Balanced Bobcat Attack Too Much for Aggies

Friday, December 2

Bozeman, MT

7:05 p.m.

Montana State University

UTAH STATE

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

12/2/2011 10:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Four of Montana State’s starting five reached double-figure scoring and the Bobcats broke away from a four-point second half lead with an 11-2 run to cruise to a 78-61 win over Utah State, Friday night in Worthington Arena.

By: Tom Schulz

Four of Montana State's starting five reached double-figure scoring and the Bobcats broke away from a four-point second half lead with an 11-2 run to cruise to a 78-61 win over Utah State, Friday night in Worthington Arena.

Montana State (6-2) was led in scoring by Rachel Semansky with 17 points. Other starters in double-digits were Katie Bussey 16, Chelsea Banis 14 and Ashley Albert 13. In addition, true-freshman Jackie Elliott came off the bench to notch 12 points, while hauling down nine rebounds.

“Our balance has been the difference,” said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. “We played with a lot of focus in the second half and I really liked our energy.”

The opening stanza featured six ties and eight lead changes. Montana State built its largest lead at 33-26 following a Kalli Durham free throw with 3:29 remaining in the period. Utah State (5-3) chipped away at the deficit with a 7-2 run to enter intermission trailing 35-33.

MSU held a four-point cushion at the 15:23 mark of the second half and used an 11-point spurt over the next four minutes to put the game away. The Bobcat run was sparked from the scoring of five different players.

For the second straight game, the Montana State defense clamped down on its opponent's top scorer. The Bobcats held USU's Ashlee Brown to just eight points on three-of-15 from the field. Brown was the Western Athletic Conference's pick for player of the year.

“Communication has really been the key to our defense,” Binford said. “We are gaining a lot of confidence and our younger kids have made big strides in their play.”

For the game, MSU shot 51 percent from the field, while holding the Aggies to 35 percent from the floor. The Bobcats also held a 44-32 advantage under the boards. Semansky posted her third double-double of the season notching a team-high ten rebounds.

Utah State was paced in the loss by Maddy Plunkett and Devyn Christensen with 14 points, apiece.

The Bobcats will face future Big Sky Conference member North Dakota in Grand Forks on Sunday at 1 p.m. (MST).