(Editor's Note: Montana State Press Release)
OGDEN, Utah -- Weber State was nearly perfect from the free throw line and used a scoring run late in the second half to defeat Montana State, 82-74, on Saturday in the Dee Events Center. The Wildcats improved to 11-4 overall (6-2 BSC) while the Bobcats dropped to 9-5 (6-2 BSC).
Montana State scored the first four points of the second half to tie the contest up at 37. For the next 13 minutes, neither team took control of the game. Montana State held its largest lead of the matchup, 60-55, following a Jubrile Belo layup with 7:26 remaining. Weber State immediately responded with four consecutive points and the margin was back to a single possession.
Belo slammed down a dunk with just under six minutes left on the clock to put MSU ahead 62-59. That's when Weber State began its strongest stretch of the day.
The Wildcats used a mix of scoring from inside the arc, 3-point range and work from the free throw line to go on a 15-4 run and take a 74-66 lead with 2:39 to go. MSU scored five consecutive points with a Mike Hood 3-pointer capping the quick spree to make it a 74-71 game with 1:37 remaining. However, Weber State made six straight free throws to end the contest and complete a regular season sweep for the Wildcats over the Bobcats.
Montana State held Weber State to its fourth lowest field goal percentage of the season as the Wildcats went 23-for-51 (45.1%) shooting, but Weber State was strong from the charity stripe. The Wildcats only missed two of their 30 attempts from the free throw line. The 93.3% clip was their best as a team yet this season.
"We just couldn't get stops when it mattered," Montana State head coach Danny Sprinkle said. "They made big plays, they made big 3-pointers at big times. (Seikou Sisoho Jawara) had 25 points. He took over and it seemed like he didn't miss a shot.
"We were just a little too sloppy and our turnovers were unforced ones. That's stuff we need to clean up. We'll see this team again though. We'll learn from this."
Montana State shot over 40% from the field and 3-point range while tying Weber State on the boards with 32 apiece. MSU went 13 of 16 (81.3%) from the free throw line as the Bobcats were called for 27 personal fouls compared to Weber State's 20.
Four Bobcats finished in double digits scoring led by Amin Adamu's 19. Xavier Bishop scored 18 points despite being held to 25 minutes on the court due to four called personal fouls early in the second half. Hood went 5 of 11 from the field to score 12 points while he and Adamu each had a team-high three assists. Belo scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
Sisoho Jawara scored his 25 points by going 7 of 9 from the field, 5-for-6 from deep and also made all six of his free throws. He led a group of four Wildcats in double figures while Dillon Jones had 11 rebounds for Weber State.
Montana State is scheduled to play its next three contests in Worthington Arena. Up next for the Bobcats is a two-game series against Eastern Washington set to start with a 5 p.m. tipoff in Bozeman on Thursday, Feb. 11.
