Patrick McMahon Scores Career-High 35 Points, but Bobcats Fall to Bengals, 91-76

Saturday, February 21

Pocatello, Idaho

4 p.m.

Montana State University

15-13,9-6Big Sky

Idaho State

12-17,5-11Big Sky

Montana St.

Idaho St.

Photo by: Noah Syverson

Patrick McMahon Scores Career-High 35 Points, but Bobcats Fall to Bengals, 91-76

2/21/2026 6:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Bobcats unable to overcome Bengals’ strong start

By: Pershelle Rohrer

POCATELLO, Idaho – Patrick McMahon tallied a career-high 35 points on 10-of-20 shooting, but the Bobcats could not overcome a red-hot Idaho State offense as Montana State dropped a 91-76 decision to the Bengals in Pocatello on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday's game featured a high-scoring battle between McMahon and Idaho State's Gus Etchison, who tallied 35 and 36 points for their respective teams. McMahon tallied the most points by a Bobcat in a single game since Amin Adamu scored 36 at Northern Colorado on Jan. 9, 2021. Despite outscoring the Bengals, 46-41, in the second half, a 23-point Bengal run early in the first half proved to be the difference as Idaho State moved to 12-17 (5-11 Big Sky) while Montana State fell to 15-13 (9-6 Big Sky).

"I think it's reflective of what he's [McMahon] meant to our program," head coach Matt Logie said. "He's so resilient – he showed that again tonight. Our kids never quit. We were trying to get it down to 10 at some point where we could put some pressure on them and get some nerves with them, and every time we had a chance to make a run and make a big shot, things didn't go down. But Pat kept fighting, kept getting those chances, got to the free-throw line, and made 15 out of 17 free throws. This wasn't our night, and we've got a lot of opportunities in front of us still, so garbage in, garbage out."

The Bobcats jumped out to an 8-4 lead just over three minutes into the contest before the Bengals took over on a 23-0 run over the next seven minutes. Idaho State held a 27-8 advantage with 9:06 left in the first half as Etchison tallied 13 points off the bench during the run. Montana State started the game just 3-of-18 (16.7%) from the floor until Jed Miller posted a 7-2 run by himself to trim the Bobcats' deficit to 29-15 at the 6:42 mark. Patrick McMahon tallied 13 of the Bobcats' final 15 points of the half, but the Bengals closed on a 5-0 run to take a 20-point lead into the half, 50-30. Etchison tallied 22 points to lead the Bengals in the half while McMahon posted 15 of the Bobcats' 30 first-half points as Miller added seven. The Bengals posted a 65.5% clip from the field to Montana State's 35.5% and posted 31 points off the bench.

After a pair of Miller free throws to open the half, the Bengals tallied five points to push their lead to a game-high 24 points, 55-31, just under one minute into the half. Montana State then responded with a 16-6 run to cut the deficit to 14 points, 61-47, at the 14:33 mark. Four different Bobcats scored as part of that run to provide Montana State with some momentum. The two teams traded baskets over the next four minutes before the Bengals pushed the lead back to 22 points, 76-54, thanks to a 7-0 run that concluded at the 9:25 mark. McMahon then took over with all 11 Bobcat points as part of an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to 78-65 with 4:34 to play. The Palmer, Alaska, native became the first Bobcat to score 30 points in a game since Brandon Walker at UC Riverside on Dec. 18, 2024, with his free throw at the 4:48 mark. The 13-point deficit was as close as the Bobcats would come in the closing minutes as the Bengals took the 91-76 win in Reed Gym.

The Bengals shot a blistering 57.6% from the field in the contest while the Bobcats made 42.1% of their shots, including 13-of-26 (50.0%) in the second half. The Bobcats were outrebounded, 35-19, but won the turnover battle with just eight to the Bengals' 13. Idaho State's Big Sky-leading bench contributed 58 points, with 36 of those points coming from Etchison.

McMahon tallied 35 points while shooting 10-of-20 from the floor and 15-of-17 from the free throw line in his career day, also chipping in three rebounds, one assist, and two steals. Christian King also had a strong day with 17 points, a team-high five boards, and two steals. Miller led the Bobcats in assists (3) and steals (3), and Jaden Steppe shared the team lead in assists with three while tallying the lone Bobcat block of the game. Those two players tallied eight and seven points, respectively.

Montana State opens its final homestand of the season with a crucial game against Portland State on Thursday (SWX/ESPN+). The Bobcats will celebrate Senior Night as McMahon, Miller, Chris Hodges, and Davian Brown are recognized for their contributions to the Montana State men's basketball program. Tipoff from Worthington Arena is set for 7 p.m.

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