BOISE, Idaho — Montana State put on a clinic in the second half of Wednesday night's Big Sky Men's Basketball Championship, outscoring Montana 85-70 at Idaho Central Arena.
- This is the 3rd straight title for the Bobcats!
- Montana State outscored Montana 53-32 in the second half alone.
- This was an upset as Montana had swept Montana State in the regular season.
- This victory gives Montana State a fast pass to the NCAA Tournament.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Montana went 2-0 against Montana State this year in the regular season, but tonight was not their night! I'm your neighborhood reporter Alexander Huddleston at the Big Sky Championship where the fifth-seeded Montana State just upset the third-seeded Montana.
What better way to compete in a championship than to play your team's biggest rival?
The first half was a very tight matchup between the two Montana squads, with Montana showing why they were the favorite to win this game taking a lead into half at 38-32. But even if on paper the Grizzlies were the better team, Montana State was not going down without a fight!
The Cats came out of the half playing an absolutely electrifying second half, dropping 53 points on their opponent's head. At one point, they even held a 20-point lead over the Grizzlies. The game’s MVP Robert Ford was a driving force in the game scoring 22 points and snagging 9 boards. Once the clock hit zero, Montana State’s bench rushed to the court to celebrate their victory over their rival 85-70. I grabbed forward John Olmsted who himself, cashed in 16 points to get a sense of where his mind was at.
"It feels amazing. It's something I've dreamed of as a little kid. It's something we have all dreamed of. Seeing the confetti fall is great. March is special, so it's an amazing feeling. We are going to enjoy this for a little bit, but you know, once Sunday comes around, we are going to get back to the drawing board, see who we got, and prepare for them," exclaimed Olmsted.
With this victory, Montana State officially punches its ticket to the NCAA tournament. From Idaho Central Arena, I'm your neighborhood reporter Alexander Huddleston, Idaho News 6.