Montana State University
15-18,9-9Big Sky
Northern Colorado
25-8,15-3Big Sky
Cats' Season Comes to a Close in Big Sky Championship Semifinals
3/11/2025 11:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana State falls to Northern Colorado on Tuesday
BOISE, Idaho – March brings a wide range of emotions and experiences in college basketball, and Montana State experienced extremes on both ends of the spectrum during the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
After shooting a scorching 62.5 percent in Monday's 80-60 quarterfinal win over Idaho State, the Bobcats suffered through ice-cold shooting on Tuesday in Northern Colorado's 72-45 semifinal win over MSU. The game ended Montana Sate's 10-game Big Sky Tournament win streak, and its 2024-25 season.
Northern Colorado asserted its dominance from the beginning, holding Montana State scoreless for the game's first eight minutes and limiting the Bobcats to 15 percent shooting in the first half. MSU's nightmarish start helped the Bears to a 15-0 lead at the 12-minute mark and a 29-17 advantage at halftime. The Cats shot 23.6 percent for the game, 4-24 from three-point range.
Bryce Zephir was the only Bobcat in double-digits scoring on Tuesday. He netted 11 points. Jaron Rillie led Northern Colorado, who shot 50 percent as a team, with 13 points. He was one of four Bears in double digits.
The loss, tied for the second-largest margin in a loss in MSU's Big Sky Tournament history, ends Montana State's season at 15-18 and snapped a string of four straight seasons advancing to the conference championship game.
The loss ends the careers of three-time Big Sky champions Tyler Patterson and Sam Lecholat, as well as that of Big Sky champions Brian Goracke and Chika Nduka. Max Agbonkpolo and Jabe Mullins round out the group of six that have played their final collegiate games wearing the Blue and Gold.
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