Battle, Montana St. beat NAU, win 2nd straight Big Sky title
AP
Mar 09, 2023
BOISE, Idaho (AP) RaeQuan Battle scored 25 points and Montana State Bobcats beat Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 85-78 Wednesday night to clinch its second consecutive Big Sky Conference title and an automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Darius Brown II added 11 of his 15 points in the second half and Jubrile Belo scored 14 points for No. 2 seed Montana State (25-9), which has won eight consecutive games and 13 of its last 14. Caleb Fuller made 4 of 6 from the field and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
The Bobcats, who lost 97-62 to Texas Tech in the first round last year, are 0-4 all time in the NCAA Tournament.
Jalen Cone converted a three-point play to cap a 12-6 spurt and pull the Lumberjacks within five points - as close as they had been since late in the first half - 70-65 with 4:50 to play but Battle was fouled as he hit a 3-pointer from the right corner 24 seconds later, made the and-1 free throw and Northern Arizona got no closer.
Northern Arizona (12-23) went into the game having won three games in a row - its longest win streak of the season, including a last-second win over No. 1 seed Eastern Washington in the second round - and five of its last six. The Lumberjacks made their first championship game appearance since advancing to three straight from 2006-08 and its 10th overall.
Carson Towt had 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds for the Lumberjacks before he fouled out with about three minutes to play. Xavier Fuller scored 15 points with eight rebounds and three steals, while Cone and Oakland Fort finished with 12 points apiece.
The Bobcats shot 50% (24 of 48) from the field, including 6 of 10 from 3-point range, and made 31 of 37 (84%) from the free-throw line. It was Montana State's third game this season with at least 30 made free throws.
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1st Half
NAU
Lumberjacks
35
MTST
Bobcats
42
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
(Lumberjacks gains possession)
19:39
Jalen Cone turnover (bad pass)
19:35
+2
Darius Brown II makes two point layup (RaeQuan Battle assists)
0-2
19:18
Xavier Fuller turnover (bad pass)
19:12
+2
RaeQuan Battle makes two point layup
0-4
18:52
Nik Mains misses two point hook shot
18:50
Caleb Fuller defensive rebound
18:43
Bobcats 30 second timeout
18:32
Jubrile Belo misses two point jump shot
18:30
Darius Brown II offensive rebound
18:25
Nik Mains shooting foul (Jubrile Belo draws the foul)
18:25
+1
Jubrile Belo makes regular free throw 1 of 2
0-5
18:25
+1
Jubrile Belo makes regular free throw 2 of 2
0-6
18:11
Carson Towt misses two point layup
18:09
Carson Towt offensive rebound
18:07
+2
Carson Towt makes two point layup
2-6
17:48
Jubrile Belo turnover (traveling)
17:34
Carson Towt misses two point layup
17:32
Caleb Fuller defensive rebound
17:23
Jubrile Belo misses two point hook shot
17:21
Jubrile Belo offensive rebound
17:20
Jubrile Belo misses two point layup
17:18
Xavier Fuller defensive rebound
17:14
Xavier Fuller misses two point jump shot
17:12
Darius Brown II defensive rebound
17:09
+2
RaeQuan Battle makes two point layup (Darius Brown II assists)
2-8
17:09
Liam Lloyd shooting foul (RaeQuan Battle draws the foul)
17:09
+1
RaeQuan Battle makes regular free throw 1 of 1
2-9
17:00
Bobcats kicked ball violation
16:50
Tyler Patterson shooting foul (Xavier Fuller draws the foul)
16:50
+1
Xavier Fuller makes regular free throw 1 of 2
3-9
16:50
+1
Xavier Fuller makes regular free throw 2 of 2
4-9
16:32
Great Osobor turnover (bad pass) (Xavier Fuller steals)
16:16
Xavier Fuller misses two point jump shot
16:14
Caleb Fuller defensive rebound
16:08
RaeQuan Battle misses two point jump shot
16:06
Liam Lloyd defensive rebound
15:55
Liam Lloyd misses three point jump shot
15:53
Great Osobor defensive rebound
15:28
Darius Brown II misses two point jump shot
15:26
Nik Mains defensive rebound
15:11
Carson Towt turnover (bad pass)
15:11
TV timeout
14:51
+2
Jubrile Belo makes two point dunk (RaeQuan Battle assists)
4-11
14:21
+2
Carson Towt makes two point layup (Jalen Cone assists)
6-11
13:46
RaeQuan Battle misses two point jump shot
13:44
RaeQuan Battle personal foul
13:33
Oakland Fort misses three point jump shot
13:31
Great Osobor defensive rebound
13:24
RaeQuan Battle turnover (traveling)
13:05
Xavier Fuller misses two point jump shot
13:03
Great Osobor defensive rebound
12:53
+2
RaeQuan Battle makes two point layup
6-13
12:31
Nik Mains misses two point hook shot
12:29
Jubrile Belo defensive rebound
12:16
Great Osobor turnover (bad pass) (Jalen Cone steals)
12:14
Trenton McLaughlin offensive foul (Robert Ford III draws the foul)
12:14
Trenton McLaughlin turnover (offensive foul)
11:57
+2
Caleb Fuller makes two point jump shot (Jubrile Belo assists)
6-15
11:33
Xavier Fuller misses two point jump shot
11:31
Carson Towt offensive rebound
11:27
+3
Trenton McLaughlin makes three point jump shot (Carson Towt assists)
9-15
11:08
Darius Brown II misses three point jump shot
11:06
Jubrile Belo offensive rebound
11:05
Jack Wistrcill shooting foul (Jubrile Belo draws the foul)
11:05
TV timeout
11:05
+1
Jubrile Belo makes regular free throw 1 of 2
9-16
11:05
+1
Jubrile Belo makes regular free throw 2 of 2
9-17
10:49
+3
Jalen Cone makes three point jump shot
12-17
10:24
+2
Jubrile Belo makes two point layup (Caleb Fuller assists)
12-19
10:24
Jack Wistrcill shooting foul (Jubrile Belo draws the foul)
10:24
Jubrile Belo misses regular free throw 1 of 1
10:24
Trenton McLaughlin defensive rebound
10:03
Jubrile Belo shooting foul (Trenton McLaughlin draws the foul)
10:03
Trenton McLaughlin misses regular free throw 1 of 2
10:03
+1
Trenton McLaughlin makes regular free throw 2 of 2
13-19
9:48
+2
Jubrile Belo makes two point jump shot
13-21
9:21
+2
Carson Towt makes two point jump shot
15-21
9:02
Jubrile Belo misses two point hook shot
9:00
Nik Mains defensive rebound
8:51
+3
Nik Mains makes three point jump shot (Jalen Cone assists)
18-21
8:26
+3
RaeQuan Battle makes three point jump shot (Robert Ford III assists)
18-24
8:00
Nik Mains misses three point jump shot
7:58
Jubrile Belo personal foul
7:58
TV timeout
7:52
Nik Mains misses three point jump shot
7:50
Carson Towt offensive rebound
7:46
+2
Carson Towt makes two point jump shot
20-24
7:20
+2
Darius Brown II makes two point layup
20-26
7:10
Liam Lloyd turnover (bad pass)
7:05
+2
RaeQuan Battle makes two point dunk
20-28
6:50
+2
Xavier Fuller makes two point layup
22-28
6:31
+3
Tyler Patterson makes three point jump shot (Great Osobor assists)
22-31
6:16
Liam Lloyd misses three point jump shot
6:14
Carson Towt offensive rebound
6:13
+2
Carson Towt makes two point hook shot
24-31
5:46
RaeQuan Battle misses three point jump shot
5:44
Carson Towt defensive rebound
5:39
Darius Brown II personal foul (Jalen Cone draws the foul)
5:28
+2
Carson Towt makes two point layup (Trenton McLaughlin assists)
26-31
5:28
Great Osobor shooting foul (Carson Towt draws the foul)
5:28
Carson Towt misses regular free throw 1 of 1
5:28
Darius Brown II defensive rebound
5:11
Trenton McLaughlin shooting foul (Great Osobor draws the foul)
5:11
Great Osobor misses regular free throw 1 of 2
5:11
+1
Great Osobor makes regular free throw 2 of 2
26-32
4:50
+3
Nik Mains makes three point jump shot (Oakland Fort assists)
29-32
4:30
Darius Brown II misses two point layup
4:28
Caleb Fuller offensive rebound
4:28
Caleb Fuller misses two point layup
4:26
Sam Lecholat offensive rebound
4:26
Carson Towt shooting foul (Sam Lecholat draws the foul)
4:26
+1
Sam Lecholat makes regular free throw 1 of 2
29-33
4:26
+1
Sam Lecholat makes regular free throw 2 of 2
29-34
4:11
Sam Lecholat shooting foul (Xavier Fuller draws the foul)
4:11
+1
Xavier Fuller makes regular free throw 1 of 2
30-34
4:11
+1
Xavier Fuller makes regular free throw 2 of 2
31-34
3:57
+2
Caleb Fuller makes two point layup
31-36
3:42
Oakland Fort misses two point jump shot
3:39
Lumberjacks offensive rebound
3:39
TV timeout
3:32
Xavier Fuller misses two point layup
3:30
Carson Towt offensive rebound
3:28
Nik Mains turnover (out of bounds)
3:15
RaeQuan Battle misses two point jump shot
3:13
Nik Mains defensive rebound
3:01
Jalen Cone misses three point jump shot
2:59
Oakland Fort offensive rebound
2:55
Oakland Fort turnover (bad pass) (RaeQuan Battle steals)
2:54
Nik Mains personal foul (RaeQuan Battle draws the foul)
2:54
+1
RaeQuan Battle makes regular free throw 1 of 2
31-37
2:54
+1
RaeQuan Battle makes regular free throw 2 of 2
31-38
2:32
Xavier Fuller turnover (bad pass)
2:17
Robert Ford III misses three point jump shot
2:15
Xavier Fuller defensive rebound
1:53
Jalen Cone misses three point jump shot
1:51
Xavier Fuller offensive rebound
1:49
+2
Xavier Fuller makes two point layup
33-38
1:35
Great Osobor misses two point layup
1:33
Trenton McLaughlin defensive rebound
1:25
+2
Jalen Cone makes two point layup
35-38
1:02
+2
Great Osobor makes two point layup (Darius Brown II assists)
35-40
0:53
Lumberjacks 30 second timeout
0:41
Nik Mains misses three point jump shot
0:39
Great Osobor defensive rebound
0:16
Great Osobor misses two point layup
0:14
Tyler Patterson offensive rebound
0:07
Lumberjacks kicked ball violation
0:03
+2
RaeQuan Battle makes two point layup
35-42
0:00
End of period
2nd Half
NAU
Lumberjacks
43
MTST
Bobcats
43
Time
Team
Play
Score
19:49
Carson Towt shooting foul (Jubrile Belo draws the foul)
