Thursday, February 6
BOZEMAN
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Northern Arizona
Photo by: Courtesy Sacramento State Sports Information
Clash of the Titans
2/5/2025 2:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Finally, after almost 20 days away from the warm confines of Worthington Arena, the Bobcats are back on the home hardwood. MSU hosts Northern Arizona, Thursday, Feb.6 at 7 p.m. for the Big Sky Conference’s top spot.
NEXT UP: Finally, after almost 20 days away from the warm confines of Worthington Arena, the Bobcats are back on the home hardwood. MSU hosts Northern Arizona, Thursday, Feb.6 at 7 p.m. for the Big Sky Conference's top spot. The Cats conclude home action on Saturday against Northern Colorado at 2 p.m.
ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 20-2 overall and 10-0 in Big Sky play after winning a pair of road games at Sacramento State (67-45) and Portland State (85-39), last week.
ABOUT THE LUMBERJACKS: The Lumberjacks are 18-5 overall and 9-1 in BSC action after defeating Northern Colorado (68-52) on Saturday, and Weber State (81-86) on Monday night.
ABOUT THE BEARS: The Bears are 10-11 overall and 3-7 in Big Sky action after splitting two games last week, losing at NAU (68-52), before defeating Idaho State (59-51) on Monday night.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Over the past 10 seasons the Bobcats have thrived in the warm confines of Worthington Arena. Since the 2014-15 season, Montana State has gone an impressive 110-27 (80.3%) overall and 78-18 (81.3%) in Big Sky Conference play on its home court. 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 20 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 180-76 (70.3%) overall and 120-51 (70.2%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.
SO MUCH WINNING: In the last five seasons, no Big Sky Conference team has won more league games than the Bobcats. Montana State has racked up 77 Big Sky wins since the 2019-20 campaign. They are followed in the top five by Northern Arizona (69), Idaho (64), Montana (61), and Idaho State (59).
300 CLUB: With MSU's 75-60 win over Weber State on Feb. 9, 2023, Tricia Binford notched her 309th career win moving her past former Weber State coach Carla Taylor (308 -23 years). With MSU's 92-84 victory at E. Wash. on Dec. 31, 2022, Binford became the third coach in Big Sky history to record 300 wins. Binford is second all-time to Montana's Robin Selvig (865, 38 years). In Big Sky play, Binford is second to Selvig (358) with 217 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men or women. This season marks Binford's 20th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 349-251 overall and 217-127 in Big Sky action.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25: For the seventh consecutive week, Montana State is ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major top 25 coaches' poll. This week the Bobcats moved up one slot to No. 12 with 437 points. Florida Gulf Coast, who MSU defeated 58-49 in Fort Myers on Dec. 16, remains at No. 9 (515). Big Sky rival Northern Arizona is listed at No. 17 with 292 points. Oral Roberts, who handed the Bobcats one of its two losses (82-80 overtime) as part of the Big Sky/Summit League Challenge in Tulsa, Okla., broke into the top 25 this week and are listed No. 22 with 77 points. South Dakota State remains at No. 1, receiving 774 points (30 first-place votes). The Bobcats currently have a higher NET ranking than five teams listed above them, including #4 Grand Canyon (67), #4 Ball State (61), #8 Norfolk State (196), #9 FGCU (63), and #11 Portland (71).
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 20-2 overall and 10-0 in Big Sky play after winning a pair of road games at Sacramento State (67-45) and Portland State (85-39), last week.
ABOUT THE LUMBERJACKS: The Lumberjacks are 18-5 overall and 9-1 in BSC action after defeating Northern Colorado (68-52) on Saturday, and Weber State (81-86) on Monday night.
ABOUT THE BEARS: The Bears are 10-11 overall and 3-7 in Big Sky action after splitting two games last week, losing at NAU (68-52), before defeating Idaho State (59-51) on Monday night.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Over the past 10 seasons the Bobcats have thrived in the warm confines of Worthington Arena. Since the 2014-15 season, Montana State has gone an impressive 110-27 (80.3%) overall and 78-18 (81.3%) in Big Sky Conference play on its home court. 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 20 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 180-76 (70.3%) overall and 120-51 (70.2%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.
SO MUCH WINNING: In the last five seasons, no Big Sky Conference team has won more league games than the Bobcats. Montana State has racked up 77 Big Sky wins since the 2019-20 campaign. They are followed in the top five by Northern Arizona (69), Idaho (64), Montana (61), and Idaho State (59).
300 CLUB: With MSU's 75-60 win over Weber State on Feb. 9, 2023, Tricia Binford notched her 309th career win moving her past former Weber State coach Carla Taylor (308 -23 years). With MSU's 92-84 victory at E. Wash. on Dec. 31, 2022, Binford became the third coach in Big Sky history to record 300 wins. Binford is second all-time to Montana's Robin Selvig (865, 38 years). In Big Sky play, Binford is second to Selvig (358) with 217 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men or women. This season marks Binford's 20th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 349-251 overall and 217-127 in Big Sky action.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25: For the seventh consecutive week, Montana State is ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major top 25 coaches' poll. This week the Bobcats moved up one slot to No. 12 with 437 points. Florida Gulf Coast, who MSU defeated 58-49 in Fort Myers on Dec. 16, remains at No. 9 (515). Big Sky rival Northern Arizona is listed at No. 17 with 292 points. Oral Roberts, who handed the Bobcats one of its two losses (82-80 overtime) as part of the Big Sky/Summit League Challenge in Tulsa, Okla., broke into the top 25 this week and are listed No. 22 with 77 points. South Dakota State remains at No. 1, receiving 774 points (30 first-place votes). The Bobcats currently have a higher NET ranking than five teams listed above them, including #4 Grand Canyon (67), #4 Ball State (61), #8 Norfolk State (196), #9 FGCU (63), and #11 Portland (71).
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
- Montana State ranks 4th in the nation averaging 14.0 steals per game. The Bobcats posted a season-high 26 steals in its season opening win over Chadron State on Nov. 4. The mark was two shy of the all-time MSU mark of 28 steals against Montana Tech on Dec. 16, 2000. Currently, Longwood leads the nation averaging 15 per game.
- Montana State ranks 5th in the nation in turnover margin at 9.59. The Cats forced 48 turnovers vs. Chadron State and have caused 20 or more turnovers on 14 occasions, including vs. Troy (22), Cal Poly (26), UC Davis (21), ECU (29), FGCU(21), P.R.-Mayaguez (25), Idaho (23), UNC (23), ISU (29), WSU (32), EWU (32), SAC (28), and PSU (23). Montana State's 23.73 turnovers forced per game ranks 10th in the nation.
- In MSU's 10 Big Sky games, the Bobcats have a positive assist/turnover ratio - 145 assists/128 turnovers-, while their Big Sky opponents have 117 assists/243 turnovers.
- Taylee Chirrick recorded a rare double-double at Eastern Washington on Jan. 20 with 12 points and a school record 11 steals. The 11 steals also matched the Big Sky single-season record, last set in 2016. Chirrick ranks 7th in the country with 71 steals, which is also the best mark by a freshman at the NCAA Division-1 level. Her 11 steals are second to Erskine's Evangelia Paulk's 13 steals set on Jan. 2.
- Montana State is 19-0 this season when leading after the third quarter
- Montana State is 19-0 this season when holding its opponents under 70 points.
- Katelynn Martin is the fourth Bobcat in history to go over 200 three-point makes (207) in a career. She trails Katie Bussey (254), Hannah Caudill (231) and Tori Martell (211).
- 700 Club: Montana State has three players scoring between 700-800 points in a career - Taylor Janssen 741, Marah Dykstra 737, and Lexi Deden 737.
- For her career, Esme Morales has 1,688 points, 259 3-pt. makes and shoots 86% FT.
Players Mentioned
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