Bobcats Maul Bears in Big Sky Tournament Opener

Sunday, March 9

Boise, ID

12 p.m.

Montana State University

28-3,17-1Big Sky

Northern Colorado

14-17,6-12Big Sky

Northern Colo.

Montana St.

Photo by: Brian Morse

3/9/2025 7:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Bill Lamberty

Montana State clamped the defensive vice grip early, turned up the heat with scorching-hot shooting, and coasted to a 92-60 win over Northern Colorado in the second round of the Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball Championship in Boise on Sunday.

The Bobcats shot a season-best 64.2 percent from the floor for the game, 54.5 percent from three-point range, and after scoring the game's first 19 points never allowed the Bears closer than 11 points. UNC never got closer than the 20-point halftime deficit in the game's final 20 minutes, as MSU forced 26 turnovers and held the Bears to 38.2 percent from the floor.

"I'm really proud of how we came out," said Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford. "Start to finish our energy, our defense, this collective team, it does not matter who we're rotating, everybody has absolutely been ready. We had five players in double-digits, we had (Taylor Chirrick) leading us in steals, and I'm really proud of this group coming ready to go today."

In taking command early, MSU shot 7-8 from the floor and 3-4 from the free throw line in the game's first six-and-a-half minutes. In that dominant game-opening stretch the Cats also forced five Northern Colorado (14-17) turnovers and limited the Bears to 0-5 shooting. The opening onslaught began with a Katelyn Martin three-point bomb.

"It's great when you hit your first shot to give you momentum," Martin said. "Obviously the goal is to hit every first shot that we take, and we just came out ready to go. It's easy when you hit you're first basket because then (the basket) seems that much bigger."

The first half was marked by scoring runs, with Montana State (28-3) logging two big ones. The Cats opened the game by netting the first 19 points, then closed it by scoring 12 of the final 15 points. The underlying theme was the Bobcats' tenacious takeaway tactics. The Cats forced 16 Northern Colorado turnovers in the first half, turning those into 22 points. MSU's defensive effort is built on the team's exceptional depth. And offensively, the MSU bench outscored the Bears 50-4.

"We're really intentional about utilizing everybody" on the roster, Binford said. "I think that's what makes it work for this team. We have the kids that we've recruited that love to play both ends of the floor. They're athletic, they're long, they're fast. We're able to rotate and have fresh legs on the floor, and that speed doesn't stop. We certainly don't want it to stop. That's Bobcat basketball, that's who we are."

Martin concurred. "One through 15 can run," she said. "Everyone's so diverse, everyone's physicality looks a little different so it's nice to have a different skill set from each person. I think that's what carries us on. We have so many individuals that can come off (the bench) and go off in any game. Our bench play is incredible, and I think that's what's gotten us this far, honestly."

Befitting a first-half offensive effort that often began with live-ball turnovers, Montana State shot 64 percent from the floor and made six of its 12 three-point attempts. Nine Bobcats cracked the scoring column in the first half, with Morales netting nine points and Chirrick eight.

Martin, the fifth-year senior who has played in more games than any other Bobcat, triggered MSU's scoring avalanche with 16 points on 6-7 shooting. Taylor Janssen and Natalie Picton came off the bench to add 14 points each.

Binford praised the spark Picton provided. "Nat gives us tremendous scoring punch from the bench. This young lady, when she squares up, she's shooting the ball really well for us right now. She plays off two feet, she's creating opportunity, she's so quick, she's dynamic, and did a great job with that today."

If there was a blotch on MSU's otherwise stellar scoresheet on Sunday, it came in the form of 24 turnovers. "There were possessions when we were a little rushed in squaring up and giving ourselves a pause, meeting passes, but there's a reason UNC's second in the league in steals," Binford said. "They do a really good job getting in passing lanes with their zone and their press, and I thought they were impressive today."

The win propels Montana State into Tuesday's semifinals against an opponent to be determined on Monday. That game begins at 12 noon and airs on the Bobcat Radio Network, ESPN+, and Scripps (MTN).

Notes: MSU's 34-of-53 (64.5%) was its best shooting game of the season…its 12 3-pointers matched a season-high with its game at Northern Arizona…the Bobcats dished out a season-high 29 assists, just three shy of the school record…The 92 points scored were the second highest in a Big Sky Tournament game, behind the 93-point output against NAU in the 1996 BSC Tourney quarterfinals in Missoula…Natalie Picton has averaged 13.3 points per game over the past four outings, shooting 56.3% (18-32) from the field, and 52.9% (9-17) from beyond the arc…Taylor Janssen's 14 points against UNC were a season-high…Esmeralda Morales matches a season-high with seven assists…Issy Bunyan, in her second start this season, recorded 20:22 minutes of action, her most of the season. She finished with eight points, five assists and four steals against UNC…Taylee Chirrick had a game-high seven steals, giving her 102 on the season and becoming just the second Bobcat (Liz Holz) in history to record 100 or more steals in a single-season…MSU's 28 victories are a school record.