For the first time since Mick Durham roamed the sidelines at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse and Danny Sprinkle was in the infancy of his college coaching career, the Montana State Bobcats cut down the nets at Worthington Arena.
Montana State’s incredible run of success continued across its athletic department on Tuesday night. Like the Bobcat football team in the fall, MSU’s men’s basketball team bounced back from a rivalry loss in Missoula in resounding fashion.
The MSU hoopers lost 80-74 in Missoula on Sunday. Tuesday, the Bobcats used dominant first half defense and salty resolve from its most veteran players in the second half to blast Southern Utah 69-53. In front of 3,288, senior Xavier Bishop poured in 28 points, senior Amin Adamu added 13 points, senior Adbul Mohamed scored seven points and played stellar defense on the wing and junior center Jubrile Belo nearly earned a double double, scoring 11 points and nine rebounds.
MSU’s victory moves Montana State to 14-4 in Big Sky Conference play and drops SUU to 12-6, ensuring MSU at least a share of its first Big Sky title since 2002. That year, Durham led MSU to the regular-season title and the right to host the league tournament. But the Bobcats lost in infamous fashion in the tournament semifinals to rival Montana thanks to a put-back dunk by Dan Trammell to lift the Griz into the championship game.
The last time Montana State played in the NCAA Tournament, Danny Sprinkle was a fresh-faced freshman who had just earned league tournament MVP honors after shooting MSU into the Big Dance. That was back in 1996, the last time MSU won at least 21 games.
Tuesday’s victory marked Montana State’s 22nd victory. That total plus the 14 league wins are the most MSU has had in Big Sky play since serving as a charter and founding member of the league back in 1963.
THE MATCHUP & Result
Montana State ripped off an 11-game winning streak earlier this season and started Big Sky Conference play 12-2 overall. But the Bobcats had their surge snapped in overtime at Eastern Washington, then bounced back to win at Southern Utah, 76-71.
MSU played at Montana on Sunday, losing 80-74, extending the Grizzlies’ home winning streak against the rival dating back to 2010. That made Tuesday’s makeup game against the T-Birds that much bigger.
The Bobcats downed Southern Utah in last year’s Big Sky tournament and already had a victory in Cedar City. The Thunderbirds came out inspired but Montana State held the the T-Birds scoreless for more than seven minutes to close the first half with a 31-20 lead.
The hosts pushed the advantage to 35-20 early in the second half only to see SUU storm all the way back and cut it to one, 44-43.
From that point, each time MSU made a run, Bishop and the Bobcats responded in short order. MSU lost the first 10 minutes of the second half 22-10 but still won the final 20 minutes 38-33 and the game 69-53.
THE STANDOUTS
Bishop continued his case as a first-team All-Big Sky performer. The 5-foot-7 southpaw scored 16 of his 18 second-half points in the final eight minutes of the contest. He finished 9-of-14 from the floor and 9-of-9 from the free throw line to best his career high set Sunday by a single point on Tuesday.
Adamu, a southpaw himself who struggled in Missoula on Sunday, hit MSU’s first 3-pointer Tuesday and capped the dominant first half with a dunk. He finished the game with 13 points and six rebounds.
Belo continued his charge toward all-conference accolades with 11 points and nine rebounds.
QUOTABLE
“When we got off the bus on Sunday night, literally I was seething. It hit me on the bus ride, I need to make sure these guys know the opportunity we have. We had a team meeting, I brought them on the court, and looked up at that banner right there. We were standing right here, the whole team, and I talked to them about the championship team I played on and how close we are to this day. Leaving a legacy means something, and if you don’t win it, will you be remembered?
“You might be remembered for a little bit but you’re not going to be remembered forever. That 2022 (banner) is going to be up there forever. They’re going to be able to come back (and see it) at any time, and the camaraderie this team will have forever is something they don’t even know how special it is right now. I showed them my net from ’96 and I told them about Nico (Harrison) and Quad (Quadre Lollis) and (Adam) Leachman, (Scott) Hatler, Danny Sullivan, the whole team, and how special that bond is.”
Montana State third-year head coach Danny Sprinkle
“Xavier Bishop just wasn’t going to let us lose. You could feel it just watching him on the court, the control he had and how aggressive he was. When he’s aggressive like that he’s really hard to guard. He makes our team so much better because he draws so much attention and draws two defenders. Even watching X in the first half, I was like, this kid, he’s not going to let us lose tonight. “
Montana State third-year head coach Danny Sprinkle
“It was an amazing feeling. It’s what you dream of as a kid, winning a conference championship and it’s unexplainable for real. Seeing the confetti come down, cutting down the nets and celebrating with everybody, I wouldn’t want to do this with anybody else.”
Montana State senior point guard Xavier Bishop after pouring in a career-high 28 points
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WHAT’S NEXT
Montana State hosts Sacramento State on Thursday and Northern Colorado on Sunday to finish the regular season. Southern Utah wraps up the regular season on the road with games at Idaho State Thursday and Weber State on Saturday.
“We have to enjoy this til midnight, then we have to pay rent again tomorrow,” Sprinkle said. “We’re playing against a Sacramento State team that’s probably the hottest team in the league. They’re a big, physical team. It’s going to be a heck of a game.”
