Bobcats Open at Maui Classic Friday Night

Friday, December 19

Makawao, HI

8 p.m. (MT)

Montana State University

Oregon State

Photo by: Ray Bahner

12/17/2025 4:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball

WBB NOTES - MAUI CLASSIC

Montana States plays in the Maui Classic this week in Makawao, Maui. The Bobcats face Oregon State, Friday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. (MT) and Hawaii, Saturday, Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

By: Tom Schulz

WHO:................ Montana State vs. Oregon State
WHEN:.............. Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, at 8 p.m. (MT)
WHERE:............. Makawao, Hawaii - Seabury Hall (1,000)
RECORDS:......... MSU - 6-3, 0-0 Big Sky; OSU 6-5, 0-0 WCC
SERIES:............. OSU leads series 11-0; 1st Meeting: 1977-78
LAST MTG:......... Nov. 11, 2011 @ OSU 83, Montana State 53

WHO:................ Montana State vs. Hawaii
WHEN:.............. Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. (MT)
WHERE:............. Makawao, Hawaii - Seabury Hall (1,000)
RECORDS:......... MSU - 6-2, 0-0 Big Sky; UH 5-5, 0-2 Big West
SERIES:............. Series tied 1-1; 1st Meeting: Dec. 2, 1983
LAST MTG:......... Dec. 4, 2017 @ Hawaii 81, Montana State 75

LIVE VIDEO:....... YouTube.com
LIVE AUDIO:....... KMMS 1450 AM, Varsity Network App
LIVE STATS:........ Click here for live stats

NEXT UP: Montana States plays in the Maui Classic this week in Makawao, Maui. The Bobcats face Oregon State, Friday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. (MT) and Hawaii, Saturday, Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. (MT). Both contests will be held at Seabury Hall.

ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 6- overall after dropping a 69-44 decision to Oregon on Dec. 14 in Eugene. Freshman Jamison Philip paced the Cats with a season-high 14 points.

ABOUT THE BEAVERS: Oregon State is 6-5 overall after falling to Arizona State 55-53 on Dec. 14 in Corvallis. Jenna Villa led the Beavers with 18 points and nine rebounds in the loss.

ABOUT THE RAINBOW WAHINE: Hawaii is 5-5 overall after defeating Hawaii Hilo 61-47 on Dec. 11. The 'Bows face Liberty, Friday, Dec. 19, before playing the Bobcats on Saturday evening.

BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
•   Last year, Montana State ranked 1st in the nation averaging 14.4 steals per game. The Cats have picked up right where it left off this season and are currently first in the Big Sky and second in the nation averaging 16.8 steals per contest. Montana State opened the season with twenty steals against Carroll College and posted a season-high 21 steals at Troy on Nov. 24.
•   Two Bobcats rank among the nation's top 45 in steals just eight games into 2025-26 season. Sophomore Taylee Chirrick, who is the reigning Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year, is currently averaging 4.33 steals per game, which is tops in the Big Sky and 4th in the country. Freshman Jamison Philip is averaging 2.78 steals per game, which is third in the Big Sky Conference and 44th in the nation.
•   As a team, the Bobcats are currently ranked No. 5 in the nation in turnovers forced per game with an eye-popping 26.89 per outing. MSU turned Carroll College, Portland, and Troy over 37, 33, and 31 times, respectively.
•   MSU is third in the Big Sky Conference and 60th in the country in offensive rebounds per game at 14.3.
•   Montana State is currently ranked No. 13 in the country in turnover margin at +9.56
•   Montana State is currently ranked No. 54 in scoring offense at 76.4 points per game.
•   The Bobcat bench is averaging 25.8 points per game, which is third best in the Big Sky and 72nd in the nation.
•   Sophomore Addison Harris is second the Big Sky Conference and ranks 61st in the nation shooting 53.1% from the field through the first nine games of the season.
•   Sophomore Taylee Chirrick is third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 17.8 points per game, which is 60th best in the nation. Sophomore Addison Harris is fourth in the Big Sky averaging 16.4 points per contest, which is 90th in the country.
•   Freshman Jamison Philip is averaging 3.9 assists per game, which is the best total by a first-year player at the NCAA Division I level this season.
•   Montana State sisters Courtney and Heidi Smith and Jamison and Dylan Philip are just two sets of siblings playing on the same team at the NCAA Division I level this year. The other duo is at Green Bay: Kamy and Kallie Peppler and Julianna and Kristina Ouimette
•   MSU doesn't have to worry about Senior Night this season. The Bobcat active roster consists of four juniors, three sophomores, and six freshmen. Average age of the team is 19.5.
•   Montana State head coach Tricia Binford is one of 20 coaches listed on the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year award watchlist. The award, in its second season, is presented by Her Hoop Stats and named after the legendary former Harvard head coach. Richmond's Aaron Rousell was named the award's second winner in 2025. This year's watchlist includes coaches from 13 conferences.
•   MSU's 30 wins last winter were the most in Montana State and Big Sky women's basketball history.
•   For the first time in its history, Montana State led the Big Sky in attendance averaging 2,349 fans per game in Worthington Arena, last season. The Bobcats are currently averaging 2,790 fans per game, which includes 4,877 for its annual School Day game on Nov. 10.
•   Last season, Montana State was 29-0 when leading after the third quarter.
•   Montana State was 29-0 last season when holding its opponents under 70 points.
•   MSU's 30 wins during the 2024-25 campaign were the most in Montana State and Big Sky women's basketball history.
•   Taylee Chirrick became the second Bobcat in history to record a triple-double with 17 points, ten rebounds and a career-high ten assists in MSU's win over North Dakota on Dec. 6. It marked MSU's first triple double since Sheila Hutchison in 2004.
•   Over the years, Montana State women's basketball has thrived on its Montana Class C high school standouts, and this year is no different as Taylee Chirrick and Teagan Erickson both played in Montana's smallest high school classification. Erickson, Saco, had five kids in her graduating class, while Chirrick had 12 at Roberts High School.