Rice overcame a double-digit Montana State lead in the second half Monday, using a formula all too familiar to Bobcat coach Brian Fish in an 83-78 Owls victory in Houston.
Rice used a 17-2 spurt early in the second half and out-scored MSU by 14 points from the foul line. Rice paraded to the free throw line 43 times Monday night, converting 29 of them in the narrow victory.
“We put them on the line 21 more times than we were able to shoot,” Fish, MSU’s third-year head coach, said. “That’s hard to overcome. We have to quit fouling people.”
The Cats held a 47-34 lead with 18:21 to play, but two free throws by Marcus Jackson and a three-pointer by Marcus Evans got the Owls rolling. Only a Harald Frey layup marred Rice’s dominating run. The lead grew all the way to 75-67 with five-and-a-half minutes to play before the Cats answered.
First Tyler Hall hit a jumper, then he drained two free throws, then with 1:14 to play his three-pointer pulled the Bobcats within two at 77-75. Marcus Evans hit a layup at the end of the next shot clock, and Rice hit four of five free throws at the end to seal the win.
Montana State built its lead with a 13-4 run that surrounded halftime. Hall, Quinton Everett and Sarp Gobeloglu each hit 3-pointers to key that run.
Hall again led the Bobcats offensively, scoring 28 points on 9-for-21 shooting, including 6-for-12 from beyond the arc. He also led MSU with nine rebounds. Junior forward Zach Green scored 16 points for MSU – “He was aggressive and made some shots, and I thought he played really well all night,” Fish said – while freshman guard Frey scored 10 points and dished out eight assists.
Rice out-rebounded the Cats 47-to-39 for the game, and limited MSU to 38 percent shooting. The Bobcats stayed close by hitting 13 three-pointers to the home team’s six. MSU also turned the ball over only nine times, forcing 14.
Fish said the emphasis in the days leading to Saturday’s home contest against Delaware State, which closes the Pepsi Classic Presented by Town & Country Foods for MSU, will be on shot selection.
“We’re accepting too many jump shots,” he said. “That’s part of the reason we’re not getting to the free throw line. I thought at times we were really, really good tonight. We just have to get back to work and get better at not fouling.”
The DSU game tips off at 2 p.m. Saturday.
This press release courtesy of Bill Lamberty – Montana State Athletics. All Rights Reserved.
