 12 of his 14 seasons as a head coach, and is believed to be just the second men's coach in history to lead teams to the Big Dance at the Division I, Division II, and Division III levels (Tobin Anderson). Logie ranks 38th in NCAA men's basketball history in career winning percentage (.756) and is 15th among active head coaches. Logie came to Montana State after four seasons at Point Loma (Division II), where his teams rolled up an 82-23 record with three conference championships, and eight seasons at Whitworth (Division III), where his teams went 194-35.
CAT TRACKS
+ Montana State looks to wrap up nonconference play with its second-consecutive victory when Northwest comes to town on Monday. The contest marks the first between the two teams and the Bobcats' final game of 2025.
+ Jed Miller ranks fourth in the Big Sky in steals this season, tallying 19 swipes in 12 games. The Agoura Hills, Calif., native is also fourth in the conference in steals per game with 1.6 swipes per contest.
+ The Bobcats continue to benefit from prolific production from multiple scorers, with four Cats scoring in double figures in nine of Montana State's first 12 games to open the season. Patrick McMahon (15.5 ppg) tallied 10 or more points in nine contests so far, and Jed Miller (11.8 ppg) scored in double figures eight times. Davian Brown (12.8 ppg) has tallied seven double-digit scoring performances, and Christian King (10.6 ppg) has scored in double figures six times this season. Chris Hodges has tallied 10 or more points three times this year while Seth Amunrud, Jeremiah Davis, and Cavin Holden each have two double-digit performances. Waka Mbatch and Jaden Steppe have each surpassed the 10-point mark once.
+ Davian Brown tallied 21 points against Oral Roberts on Dec. 6, shooting 6-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-11 from three. Brown also matched his career high in steals with four in a season-high 34 minutes of play. The native of Pasadena, Calif., is Montana State's second-leading scorer with 12.8 points per game (17th in the Big Sky) while shooting 41.9% from deep (second in the Big Sky). His three-point percentage ranks 51st in the nation.
+ Montana State checked in at 153rd in the nation in the KenPom College Basketball Ratings on Dec. 4 following its 82-74 victory over St. Thomas the day before, placing the Bobcats one spot ahead of Northern Colorado for the highest ranking by a Big Sky team. The Cats posted a No. 144 NET ranking on the same day, good for fourth in the conference.
+ Bozeman native Seth Amunrud impressed in his Bobcat debut against St. Thomas, tallying 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three to help the Bobcats earn the victory over the Tommies. 14 of those points, including a go-ahead three, came in the second half. Amunrud also tallied four steals in the contest.
+ Patrick McMahon had back-to-back career performances against Utah State on Nov. 29 and St. Thomas on Dec. 3. Against the Aggies, the redshirt senior from Palmer, Alaska, tallied a career-high 26 points to go with season highs in rebounds (8), assists (3), and steals (1) in a career-high 40 minutes played. He followed up that performance with 24 points, seven rebounds, a career-high five assists, and one steal against the Tommies.
+ Five Bobcats – Jeremiah Davis (15), Chris Hodges (14), Davian Brown (13), Jed Miller (12), and Patrick McMahon (10) – tallied 10 or more points against Long Beach State on Nov. 21, the first time five or more Bobcats reached double figures in the same game since a 108-104 overtime loss to Eastern Washington on March 2, 2024.
+ Jeremiah Davis had the best game of his career so far against Long Beach State, tallying career highs in points (15), steals (3), and minutes (25). He shot an impressive 6-of-7 from the field to lead Montana State to a 78-72 victory and earned his first career start in the Bobcats' next game at Utah State. Chris Hodges also impressed in a breakthrough game that saw him achieve career highs in five categories with a stat line of 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 35 minutes against the Beach.
+ Graduate transfer Davian Brown eclipsed the 2,000-point milestone for his collegiate career during the Bobcats' win over Long Beach State on Nov. 21. The native of Pasadena, Calif., tallied 1,447 points during his four years at the NAIA level between The Master's University (2020-22) and Lewis-Clark State (2022-24) before pouring in 515 points in his lone season at Biola (2024-25). Brown has 2,068 career points and counting, including 153 over his first 12 games as a Bobcat.
+ Christian King and Waka Mbatch each tallied career highs in points against Nobel on Nov. 20. King matched his career high for the third time with 14 points to go with six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks to lead the team in each category against the Knights. Mbatch recorded his first double-digit scoring performance with 13 points while adding four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
+ Montana State limited Boise State to just 62 points on Nov. 15, the Broncos' lowest points total in a game so far this season. The Cats outrebounded the Broncos, 36-35, while holding Boise State to just 17-of-51 (33.3%) from the field and 8-of-28 (28.6%) from three-point range.
+ Three Bobcats reached career milestones in Montana State's 75-73 loss to Denver on Nov. 9. Junior Cavin Holden tallied the 700th point and 200th assist of his collegiate career, Patrick McMahon surpassed 500 career points with his opening bucket against the Pioneers, and Davian Brown played in his 150th career college basketball game.
+ The Bobcats rewrote the record books against Northwest Indian College on Nov. 5, posting the third-highest field goal percentage (64.7%) and third-most three-pointers made in a game in school history (21) while matching MSU's records for fifth-highest field goal total (44), eighth-highest scoring effort (114), and ninth-most steals (15) in a game.
+ Montana State's 21 three-pointers against Northwest Indian College marked the Cats' first time making 20 or more threes in a game since Dec. 16, 2023, when they drained 20 against SAGU American Indian College. It was also MSU's highest three-point total since the Bobcats made 23 against Northwest Indian College on Dec. 27, 2022 en route to a 144-59 win. 144 points is the program record for points in a game.
+ With the Bobcats' win over Northwest Indian College on Nov. 5, Montana State has now won seven-straight home openers dating back to the 2019-20 season. The Bobcats' last home-opening loss came against Utah State, 101-71, to open the 2018-19 campaign.
+ Three Bobcats made their first career starts in the season opener at Colorado on Nov. 3. Senior Jed Miller received the first starting nod of his 72-game Bobcat career while Christian King and Chris Hodges also started for the first time in their MSU debuts. Central Washington transfer Cavin Holden and Bobcat returner Patrick McMahon rounded out the Cats' new-look starting five against Colorado.
+ Montana State debuts a new-look lineup in 2025-26 with 10 newcomers joining five returning Bobcats on the 15-man roster. Redshirt senior Patrick McMahon and senior Jed Miller lead a crop of returners that also features redshirt junior Jeremiah Davis, who missed most of last season with an injury, redshirt sophomore Calum Rutherfurd, and redshirt freshman Grayson Gaddis. MSU's seven-member transfer class includes Davian Brown (Biola), Cavin Holden (Central Washington), Christian King (Washington), Seth Amunrud (Dawson CC), Chris Hodges (Wisconsin), Waka Mbatch (Florida State) and Jaden Steppe (Colorado State). Freshmen Howie Keene, CJ Purdie, and James Steward round out the 2025-26 Bobcat roster.
+ Montana State faces two teams coming off of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2024-25, including at-large selection Utah State (Nov. 29) and defending Big Sky Champion Montana (Jan. 17 & Feb. 14). Both teams fell to Big Ten opponents in the Round of 64 as the No. 10 Aggies were ousted by No. 7 UCLA, 72-47, and No. 14 Montana fell to current Bobcat Chris Hodges and the No. 3 Badgers, 85-66.
+ Three current Bobcats have played in at least one NCAA Tournament game, and two others were members of teams that reached the tournament while they were on the roster. Patrick McMahon scored seven points in eight minutes against Texas Tech during the 2022 Round of 64, Chris Hodges appeared in NCAA Tournament games for Wisconsin in three-straight years from 2023-25, and Jed Miller recorded an assist in MSU's First Four game against Grambling State in 2024. Jaden Steppe played in seven games a member of Colorado State's Mountain West Championship team in 2024-2025, and Calum Rutherfurd redshirted during Montana State's most recent Big Sky Championship year in 2023-24.
+ The Cats concluded the 2024-25 season with a 15-18 record, including a 9-9 mark in conference play. Montana State finished fifth in the Big Sky regular season standings and defeated No. 4 Idaho State in dominant fashion, 80-60, in the Big Sky Tournament quarterfinals before falling to top-seeded Northern Colorado in the semis, 72-45. The defeat ended the Bobcats' run of three-straight trips to the NCAA Tournament from 2022-24, which marked the longest tournament streak by a Big Sky team since Weber State appeared in three-straight NCAA Tournaments from 1978-80.
+ Redshirt senior Patrick McMahon enjoyed a breakout year last season, tallying 18 double-figure scoring performances in 2024-25. He posted four 20-point performances off the bench in conference play, including a then-career-high 23 points in the regular-season finale vs Idaho on March 3, 2025. The lone starter returning from last year's team, McMahon averaged 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game last season and owns an impressive .515 career field goal percentage in 83 games and counting as a Bobcat.
+ Jed Miller entered his fourth year in Bozeman with 71 games under his belt, one short of Patrick McMahon's 72 for the most among active players in a Bobcat uniform. Miller led MSU in steals last season with 43 while also dishing 74 assists in 33 games.
+ Junior guard Cavin Holden was a prolific scorer at the Division II level for Central Washington, averaging 15.1 points per game on 47.6% shooting during the 2024-25 season, including a 43.8% mark from deep. Holden tallied 674 points in just two seasons at CWU and earned Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Player of the Year honors during his sophomore season.
+ Davian Brown joins the Bobcats for his final year of collegiate eligibility in 2025-26, following in the footsteps of his older brother Darius, who played on MSU's Big Sky Championship and NCAA Tournament team in 2022-23. Darius played in 33 of 34 games and averaged 9.1 points on 46.5% shooting, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game en route to Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year honors and a Third-Team All-Conference Selection. Davian averaged 15.6 points per game last season at Division II Biola and enters the 2025-26 season with a total of 1,915 points scored across his five-year collegiate career at Biola (D-II), Lewis-Clark State (NAIA), and The Master's University (NAIA).
+ Chris Hodges provides 40 games of Big Ten experience for the Bobcats as a graduate transfer from Wisconsin. He was the Badgers' 2024 recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award during his third year in Madison.
+ Washington transfer Christian King adds another 20 games of Power Four experience from his time in the Big Ten, tallying 50 points and 31 rebounds during his redshirt freshman season in 2024-25. His father, Rich King, was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 14th pick in the 1991 NBA Draft.
+ Jeremiah Davis rejoins the Bobcats' rotation after missing the final 20 games of the 2024-25 season due to injury. During his eight-game stint with the Cats last season, Davis scored in double figures twice (vs. Northwest Indian, Nov. 11; at USC, Dec. 15).
+ Bozeman native Seth Amunrud returns home for his junior season after two years at Dawson Community College, where he was an NJCAA Second-Team All-American this past season after averaging 21.1 points per game and shooting 55.2% from the field, 46.8% from three, and 88.7% from the line.
+ Montana State was picked for a share of fifth in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Poll and sixth in the Big Sky Preseason Media Poll.
+ Logie's 313-101 career mark in 14 seasons is good for a .756 winning percentage, 15th-best among active coaches at four-year schools and the 38th-highest winning percentage in the history of all NCAA men's college basketball coaches. Logie's teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 12 of his 14 years as a head coach at three different institutions, and his teams have won at least 21 games in every season save two he has coached in his career.
