Erik Rush scored 19 points and Bobby Howard added 18 as Montana State broke open a tight game in the second half and defeated Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo 73-57 on Sunday night.
Danny Piepoli and Rod Singleton each scored all 10 of their points in the second half for the Bobcats (4-1), who shot 65.2 percent after intermission while outscoring the Mustangs 47-32.
Piepoli scored six points and Singleton scored four in a Montana State run that turned a three-point deficit into a 40-34 lead with 14:23 to play. The Bobcats eventually built their lead to 19 points.
Shawn Lewis and David Hanson each scored 15 points for the Mustangs (1-2), who trailed 26-25 at halftime. Will Donahue had 10 rebounds for the third consecutive game for Cal Poly, which outrebounded Montana State 36-30 but committed 22 turnovers and shot only 40 percent from the floor.
