BOZEMAN, Mont.—Senior forward Jabril Banks and sophomore guard Devon Beitzel scored 15 points apiece to lead Northern Colorado to a 65-55 win over Montana State on Thursday night.
Northern Colorado (8-12, 4-3 Big Sky) led 30-27 at the break, but Montana State kept the game close during the beginning of the second half. The Bears led by only four points with just under twelve minutes to play before a 3-pointer by Beitzel sparked a 13-4 run that put the game out of reach.
The Bears, who held MSU to one field goal for nearly 12 minutes in the second half, earned their second straight win in Bozeman. Northern Colorado never trailed in the second half, shooting 55 percent from the field after the break compared to 25 percent shooting by the Bobcats.
Junior guard Will Bynum led Montana State (9-8, 3-4) with 12 points, while sophomore forward Bobby Howard finished with 11. Senior center Divaldo Mbunga had eight points and eight rebounds despite playing only 17 minutes because of foul trouble.
“I thought their energy was greater than ours,” MSU coach Brad Huse said. “Their determination factor was a notch higher, and that’s tough to swallow. They got their hands on more passes, got to more loose balls. I don’t think we played with enough energy and passion. I give them a lot of credit.”
