Montana State University
12-15,7-7Big Sky
Idaho State
11-13,6-7Big Sky
Bobcats Outmuscle Idaho State in Second Half
2/15/2025 10:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana State gets sixth straight home win with 74-69 victory on Saturday in Bozeman
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Montana State men's basketball battened down the hatches and got revenge from an earlier defeat to Idaho State, besting the Bengals 74-69 on Saturday night at Worthington Arena.
Prior to this week, the Bobcats (12-15, 7-7) found themselves on the wrong end of several late-game thrillers.
But on Saturday, trailing 62-60 with just over four minutes left, the 'Cats took a collective breath and leaned on their experience to finish the deal.
Montana State hit five of their last seven field goal attempts and five of their last six free throws to secure the win and split the season series with Idaho State (11-13, 6-7), avenging a 70-67 defeat in Pocatello on Jan. 16.
With the win, the Bobcats improved to 10-2 at home, including 6-1 against conference foes at Worthington Arena.
Montana State now holds sole possession of fourth place in the league standings with four games to play.
Idaho State came in one of the best teams in the country in offensive rebounding, averaging nearly 15 per game, but Montana State—who has struggled on the glass this season--held them to 12 total, including just three in the second half.
"I'm really proud of our guys' toughness tonight," head coach Matt Logie said. "You've got a team that is top-five in the country in offensive rebounding and you hold them below their average. The first half was a little below our goal, but the last three media segments they had no offensive rebounds. That grit and toughness down the stretch was pivotal, and then our late-game execution just continues to improve. We had a lot of possessions where we just took good care of the ball and got great shots. I'm really proud. Our guys were tough, they were detailed, and they were together, which was our theme for the week."
A big reason for Montana State's ability to hang tough on the boards was Sam Lecholat, who finished with seven points and four rebounds while drawing five fouls.
Lecholat's tip-in finish with 0.7 seconds left on the shot clock in a one-possession game with 46.1 seconds left in the game proved to be a difference-making bucket.
"He's the leader in that category for us," Logie said, referring to toughness. "We've needed him to step up in a leadership role in that way—not just in his actions but also imploring his teammates to match that. I think that was a big trait from Robert Ford last year and Sam has really stepped up to take on that leadership role. Whether it's crashing the glass, drawing fouls, or getting offensive rebounds, I'm really proud of him."
Jabe Mullins continued his inspired stretch of play off the bench, finishing with a team-high 17 points and three 3-pointers.
Mullins has averaged 18.5 points per game over his last four outings, with scoring totals of 16, 24, 17, and 17.
Brandon Walker had 15 points and four assists, going 7-for-8 at the free throw line.
Max Agbonkpolo finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, scoring ten in the second half to help the 'Cats ice the game. After missing a free throw and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions late in crunch time, it was Agbonkpolo's far side corner three off an assist from Tyler Patterson that swung the lead back to MSU at 63-62 with 3:43 left.
The Bobcats trailed for just two minutes on the night, and only briefly in the second half after a Dylan Darling 3-pointer before Agbonkpolo took the advantage right back for the home team with a triple.
Darling, a former teammate of Mullins at Washington State last season, poured in 27 points—scoring 20 in the second half to will the Bengals back in the game. The guard was 4 of 6 from beyond the arc after halftime.
Montana State won the turnover battle 12-7 and had assists on 14 of 24 made field goals, compared to Idaho State's seven assists on 24 made field goals.
The 'Cats got good minutes off the bench from Patrick McMahon, who finished with 11 points and three rebounds, knocking down seven of his nine free throw attempts while drawing seven Bengal fouls.
"We overcame some things today, which is a sign of good things to come," Logie said. "You're not always going to have things break your way. You've got to be tough and you've got to find ways to bounce back and step up and make the plays when they're available. You've got to let the past go and make the next best choice and play this game with confidence."
Montana State jumped out to a 19-5 lead nearly ten minutes into the game, stifling the Idaho State offense with their length and defensive versatility. The Bobcats held a 24-10 lead with 8:49 to play, but the Bengals started to gain steam on the boards and converted on second-chance opportunities.
Despite limiting Idaho State to just 26% shooting from the field in the first while shooting 50% themselves, the 'Cats held just a 36-30 lead at halftime.
Yet, in the second half, MSU protected the boards and took care of the ball—with only three turnovers in the final 20 minutes of game action.
UP NEXT
Montana State gets ready for the second edition of the Brawl of the Wild this season.
Tip in the Cat-Griz clash is scheduled for 7 p.m. next Saturday at Worthington Arena.
The game will air on Scripps stations and stream on ESPN+, with live radio play-by-play airing on the Bobcat Sports Network.
Tickets are available here.
Montana (19-8, 12-2) stands alone in first place in the Big Sky standings and handed Montana State a 77-70 defeat in the first Brawl meeting on Jan. 25.
#GoCatsGo
