Montana State Bobcats

After a one-week respite in Big Sky play, the Bobcats return to their grueling non-league slate on Wednesday, battling national power Memphis at the Tigers’ FedEx Forum. Memphis stands 5-1 on the season, with the team’s only loss a two-pointer against Kansas. Montana State’s season took a positive turn over the weeked, when the Bobcats swept a Big Sky homestand with double-digit wins over Northern Colorado (87-63) and Northern Arizona (62-50). The most positive news of the weekend may have come in Marquis Navarre’s stat line. The MSU point guard posted his two best scoring games as a Bobcat, going off for 22 points against Northern Colorado and 15 against the Lumberjacks. His sterling play was matched by Bobby Howard, who averaged a double-double (37 points, 21 rebounds in the two games).

Montana State vs. Memphis

DATE: 12/9/09
TIPOFF: 6 pm MST/7 pm CST
SITE: Memphis, TN
ARENA: FedEx Forum
RADIO: Bobcat Radio Network
LAST TIME: Memphis 77, MSU 50 in 1960-61

* Marquis Navarre posted the best two offensive games of his career last weekend, setting a career high with 22 points against Northern Colorado and answering that with 15 vs. NAU

* Bobby Howard leads the team with 15 treys, and shoots 42.9% from three

* Montana State dropped the only meeting in series history, a 77-50 drubbing by Memphis in Bozeman on December 17, 1960

* Montana State lost its first meeting with a Conference USA opponent this year when Southern Miss toppled the Bobcats 66-62 in Bozeman

* Montana State’s 8.1 treys per game and .380 three-point percentage are both second-best in the league

* Montana State turned the ball over 20 times in last weekend’s two games, and the team’s 13.0 turnovers per game is second in the Big Sky

* MSU tied for second in the Big Sky in blocked shots, with Austin Brown (fourth) and Cody Anderson (seventh) each among the league leaders

* The Bobcats out-rebounded both of last weekend’s opponents