Montana State University’s men’s basketball team secured a 76-65 victory over Northern Arizona on Monday night in Flagstaff, closing the regular season with three consecutive wins. Christian King led the Bobcats with 18 points, as five players scored in double figures.
The Bobcats held the lead throughout the game and improved their record to 18-13 overall and 12-6 in Big Sky Conference play. With this win, Montana State clinched the No. 2 seed and earned a first-round bye for the upcoming Big Sky Championship tournament, scheduled to take place in Boise, Idaho from March 7-10.
“I couldn’t be prouder of a group of people,” head coach Matt Logie said. “Staff, players, managers – it’s been a complete team effort. We talked about this week the old Bob Green quote that we want to be like woodpeckers in a petrified forest, just keep busy and look for opportunities, and when you do that, you’ll be amazed at what might present itself. We wanted this one because we worked really hard to create this opportunity. We’ve overcome more than anybody else in the conference in terms of injuries. These guys have been just nails in terms of their attitude throughout the entire year and stepping up for one another. We had five guys in double figures today. This is as proud as I’ve ever been as a coach.”
Montana State established an early advantage with a 15-4 run and maintained control throughout most of the first half, leading by as many as 17 points before taking a 36-25 lead into halftime. The team limited Northern Arizona to just nine field goals out of 25 attempts (36%) during the opening period while forcing seven turnovers.
Northern Arizona narrowed the gap early in the second half but Montana State responded with a decisive 16-0 run capped by Jed Miller’s three-pointer to build their largest lead at 59-37. Although Northern Arizona made another push late in regulation, Jaden Steppe and Miller combined for key baskets down the stretch to secure the win.
Statistically, Montana State shot better than its opponent (50.9% compared to Northern Arizona’s 44.8%), outrebounded them slightly (33-31), committed few turnovers resulting only in three points for NAU off turnovers, and outscored them on fast breaks by a margin of 14-2.
King contributed two rebounds, two assists, and two steals along with his scoring output—his nineteenth double-digit performance this season. Steppe posted a career-high with 16 points plus three rebounds and two steals; Miller finished with thirteen points on perfect shooting from both inside and beyond the arc while leading his team with eight rebounds; Seth Amunrud added ten points and five boards; Chris Hodges also scored ten while recording two blocks.
With other results around the conference—Portland State defeating Weber State and Eastern Washington losing to Idaho—the Bobcats locked up second place in league standings heading into postseason play. They will face either Idaho or Sacramento State next Sunday at 8 p.m., broadcast on Scripps/ESPN+.
For further updates about Montana State men’s basketball including news and behind-the-scenes content, fans can follow @MSUBobcatsMBB on Twitter or Instagram or visit msubobcats.com.
