Walker nets 26, Cats knock off Cal
BERKELEY, Calif. — Behind 26 points from sophomore forward Brandon Walker, Montana State secured the first signature win of the Matt Logie era in dramatic fashion on Thursday night, taking down California, 63-60 at Haas Pavilion.
The first Division I victory for Logie at MSU marked the first win for the Cats over a Power Five opponent since they took down Washington State on Dec. 9, 2018. It's also the first road win over a Power Five foe since defeating Utah in Salt Lake City in 2011.
The Bobcats (2-1)saw Cal (2-2) cut a 14-point deficit down to a 57-56 with 2:34 left in the game before Brian Goracke made a layup and two free throws to push it back to 61-56 with 1:20 remaining.
Two free throws from Jed Miller made it 63-58 with 22 seconds left and a game-tying heave from Cal — off an offensive rebound — was off the mark at the horn.
Montana State shot just 4 of 24 from beyond the arc and was out-rebounded 39-25, but won the turnover battle 16-8 and led for over 37 minutes.
"This group has been resilient from day one when we got here," head coach Matt Logie said. "It all comes down to attitude, which is what we say in every huddle, and that allows us to handle adversity together and keep fighting when things get tough."
Walker was nearly unstoppable. The sophomore transfer from UT Arlington poured in 14 points in the first half on the way to his career-high. He added three rebounds, four assists and a crucial steal in the final two minutes.
Patrick McMahon reached double-figures for the third straight game, chipping in 10 in his first start. Goracke added eight, and Miller and Lecholat each contributed six points off the bench. Robert Ford III collected a team-high nine rebounds.
"It goes to show what we can accomplish together in the Bobcat basketball family," said Logie, who was hired to replace Danny Sprinkle last spring. "Even in the midst of great change and adversity, this program is built to last and these kids are fighting for that every day. The best is yet to come."