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LOGAN, UTAH (Ticker) -- Pete Conway scored 23 points and Aaron Rich added 17 for Montana State as it posted a 77-69 victory over Utah State in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament. Conway and Rich combined to shoot 14-of-20 and the Bobcats (20-9) shot 53 percent (23-of-58) in their first NIT appearance since 1987. Montana State took control of the contest in the final four minutes. After a layup by Utah State's Desmond Penigar cut the deficit to 62-60 with 4:33 left, Casey Reynolds made a layup and Damir Latovic made a 3-pointer and a hook shot to make it 69-63 with 1:44 left. Montana State's lead was cut to three with under a minute left, but the Bobcats made five foul shots down the stretch to advance to the first round against Wagner or Richmond. Utah State (23-8), which went 13-5 in the Big West Conference and lost in the championship game to Santa Barbara, was led by Penigar's 25 points. The Aggies made their sixth appearance in the NIT and remained winless in the event over the last four games since going 2-1 in 1960. The Bobcats took a 33-32 halftime lead after a 3-pointer by Reynolds with 22 seconds left in the first half. Center Jeremy Vauge added 18 points for the Aggies, who shot 49 percent (29-of-59). But they only shot 40 percent in the second half and went 1-of-9 from beyond the arc. The only time there was a four-point lead came at the 9:38 mark when Conway gave Montana State a 51-47 lead with a 3-pointer. But the Aggies scored the next five points to take a 52-51 lead two minutes later. |
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