Northern Arizona 69, Montana 59
3/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - Aaron Bond scored 16 points and Kelly Golob chipped in with 15 as Northern Arizona wrapped up its regular season with a 69-59 victory over Montana Saturday night.
The Lumberjacks (15-12, 6-8 Big Sky) clinched a winning season with the victory and wrapped up the No. 5 seed in next week's conference tournament.
Northern Arizona will face fourth-seeded Idaho State in the first round of the Big Sky tournament Saturday in Pocatello, Idaho.
Montana (13-16, 7-7) is the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will host the winner of Saturday's Montana State-Sacramento State game in the tournament's first round Saturday.
The Lumberjacks rallied from a seven point first half deficit and stifled the Grizzlies in the opening minutes of the second half to take control of the game.
Montana went 9:29 without a field goal at the end of the first half and the start of the second half, and Northern Arizona took advantage of the dry spell to turn a 31-24 deficit into a 41-35 lead.
David Bell, who scored 17 first-half points and finished with a career-high 29 points and hit 8 of 11 3-pointers, broke the drought with a 3-pointer with 13:06 to play to cut NAU's lead to 41-38.
But the Lumberjacks responded with seven straight points, capping the run with a Ryan McDade basket, as NAU opened a 48-38 lead.
Montana would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way.
UM freshman Kevin Criswell was held to nine points on 3 of 14 shooting.
The Lumberjacks (15-12, 6-8 Big Sky) clinched a winning season with the victory and wrapped up the No. 5 seed in next week's conference tournament.
Northern Arizona will face fourth-seeded Idaho State in the first round of the Big Sky tournament Saturday in Pocatello, Idaho.
Montana (13-16, 7-7) is the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will host the winner of Saturday's Montana State-Sacramento State game in the tournament's first round Saturday.
The Lumberjacks rallied from a seven point first half deficit and stifled the Grizzlies in the opening minutes of the second half to take control of the game.
Montana went 9:29 without a field goal at the end of the first half and the start of the second half, and Northern Arizona took advantage of the dry spell to turn a 31-24 deficit into a 41-35 lead.
David Bell, who scored 17 first-half points and finished with a career-high 29 points and hit 8 of 11 3-pointers, broke the drought with a 3-pointer with 13:06 to play to cut NAU's lead to 41-38.
But the Lumberjacks responded with seven straight points, capping the run with a Ryan McDade basket, as NAU opened a 48-38 lead.
Montana would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way.
UM freshman Kevin Criswell was held to nine points on 3 of 14 shooting.
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