BOZEMAN, Mont. (February 12, 2022) – Montana State's Xavier Bishop scored the game-winner with 6.4 seconds remaining to keep the Bobcats' win streak alive, withstanding a hard-charging rally by the Northern Arizona men's basketball team on Saturday. Bishop's layup through traffic elevated the Bobcats to a 72-70 victory over the Lumberjacks in Worthington Arena and extended their win streak to 11 games.
"We battled in the first half with our foul trouble and in the second half, they go up 12 points and we didn't flinch," said head coach
Shane Burcar. "We came back and had a chance to take the lead, missed a layup, and then a 50/50 call doesn't go our way. We still had a chance to tie or win and I give credit to our guys for their effort. But I know our locker room isn't impressed because to come here and play the way we did, we're not satisfied with anything but winning the game."
The Lumberjacks (9-16, 5-9 Big Sky) trailed by as much as 12 with 14 minutes left and nine with 4:29 remaining before forging back. Down 67-58, sophomore
Jalen Cone converted an and-1 to make it a two-possession game. After Jubrile Belo split a pair at the line, redshirt sophomore
Keith Haymon hit his first of two huge threes with 2:46 on the clock.
Haymon's second three on the next possession pulled NAU within one, and following a Montana State bucket, redshirt junior
Nik Mains drained a corner triple to bring the game even, 70-70, with 33.7 seconds left.
Tied for the first time since the 5:46 mark before halftime, NAU nearly came up with the defensive stop it needed to complete the comeback. However, Bishop drew a foul – and the and-1 – under the rim with 6.7 seconds remaining. Despite Bishop, who finished the afternoon with a game-high 23 points, missing the ensuing free throw, NAU lost the ball on the dribble drive as the clock expired before it could attempt a game-tying attempt.
NAU was outshot 47.3 percent to 42.1 percent, but the Lumberjacks did outrebound the Bobcats, 36-32, including 13 offensive boards that led to 10 second chance points. The Lumberjacks also matched a season-high with eight steals with Mains and junior
Mason Stark each recording a pair.
Before the late-game dramatics, the first 20 minutes was a back-and-forth affair with 13 lead changes and seven ties. Cone and redshirt freshman
Carson Towt combined for 11 of NAU's first 13 points as the Lumberjacks kept pace with the Bobcats early.
Three straight layups by redshirt sophomore
Ezekiel Richards, who pulled down a career and game-high nine rebounds, Mains and redshirt junior
Jay Green provided NAU with a 25-22 advantage with 7:14 left in the first half. However, that turned out to be the Lumberjacks' final lead of the game.
The Bobcats (20-5, 12-2 Big Sky) scored the next eight points and in all, outscored the 'Jacks by nine in the last seven minutes to claim a 39-33 halftime lead.
Montana State, who remains atop the Big Sky Conference standings, doubled its advantage through the first six minutes of the second half, 52-40, yet it was not able to completely pull away from NAU. Sophomore
Isaiah Lewis and Towt converted three-point plays on consecutive possessions to slash the Bobcat lead in half.
Prior to the Lumberjacks' final run in the final five minutes, they pulled within six on two more occasions despite their deficit growing to as large as 11 again.
Haymon was perfect from the field (5-for-5) and hit all four of his three-point attempts after halftime, accounting for 14 of his team-high 17 points. He was one of three Lumberjacks in double-figures with Cone (15) and Mains (10) behind him. Cone and Towt both handed out five assists apiece.
Saturday's game was NAU's 11th in the last 26 days, and now the 'Jacks will have their longest stretch between games in the last month before returning to the court for their lone game next week. NAU will travel to Portland State next Thursday. Tip-off from the Viking Pavilion is 8 p.m. MST.
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