KBZK

Posted: Mar 8, 2010 7:53 AM
Updated: Mar 8, 2010 2:30 PM

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - Melvin Jones sank his fifth 3-pointer of the game with three seconds left to lift Portland State to a 68-65 win over Montana State in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament Saturday night.

With 1:04 left, third-seeded Montana State (15-14) took a 65-63 lead on a 3-pointer by Branden Johnson.

But Paul Guede made two free throws for Portland State (13-18) with 35 seconds left to tie it. Montana State turned the ball over on the next play, setting Jones up for the game winner.

Jones finished with 17 points for the Vikings and Julius Thomas helped out with 19 points.

The Vikings, which entered the tournament in the No. 6 seed, advance to the semifinals Tuesday in Ogden, Utah, where they will play top-seeded Weber State.

Bobby Howard and Danny Piepoli led the Bobcats with 16 points each. Erik Rush finished with 13 points. Howard and Johnson led all players with eight rebounds each.

The Vikings have won the last two Big Sky tournaments, earning an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament each time. But this year, they struggled under first-year head coach Tyler Geving.

"I kept telling them all year that we weren't that bad," Geving said. "Finally, it turned our way. We were the one making the play tonight."

The Bobcats dressed only nine players because of injuries and departures. Afterward, head coach Brad Huse praised some of the plays made by his short-handed team, including the late 3-pointer by Johnson.

"Branden made a big shot," Huse said. "But the last minute just didn't go our way. It just came down to not making the last couple of plays to win the game."

In a game where the biggest lead by either team was five points, fouls were an issue. Both Howard and Johnson played the final four and a half minutes with four fouls.

"I thought a big key was the foul situation in the second half," Huse said. "We had to play soft inside and they were getting easy shots."

The game was tied at 29 at halftime. Portland State took its biggest lead at 46-41 on Jones' fourth 3-pointer. Montana State answered with a 9-0 run behind Rush's five points to take its biggest lead at 50-46.
     
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