The Bobcats (14-16, 9-9 BSC) got a boost from Marcus Colbert, who was playing his final game on his home court, as the senior scored 29 points to lead all scorers. Montana State also got a career-high 23 points from Zach Green as those efforts helped combat 25 points from Quinton Hooker.

UND's high-scoring junior had 19 of his points after halftime as the Fighting Hawks (15-14, 10-8 BSC) trimmed what at one point was a 15-point deficit all the way down to five in the closing stretch. Freshman Geno Crandall, who added 15 points for the visitors, aided in that comeback with 11 second-half points.

The victory was the first for the Bobcats over UND at home since the Fighting Hawks joined the league prior to the 2012-13 season.

“I thought we executed well in the first half, but just did not convert those chances into enough points,” UND head coach Brian Jones said. “We were much better in the second half and our guys never quit, but we just had dug too big of a deficit to get all the way back in the game.”

Colbert had 11 of his team's first 13 points as the Bobcats had the Fighting Hawks doubled-up at one point before back-to-back three's by the visitors cut the deficit to one.

Montana State would respond, however, stretching its advantage to double figures with a 12-1 run midway through the opening half that saw the visitors go without a field goal for just over four minutes.

UND missed several opportunities down low and went only 9-for-15 from the free-throw line in the first half to allow the Bobcats to pull ahead. And, despite making only 38 percent of their first-half shots, Adam McDermott had the Fighting Hawks' deficit trimmed to 34-30 with a 3-pointer at the 1:24 mark.

Unfortunately for UND, the home team would get the final five points of the stanza to take a 39-30 lead at the break.

Montana State quickly extended its lead to 15 points at the start of the second half, but the Fighting Hawks shot much better after halftime and made things interesting down the stretch.

Crandall put UND within five points at 68-63 after converting a 3-point play and Hooker would get his team within five once again in the closing minute, but that would be as close as the Fighting Hawks would get.

Green had the best game of his career and hit 4 3-pointers after coming into the game just 8-for-38 on the season.

Hooker finished 9-for-14 from the floor and UND made 10-of-21 from beyond the arc, but the Bobcats were effective from deep as well, knocking down 13 treys, including five from Colbert.

The Bobcats also owned a 40-34 edge on the glass despite a game-high 10 rebounds from Drick Bernstine, who finished with nine points along with Conner Avants, Corey Baldwin and McDermott.

UND will be the No. 5 seed next week at The Big Sky Tournament in Reno and play on Tuesday at 4:35 p.m. CT. The Fighting Hawks' opponent will be determined when all games are concluded later this evening.

-- UND --