Montana State was eventually ahead 73-69 near the end of the game. UC Riverside hit a basket and got sent to the FT line with a questionable foul call. They missed the FT, but Montana State was called for a lane violation. He missed the second FT, but the ball was tipped out to Riverside G Robert Smith (who appeared to push Rod Singleton out of the way). He threw up a desperation 3, and it fell through with 0.7 seconds left.
“It was wild,” said Montana State coach Brad Huse of the closing sequence. “We had the game in hand, we made free throws, we just didn't finish it off. Credit Riverside, they got the right bounce and made the shot. We have nowhere to point fingers but ourselves.”It was a game of questionable officiating on both sides, according to people who watched the game. The Bobcats shot 40-52 from the foul line, but they came up just short.
There were some good things from the Bobcats though. I liked their 1-3-1 zone, as they are athletic enough to be a problem for offenses. In particular, Mohammed Fall is an athletic big that is tough down low, and he had 4 blocks on the day.
The other big thing, and this has been happening over the last few games, is that Xavier Blount has emerged as their go-to guy. He had 21 points and hit a big jumper down the stretch.
It will be a tough one for the Bobcats to swallow, and they will have a week before they get back on the court. They take on Pepperdine next Sunday.
Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball
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