Thursday, December 21
BOZEMAN
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
North Texas
Photo by: Garrett Becker
Bobcats Host North Texas in Final Tilt Before Holiday Break
12/20/2023 5:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Montana State entertains the hottest team in the American Athletic Conference as North Texas (10-1) faces the Bobcats on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena.
NEXT UP: Montana State entertains the hottest team in the American Athletic Conference as North Texas (10-1) faces the Bobcats on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena. The Mean Green is riding a seven-game winning streak, which included a 71-48 victory over Louisiana on Sunday. UNT's lone loss of the season was a 74-55 decision at Texas A&M on Nov. 12. Montana State and North Texas have met the last two seasons with the Mean Green winning 66-57, last year in Denton, and 87-78 in 2021 at the Cal Poly Holiday Beach Classic.
A LITTLE ABOUT MONTANA STATE: Montana State snapped its four-game losing skid with a 64-55 victory over Wyoming last Sunday afternoon in Worthington Arena. Three Bobcats reached double figures led by Katelynn Limardo 12, Lindsey Hein 11, and Brooke Berry 10. The win was the third of the season for the Bobcats over a Mountain West Conference opponent. For the game, MSU shot 45.7% from the field and 72% from the free throw line.
A LITTLE ABOUT NORTH TEXAS: North Texas is 10-1 on the season and plays its final non-conference game against the Bobcats on Thursday night. The Mean Green open AAC play following the Christmas break against Charlotte. North Texas currently owns a NET ranking of 61- the second highest the Bobcats have faced this season. Washington, who entered the AP Top 25 this week (23), is the highest ranked opponent MSU has played at 21. UNT is led in scoring by DesiRay Kernal, a 6-0 forward from Newton, Kan., who averages 17.7 ppg.
THE SCOUTING REPORT: North Texas is led in scoring by DesiRay Kernal, a 6-0 forward from Newton, Kan., who averages 17.7 points per game. Also averaging double digits are Tommisha Lampkin, a 6-2 senior forward from Mansfield, Texas, and Jaaucklyn Moore, a 5-8 senior guard from Round Rock, Texas, who average 13.3 and 11.9 points per game, respectively. Moore is UNT's top threat from beyond the arc connecting on 18-48 attempts this season. Kernal guides the Mean Green under the boards, averaging 9.0 rebounds per contest. North Texas is under the leadership of first-year head coach Jason Burton, who comes to Denton after nine seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce.
ALL JACKED UP: Madison Hall has started in all ten games and is averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Against Wyoming on Sunday, Hall posted four points and hauled down three rebounds. This season, she had her best outing with 12 points, three steals, two assists and two rebounds in the season opener against BYU. For the game, she connected on five-of-nine from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers. Last season, Jackson played in 29 games, including 16 starts. Over the summer, she married Brayden Hall, a former MSU men's basketball manager. Last winter, Hall tallied a season-best 12 points on two occasions, the last coming against Northern Colorado. Against the Bears, Jackson connected on 5-6 from the field, with two triples. For the season, she averaged 5.2 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, Hall had a career-high 20 points against Idaho State.
OH CANADA: Marah (MARE-ah) Dykstra has started 20-of-39 games as a Bobcat and is currently averaging 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per outing. Dykstra, who has started in all ten games this season, has been in double-figures on three occasions. In MSU's last outing against Wyoming, Dykstra posted nine points and grabbed seven rebounds, while adding three assists and a steal. She leads the Bobcats averaging 3.4 assists per game. This fall, she notched her best game at Arizona State on Nov. 10, pouring in 17 points, while adding six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Last winter, the native of Vancouver, B.C., Canada averaged 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest, while shooting 38.2% from the field and 80.5% (33-41) from the free throw line. Last summer, Dykstra, a 6-2 forward, played for Team Canada at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup in Madrid, Spain, July 15-23. During this year's offseason she navigated a year-long process and survived two rounds of cuts to make the final 12-player roster. Five players returned to the squad from the 2022 U18 Canadian team that competed in the Women's Americas Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, of which Dykstra was a member. Team Canada cruised through pool play, defeating China 83-62, Czech Republic 66-61, Egypt 100-44, and Brazil 89-45. Dykstra averaged seven rebounds per game, the second-best mark of any athlete in opening round action. Dykstra finished World Cup play averaging 23.1 minutes, while chipping in 4.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
THE PRIDE OF ROSEMOUNT: Taylor Janssen notched a season-best 16 points at Portland on Dec. 2, connecting on six-of-10 from the field, including a three-of-four effort from beyond the three-point line. Janssen notched nine points and dished out two assists in 31 minutes of action against Wyoming, last Sundy. On the season, the product of Rosemount, Minn., is averaging 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 40% from the field. Janssen played in all 30 games and averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per outing last season for the Bobcats. She notched a season-high 11 points against Northern Arizona on Jan. 7, 2023. Against the Lumberjacks, she went 3-of-6 from the field, hit one 3-pointer and was 4-of-4 at the line. Janssen pulled down a season-high seven rebounds against Providence (MT) in the season-opener. As a freshman, she connected on 20 straight free throws before missing a charity toss against Weber State. Janssen came up short of the all-time Bobcat record of 25 set by Rebecca Mercer during the 2007-08 season.
OUT ON A LIMB: Senior Katelynn 'KJ' Limardo has started all ten games for the Bobcats and will make her 100th start at MSU on Thursday night against North Texas. Limardo is averaging a team-best 12.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest. She has been in double-digits on eight occasions, including a season-best 18 points as MSU fell to Arizona State on Nov. 10. Against the Sun Devils, Limardo went 9-9 from the line, while also adding four rebounds and two assists. At Portland on Dec. 2, she notched her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Last year, she played in all 31 games and averaged 5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Against Saint Mary's on Dec. 12, Limardo registered a career-high 21 points, all coming from beyond the three-point line. Her seven triples were the second most in a single game at Montana State, behind Tori Martell's 8 3-pointers against North Dakota on Dec. 6, 2020. 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 shooting 29.6% from the field and 81.4% (48-59) from the line. Limardo is first on the team with 16 3-pointers. She is shooting 29.6% (16-54) from long distance.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Freshman Natalie Picton, a 5-5 guard from Welland, Ontario, Canada has played and started in all 10 games as MSU's point-guard following the injury to returning letterwinner Dylan Philip. The freshman has filled the role admirably, averaging 6.6 points and 2.2 assists per game. Picton has reached double-figures in four games, including 12 points against both San Jose State and North Dakota.
MADE IN MONTANA: Sophomore center Lindsey Hein (Forsyth) and redshirt freshman Brooke Berry both came off the bench and made big contributions in MSU's win over Wyoming. Hein finished with 11 points, which included a five-of-six effort from the free throw line. She also recorded three rebounds and a blocked shot. Berry, who prepped at Billings Skyview, scored eight points to spark MSU in the opening quarter against the Cowgirls. She finished the game with 10 points on four-of-eight shooting. Berry is the daughter of former MSU men's player Gale Berry, who was part of the Bobcat program from 1988-90.
THE WONDER FROM WALES: True-freshman Issy Bunyan has already made an impact in her brief time with the Bobcats. The 6-0 guard from Tonyrefail, Wales, is averaging 7.0 ppg coming off the bench. She has been in double figures scoring on four occasions, including a season-best 15 against BYU in the season opener.
LOSING LEXI: Senior Lexi Deden has been lost for the season following a knee injury sustained in the fourth quarter of MSU's contest against James Madison at the Cancun Challenge over Thanksgiving. Deden led MSU averaging 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and recorded a career-high 23 points and 14 rebounds in MSU's 75-57 win over New Mexico. For her efforts she was named Big Sky Player of the Week. Deden plans to return to MSU next year.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Over the past 10 seasons the Bobcats have thrived in the warm confines of Worthington Arena. Since the 2012-13 season, Montana State has gone an impressive 116-33 (77.9%) overall and 80-23 (77.7%) in Big Sky Conference play on its home court. During that span - from the start of the 2015-16 Big Sky season to the beginning of 2017-18 in league play- MSU rattled off a 19-game home court win streak. In her 19 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 164-73 (69.2%) overall and 109-48 (69.4%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.
WIN 300: With its 75-60 win over Weber State on Feb. 9, 2023, MSU head coach Tricia Binford notched her 309th career win, moving her past former Weber State bench boss Carla Taylor (308 -23 years). With MSU's 92-84 victory at Eastern Washington on Dec. 31, 2022, Binford became just the third coach in Big Sky history to record 300 wins- all coming as a member of the league. Binford is second to Montana's Robin Selvig (865, 38 years). In Big Sky play, Binford is second to Selvig (358) with 197 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men/women. This season marks Binford's 19th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 316-236 overall and 197-118 in BSC play.
A LITTLE ABOUT MONTANA STATE: Montana State snapped its four-game losing skid with a 64-55 victory over Wyoming last Sunday afternoon in Worthington Arena. Three Bobcats reached double figures led by Katelynn Limardo 12, Lindsey Hein 11, and Brooke Berry 10. The win was the third of the season for the Bobcats over a Mountain West Conference opponent. For the game, MSU shot 45.7% from the field and 72% from the free throw line.
A LITTLE ABOUT NORTH TEXAS: North Texas is 10-1 on the season and plays its final non-conference game against the Bobcats on Thursday night. The Mean Green open AAC play following the Christmas break against Charlotte. North Texas currently owns a NET ranking of 61- the second highest the Bobcats have faced this season. Washington, who entered the AP Top 25 this week (23), is the highest ranked opponent MSU has played at 21. UNT is led in scoring by DesiRay Kernal, a 6-0 forward from Newton, Kan., who averages 17.7 ppg.
THE SCOUTING REPORT: North Texas is led in scoring by DesiRay Kernal, a 6-0 forward from Newton, Kan., who averages 17.7 points per game. Also averaging double digits are Tommisha Lampkin, a 6-2 senior forward from Mansfield, Texas, and Jaaucklyn Moore, a 5-8 senior guard from Round Rock, Texas, who average 13.3 and 11.9 points per game, respectively. Moore is UNT's top threat from beyond the arc connecting on 18-48 attempts this season. Kernal guides the Mean Green under the boards, averaging 9.0 rebounds per contest. North Texas is under the leadership of first-year head coach Jason Burton, who comes to Denton after nine seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce.
ALL JACKED UP: Madison Hall has started in all ten games and is averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Against Wyoming on Sunday, Hall posted four points and hauled down three rebounds. This season, she had her best outing with 12 points, three steals, two assists and two rebounds in the season opener against BYU. For the game, she connected on five-of-nine from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers. Last season, Jackson played in 29 games, including 16 starts. Over the summer, she married Brayden Hall, a former MSU men's basketball manager. Last winter, Hall tallied a season-best 12 points on two occasions, the last coming against Northern Colorado. Against the Bears, Jackson connected on 5-6 from the field, with two triples. For the season, she averaged 5.2 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, Hall had a career-high 20 points against Idaho State.
OH CANADA: Marah (MARE-ah) Dykstra has started 20-of-39 games as a Bobcat and is currently averaging 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per outing. Dykstra, who has started in all ten games this season, has been in double-figures on three occasions. In MSU's last outing against Wyoming, Dykstra posted nine points and grabbed seven rebounds, while adding three assists and a steal. She leads the Bobcats averaging 3.4 assists per game. This fall, she notched her best game at Arizona State on Nov. 10, pouring in 17 points, while adding six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Last winter, the native of Vancouver, B.C., Canada averaged 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest, while shooting 38.2% from the field and 80.5% (33-41) from the free throw line. Last summer, Dykstra, a 6-2 forward, played for Team Canada at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup in Madrid, Spain, July 15-23. During this year's offseason she navigated a year-long process and survived two rounds of cuts to make the final 12-player roster. Five players returned to the squad from the 2022 U18 Canadian team that competed in the Women's Americas Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, of which Dykstra was a member. Team Canada cruised through pool play, defeating China 83-62, Czech Republic 66-61, Egypt 100-44, and Brazil 89-45. Dykstra averaged seven rebounds per game, the second-best mark of any athlete in opening round action. Dykstra finished World Cup play averaging 23.1 minutes, while chipping in 4.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
THE PRIDE OF ROSEMOUNT: Taylor Janssen notched a season-best 16 points at Portland on Dec. 2, connecting on six-of-10 from the field, including a three-of-four effort from beyond the three-point line. Janssen notched nine points and dished out two assists in 31 minutes of action against Wyoming, last Sundy. On the season, the product of Rosemount, Minn., is averaging 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 40% from the field. Janssen played in all 30 games and averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per outing last season for the Bobcats. She notched a season-high 11 points against Northern Arizona on Jan. 7, 2023. Against the Lumberjacks, she went 3-of-6 from the field, hit one 3-pointer and was 4-of-4 at the line. Janssen pulled down a season-high seven rebounds against Providence (MT) in the season-opener. As a freshman, she connected on 20 straight free throws before missing a charity toss against Weber State. Janssen came up short of the all-time Bobcat record of 25 set by Rebecca Mercer during the 2007-08 season.
OUT ON A LIMB: Senior Katelynn 'KJ' Limardo has started all ten games for the Bobcats and will make her 100th start at MSU on Thursday night against North Texas. Limardo is averaging a team-best 12.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest. She has been in double-digits on eight occasions, including a season-best 18 points as MSU fell to Arizona State on Nov. 10. Against the Sun Devils, Limardo went 9-9 from the line, while also adding four rebounds and two assists. At Portland on Dec. 2, she notched her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Last year, she played in all 31 games and averaged 5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Against Saint Mary's on Dec. 12, Limardo registered a career-high 21 points, all coming from beyond the three-point line. Her seven triples were the second most in a single game at Montana State, behind Tori Martell's 8 3-pointers against North Dakota on Dec. 6, 2020. 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 shooting 29.6% from the field and 81.4% (48-59) from the line. Limardo is first on the team with 16 3-pointers. She is shooting 29.6% (16-54) from long distance.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Freshman Natalie Picton, a 5-5 guard from Welland, Ontario, Canada has played and started in all 10 games as MSU's point-guard following the injury to returning letterwinner Dylan Philip. The freshman has filled the role admirably, averaging 6.6 points and 2.2 assists per game. Picton has reached double-figures in four games, including 12 points against both San Jose State and North Dakota.
MADE IN MONTANA: Sophomore center Lindsey Hein (Forsyth) and redshirt freshman Brooke Berry both came off the bench and made big contributions in MSU's win over Wyoming. Hein finished with 11 points, which included a five-of-six effort from the free throw line. She also recorded three rebounds and a blocked shot. Berry, who prepped at Billings Skyview, scored eight points to spark MSU in the opening quarter against the Cowgirls. She finished the game with 10 points on four-of-eight shooting. Berry is the daughter of former MSU men's player Gale Berry, who was part of the Bobcat program from 1988-90.
THE WONDER FROM WALES: True-freshman Issy Bunyan has already made an impact in her brief time with the Bobcats. The 6-0 guard from Tonyrefail, Wales, is averaging 7.0 ppg coming off the bench. She has been in double figures scoring on four occasions, including a season-best 15 against BYU in the season opener.
LOSING LEXI: Senior Lexi Deden has been lost for the season following a knee injury sustained in the fourth quarter of MSU's contest against James Madison at the Cancun Challenge over Thanksgiving. Deden led MSU averaging 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and recorded a career-high 23 points and 14 rebounds in MSU's 75-57 win over New Mexico. For her efforts she was named Big Sky Player of the Week. Deden plans to return to MSU next year.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Over the past 10 seasons the Bobcats have thrived in the warm confines of Worthington Arena. Since the 2012-13 season, Montana State has gone an impressive 116-33 (77.9%) overall and 80-23 (77.7%) in Big Sky Conference play on its home court. During that span - from the start of the 2015-16 Big Sky season to the beginning of 2017-18 in league play- MSU rattled off a 19-game home court win streak. In her 19 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 164-73 (69.2%) overall and 109-48 (69.4%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.
WIN 300: With its 75-60 win over Weber State on Feb. 9, 2023, MSU head coach Tricia Binford notched her 309th career win, moving her past former Weber State bench boss Carla Taylor (308 -23 years). With MSU's 92-84 victory at Eastern Washington on Dec. 31, 2022, Binford became just the third coach in Big Sky history to record 300 wins- all coming as a member of the league. Binford is second to Montana's Robin Selvig (865, 38 years). In Big Sky play, Binford is second to Selvig (358) with 197 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men/women. This season marks Binford's 19th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 316-236 overall and 197-118 in BSC play.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballBobcat Insider TV Show
Wednesday, January 26
vs. Seattle (Live Stream Video)
Saturday, December 18
Inside The Brick (Lexi Deden)
Thursday, November 04
Inside The Brick (Leia Beattie)
Tuesday, November 02
