BOZEMAN — With the game on the line, Montana State guard Jed Miller made all the biggest plays.
The 6-foot-2 senior scored the Bobcats' final four points, secured a crucial offensive rebound and intercepted Weber State's last-ditch effort as MSU eked out a 91-88 men's basketball win Saturday inside Worthington Arena.
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Montana State built a 14-point lead midway through the second half on a Christian King 3-pointer that made the score 74-60, but Weber State went on a 22-6 run over the next six minutes. The Wildcats took an 82-80 lead on a Nigel Burris bucket with 2:24 to play.
MSU's Patrick McMahon responded with an old-school three-point play a minute later and, after a Tija Saine Jr. layup for WSU, a King basket and two Seth Amunrud free throws gave the Bobcats an 87-84 lead. Burris trimmed the Wildcats' deficit to 87-86, then it was Miller time.
Miller and Saine traded free throws, and Miller went back to the foul line with five seconds left. He missed the front end of the one-and-one but out-sprinted four Wildcats — and no Bobcats, as his teammates were all back ready to play defense — to corral the rebound. He was fouled again, and this time Miller sank both freebies.
For good measure, he stole Weber State's ensuing long inbound pass to stifle any shot at a game-tying 3-pointer.
Miller finished with a career-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He was 5 of 9 from 3-point range and 4 of 5 from the foul line. Miller has scored in double figures in the Bobcats' past five games and seven of their eight Big Sky Conference games. MSU is 13-8 overall (7-1 in the Big Sky) and has won four consecutive games.
King added 20 points for the Bobcats, making 6 of 11 shots from the floor, including a 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Amunrud scored 13 points, and McMahon and Davian Brown each had 11. As a team, Montana State was 30-of-58 shooting (51.7%), 12 of 29 from 3 (41.4%) and 19 of 21 at the free throw line (90.5%).
Saine had 24 points to lead Weber State, and Vil Vartiainen and Trevor Hennig had 15 apiece. The Wildcats shot just as well as the Bobcats — 51.7% from the field, 57.9% from 3 and 78.9% from the free throw line.
It was the third straight loss for Weber State, which fell to 10-11 overall and 4-4 in the Big Sky.
Montana State his the road next week for a crucial West Coast swing. The Bobcats play Sacramento State on Jan. 29 and then league-leading Portland State, which is 13-5 overall and 7-0 in the Big Sky, on Jan. 31.
