Montana State didn’t have much margin for error — not with a 13-10 record and a recent run of uneven results — but it found enough late-game stability to put away Idaho, 73-66, on Thursday night in NCAA action.

Idaho (13-9) arrived playing solid basketball of late, yet Montana State’s ability to close possessions and convert when the game tightened proved decisive. The result gives the Bobcats a needed win as they try to turn a mixed stretch into something more sustainable.

What decided it

In a matchup that lacked published period-by-period scoring, the story still resolves cleanly: Montana State won the endgame. The Bobcats’ seven-point edge at the final horn reflected a team that executed with more clarity in the closing minutes — getting to quality looks, staying connected defensively, and avoiding the kind of empty trips that keep an opponent alive.

Game flow

Without quarter or half splits available, the arc is best captured by the scoreboard and the context. Idaho kept contact throughout, but Montana State consistently answered. When the game demanded a final push, the Bobcats created the separation that Idaho couldn’t fully erase.

What it means going forward

For Montana State, the win is a stabilizer: at 13-10, it’s the kind of result that can shift momentum after a choppy stretch (LLWWW entering the night). The Bobcats didn’t need a blowout — they needed a clean finish, and they got it.

Idaho, now 13-9 after entering with a WLLWW run, leaves with a manageable loss but also a clear takeaway: close games on the road demand sharper late-game execution. Against teams capable of stringing together stops and scores late, small lapses become the difference between a steal and a setback.

Final

Montana State 73, Idaho 66