Bobcats Host Two in Worthington Arena

Thursday, December 9

BOZEMAN

7 p.m.

Montana State University

MSU-Billings

Tickets

KJ Limardo nails a jumper against Northern Colorado on Thursday night.

12/8/2021 3:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball

WBB NOTES

Montana State heads back into non-conference action this week hosting a pair of games inside the warm confines of Worthington Arena. The Bobcats will face sister school Montana State Billings on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. The game is a counter for the Bobcats, while the Yellowjackets will use it as an exhibition contest.

By: Tom Schulz

WHO:               Montana State Billings at Montana State
WHEN:             Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021 at 7 p.m.
WHERE:           Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena
RECORDS:        Montana State 4-5, 2-0; MSU Billings 6-5, 1-1
SERIES:             Montana State leads all-time series 13-8 (1976)
LAST MTG:      Nov. 25, 2017 - @Montana State 67, MSUB 47

WHO:               Utah Valley at Montana State
WHEN:             Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021 at 2 p.m.
WHERE:           Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena
RECORDS:        Montana State 4-5, 2-0; Utah Valley 4-3, 0-0
SERIES:             Montana State leads all-time series 7-2 (2004)
LAST MTG:      Jan. 2, 2021 - Montana State 66, @Utah Valley 63

RADIO:             Montana State's games this week will air live 15 minutes prior to tip on 1450 KMMS AM - Mark Martello (P-B-P).
VIDEO:              Montana State's games against MSU Billings and Utah Valley can be seen on ESPN+ (subscription needed).

NEXT UP: Montana State heads back into non-conference action this week hosting a pair of games inside the warm confines of Worthington Arena. The Bobcats will face sister school Montana State Billings on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. The game is a counter for the Bobcats, while the Yellowjackets will use it as an exhibition contest. MSU will conclude the weekend hosting Utah Valley on Saturday at 2 p.m. The meeting with the Wolverines will mark the middle of Montana State's current six-game home stand.

BOBCAT BITES: Sophomore Leia Beattie was named the ROAR Organic #BigSkyWBB Player of the Week for her efforts in MSU's wins over Northern Colorado and Sacramento State. The 5-9 guard from Midland, Texas averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting 47.1% from the field, 60% from beyond the arc and 70% at the line. Against Sac State, Beattie posted a career-best 18 points and eight rebounds.

ABOUT MONTANA STATE BILLINGS: Montana State Billings enters Thursday's game 6-5 overall and 1-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action. Last weekend, the Yellowjackets split a pair of GNAC home games, defeating Northwest Nazarene 71-67, before dropping a 79-68 decision to Central Washington on Saturday. On the season, MSUB is led in scoring by Taryn Shelley and Cariann Kunkel, who average 13.5 and 12.4 points, respectively. Shelley also guides the Yellowjackets under the boards, hauling down 7.2 rebounds per contest. Shelley, a 6-3 senior from Shoreline, Wash., is the reigning GNAC Player of the Week.

ABOUT UTAH VALLEY: Utah Valley is currently 4-3 overall and will play at Montana on Thursday night, before making the trek down I-90 to Bozeman on Saturday. Two of the Wolverines four victories this season have been over Big Sky Conference opponents- Southern Utah (60-54) and Portland State (62-43), and like the Bobcats, one of its three losses came at the hands of UNLV (73-63). Individually, Utah Valley has three players averaging double figures led by Maria Carvalho (15.9 ppg), Josie Williams (15.1 ppg) and Madison Grange (11.4 ppg). UVU was picked 3rd in the preseason WAC poll.

I DARE YA: Darian White, a preseason All-Big Sky Conference selection, leads the Bobcats in scoring (14.2 ppg), assists (40), steals (24), and free throws made (29). She has been in double figure scoring in all nine games, including a season-best 19 points on two occasions, the last coming against Sacramento State on Saturday night. The reigning Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year pulled down a season-high eight rebounds against the Zags. Last weekend, the Boise, Idaho product averaged 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game, while shooting 34.8% from the field as the Bobcats defeated Northern Colorado and Sac State. At North Dakota on Nov. 20, White recorded a career-high seven steals. She is now 14 steals shy of breaking into MSU's top 10 all-time steals chart. She is currently averaging 2.7 steals per game, which is tops in the Big Sky and her 4.4 assists per outing ranks fourth in the league.

KUDOS TO KOLA: Junior Kola Bad Bear has played in all nine games, including seven starts. On the season, the 6-2 forward is averaging 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest. Bad Bear had a breakout weekend for the Bobcats at the Holiday Beach Classic in San Luis Obispo over Thanksgiving averaging 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting 61.1% from the field. Bad Bear notched a career-high 18 points in MSU's loss to North Texas and pulled down a career-best 10 rebounds as the Bobcats knocked off Cal Poly. Last weekend, Bad Bear averaged 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game against UNC and SAC.

OUT ON A LIMB: Sophomore Katelynn Limardo has started the last eight games for the Bobcats, after opening the season with 16 points and seven rebounds against Carroll College coming off the bench. The product of Silver City, N.M. (a town where lawman Harvey Whitehall was the first to arrest Billy the Kid, known at the time under the alias Henry Antrim in 1875), is averaging 8.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per outing. In addition, Limardo is shooting 48.1% from the field. Last weekend, she averaged 11 points and 3.5 rebounds. In addition, Limardo shot 47.1% from the field and connected on three 3-pointers. Over Thanksgiving, Limardo's three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter against Cal Poly lifted MSU to the win. Last winter, she started in all 24 games and averaged 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds. Limardo had her best game of the 2020-21 season at Eastern Washington on Feb. 13, scoring a team-high 17 points. Against EWU, she connected on 6-6 from the field and was 5-5 from long distance.

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS: Leia Beattie has played in all nine games for the Bobcats, including seven starts. She currently is averaging 8.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest. Beattie had a career outing in MSU's win over Sacramento State on Saturday night scoring 18 points, while pulling down eight rebounds. Coupled with her play against Northern Colorado on Thursday night, she garnered ROAR Organic #BigSkyWBB Player of the Week accolades. On the weekend, she averaged 14.5 points. 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Beattie comes to Montana State with a familiar Treasure State pedigree. Her mother, Kelly (Pilcher) was a two-time All-Big Sky selection at Montana and is sixth all-time in assists. In addition, her 15 assists versus Boise State and Northern Arizona still rank first in single-game history. Beattie's aunt/coach at Midland Christian Academy, Carla (Beattie) Cunneen, is also a former Lady Griz and was the 1996 Big Sky Sixth Player of the Year. Last season, Beattie played in 23-of-24 games and averaged 3.7 points per game.

KEEP FEEDIN' DEDEN: Lexi Deden, a 6-1 sophomore forward from Missoula, leads the Bobcats in rebounding averaging 4.9 boards per game. In addition, she is fourth on the squad averaging 7.2 points per contest. Deden had her best outing of the season at North Dakota on Nov. 20. Against the Fighting Hawks, she recorded her first collegiate double-double with 17 points and a career-best ten rebounds. For the game, she went four-of-nine from the field and was nine-of-ten at the charity stripe. Last weekend, Deden averaged 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds against Northern Colorado and Sacramento State. The Deden name is also familiar in Montana basketball circles. Deden's mother Dawn (Silliker) played at Montana from 1984-88. At UM, Silliker was a 1,000-point scorer and was an all-Mountain West pick. In addition, Lexi's aunt and former head coach at Sentinel High, Karen Deden, was a standout at Washington and is in the Husky Hall of Fame. Last season, Deden recorded a career-high 22 points in MSU's win over No. Arizona on Jan. 23 when she connected on 10-14 from the field.

ASHLEY'S ACCOLADES: Senior Ashley Van Sickle has played in all nine games this season and is averaging 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. The Arvada, Colo., product posted a season-best eight points in MSU's season-opening victory over Carroll College. She also recorded three rebounds, an assist and steal against the Saints.

ALL JACKED UP: Junior Madison Jackson has played in five games, including starting the two contests in the Dakotas. Jackson had her best performance against North Dakota recording six points. She also had two steals, and an offensive board. Last season, the native of Parma, Idaho had her best game as the Bobcats defeated Idaho State in Worthington Arena. Against the Bengals, Jackson notched a career-high 20 points, including 13 in the first half. For the game, she connected on 6-of-9 from the field, including three 3-pointers.

THE TALK: Senior Gabby Mocchi played in both contests last weekend against Northern Colorado and Sacramento State and averaged just under 10 minutes of action. For the weekend, the Champlin, Minn., product averaged 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. She had a weekend-high six points, on two triples, against the Hornets.

MENTIONING MIA: Freshman Mia Hughes has played in seven games, including three starts. The product of Woodinville, Wash., is averaging 3.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest. She had her best outing of the season at North Dakota with seven points and six rebounds- all points came at the free throw line where she went seven-of-eight. Hughes is currently hitting at a 92.3% (12-13) clip from the line.

RANSON NOTE: Sophomore Ava Ranson has played in all seven games and is averaging 3.0 points per contest. The 5-10 product of Boise, Idaho had her best game against at South Dakota State. Against the Jackrabbits, Ranson recorded eight points on three-on-nine from the field, including a pair of three-pointers.

RARE AIR: Freshman Lindsey Hein is the tallest (6-6) player to ever wear the Blue and Gold. The Forsyth, Mont., native has played in all seven games, including two starts. In the season-opener against Carroll College, she came off the bench to score a game-high 16 points, while pulling down seven rebounds. Hein is first on the team shooting 57.1% from the field. She is averaging 4.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

THE PRIDE OF ROSEMOUNT: Sophomore Taylor Janssen has played in all nine games and is averaging 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per outing. Last weekend, the 6-3 product of Rosemount, Minn., averaged 6.0 points and 1.0 rebounds per game. Janssen notched a weekend-best 7 points vs. UNC.