Cats claw Grizzlies in a Brawl of the Wild hardwood classic

The Bobcat men's basketball team took on the Montana Grizzlies on Sunday, Jan. 9, in Worthington Arena, where the Cats claimed a 66-59 win. In the 20 games prior to Sunday’s matchup against the Griz, MSU has lost 19. Both teams have an overall record of 11-5 this season, and the Cats were eager to prove themselves on the court against a strong team.

The game was physical in the first half. That saw a back and forth affair with the Griz leading for a majority of the half. In the last nine minutes of the half, the Bobcats mounted a 19-12 run that gave the Bobcats a lead they would not surrender for the remainder of the game. The half ended with the Cats up 36-33.

The second half started with the Cats going on a run, taking the score to 46-35. As the game proceeded, the Griz slowly made up a few baskets until the score was Cats 55 to Griz 59. The competition really heated up in the last two minutes. Senior forward Jubrile Belo made a crucial dunk to extend the Cats lead. In the game's final seconds, fouls and free throws ended the game, with MSU winning 66-59.

Head Coach Danny Sprinkle described his team’s efforts in his post game press conference: "We call them championship plays," Sprinkle said. "and you have to make those plays to beat the University of Montana. To beat a Travis DeCuire-coached team you have to make those plays. I kept telling the guys the last eight minutes you can't wait for something to happen. You can't wait for the rebound to come to you. You have to make the play. You have to be aggressive, and if you're not aggressive you're not going to win the game. And our guys, give them all the credit, they made those plays, especially late."

Due to COVID-19 protocols, the women's basketball team had to reschedule its games against the Idaho Vandals from Thursday, Jan. 6, to Monday, Jan. 17, and against Montana from Sunday, Jan. 9, to Monday, Jan. 24.