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BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Marquise Navarre scored a career-high 22 points, and Bobby Howard added 21 points and nine rebounds Friday night as Montana State opened Big Sky Conference play with an 87-63 rout of previously unbeaten Northern Colorado.

The Bears entered the game with a chance to start a season 8-0 for the first time in 108 years (1901), but the Bobcat's ended that conversation with a 52-point second half. 

Navarre scored 12 points in the first half and led MSU (3-3, 1-0 Big Sky) on a 15-2 run that turned a six-point deficit into a 28-21 lead. The Bobcats led 35-33 at halftime before scoring the first nine points of the second half and never letting the Bears (7-1, 0-1) get closer than six the rest of the way.  

Northern Colorado guard Will Figures proved a one-man wrecking crew for the Bears, leading all players with 24 points. He also dished out three assists and recorded a steal.

"He's a great player," Montana State coach Brad Huse said. "He's tough-minded and he makes shots."

The teams opened the game by trading baskets and stood tied at 13 when Neal Kingman's jumper, two Figures free throws, and a Chris Kaba layup gave Northern Colorado a six-point lead at 19-13. That proved to be the Bears' biggest lead of the game.

Will Bynum answered with a layup, then Navarre drained a three-pointer and Brown hit three free throws to give MSU a lead it would never relinquish. Northern Colorado eventually ended its drought when Hauns Brereton hit a three-pointer at 7:01.

Northern Colorado cut MSU's lead to two heading into the intermission, but the Bobcats scored the first nine points of the second half to grab control. Bobby Howard and Branden Johnson converted layups, then Johnson nailed a triple and Bynum hit a short jumper to extend MSU's lead to 11. The Bears would get no closer than six.

Montana State, with it's two-point halftime lead, became the first team this season to take the lead against Northern Colorado into halftime.  The Bears had previously led or been tied in all seven of their prior contests.

Northern Colorado will now travel to Missoula, Mont., for a game Saturday night against the Montana Grizzlies at Dahlberg Arena.

The Associated Press and Montana State's Media Relations Department contributed to this report.