Sunday, March 29
Vermillion, SD
12 noon MT
Montana State University
56
at
65
South Dakota
Taylee Chirrick (photo by Scott Larson)
Bobcats Close Historic Season with WNIT Great 8 Loss at South Dakota
3/29/2026 8:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Slow shooting start dooms Bobcats
(March 29, 2026) – Montana State had an answer for everything South Dakota threw at the Bobcats on Sunday.
Except for Molly Joyce.
The Coyotes' junior guard scored 31 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, leading USD to a 65-56 win over the Cats in Sunday's WNIT Great Eight showdown. Joyce hit 10 of her 19 shots from the floor and was 10-for-13 from the line, matching the number of free throws MSU shot as a team.
"Joyce was fantastic today," said Bobcats coach Tricia Binford. "She put the team on her back and made big shots."
Joyce's scoring heroics notwithstanding, Binford said the game's main characteristic was something entirely different. "This team never gives up," she said of her 21st MSU team. "It was a gritty comeback, we got it to one possession in the fourth quarter, but didn't quite get over the top. I'm really proud of this team and I want to highlight how we are of these kids and all they accomplished this season."
That the Bobcats needed a comeback effort was due to its first-half shooting struggles. The game was tied 8-8 after the first quarter, MSU's lowest-scoring opening period of the season but the third game in the last six that the Cats held the opponent to less than 10. MSU shot 3-for-18 in the first quarter, while the Coyotes were 2-for-11.
While South Dakota steadied itself after the quarter break, MSU's frigid shooting continued. The Cats made three of their 10 shots in the second quarter for 21 percent in the first half, but USD shot 8-for-14 and made four of five free throws. The Coyotes were 7-for-10 from the line in the first half, while Montana State was 1-for-2. MSU trailed 28-18 at the intermission.
"We didn't shoot the ball great at the start of this game, so later in the game there's not much room for error," Binford said.
A halftime adjustment led to Montana State's rally. "In the second half we emphasized pace and ball reversals to get the defense to shift," she said. "That created opportunities and our kids took advantage. We gave ourselves a chance late in the game, cut it to one possession, but credit South Dakota. And credit our kids for fighting to get back into the game. This group never quits."
A 5-2 spurt to open the second half, culminating with a Elise Turrubiates three-pointer at 9:16, gave the Coyotes a 33-20 lead. But Addison Harris answered with an and-one layup, the Harris hit a turnaround jumper, Taylee Chirrick made a layup, and Brooke Faitupato drained a layup, and with 6:10 to play the Bobcats had pulled to within four, 33-29, at the 6:10 mark.
The lead see-sawed between nine and five, but layups by Chirrick and Brianne Bailey drew the Bobcats within one late in the period. Joyce's late jumper gave South Dakota a 45-42 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
The Coyotes extended their lead to eight, but again the Bobcats battled back. "This team never quits," Binford said.
Harris hit a three-pointer with 2:38 to draw MSU with 57-55, but Joyce answered with a layup. Chirrick made one of two free throws, but a Joyce three-pointer with one minute to play proved decisive.
The youthful Bobcats, which played 2025-26 without a senior on the active roster, finished the longest season in program history. March 29 is the latest a Montana State basketball team has played, and the team's 35 games is tied for the most for the Bobcat women's team.
Without having a senior on this team, these kids did so much," Binford said. "Initially there was disappointment in not being selected for the WBIT, we thought we'd earned that, but to watch these players achieve what they did (in the WNIT), to watch them celebrate each other and be celebrated by our community, I wouldn't change any of it. There were tremendous highs this season. This team set records and had so much fun, and I think our community responded to that."
Montana State's 57 wins in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons combined is the most ever by a Big Sky program in consecutive campaigns. Binford repeatedly said "the arrow's pointing up" for her program, and she said that begins with the support Montana State receives. "When you look at the crowd support we get game in and game out it all season, it makes me really proud and really excited for the future," she said. "We don't graduate a player off the active roster and we're all looking forward to moving this forward."
Montana State finished the season with a 27-8 record.
#GoCatsGo
Except for Molly Joyce.
The Coyotes' junior guard scored 31 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, leading USD to a 65-56 win over the Cats in Sunday's WNIT Great Eight showdown. Joyce hit 10 of her 19 shots from the floor and was 10-for-13 from the line, matching the number of free throws MSU shot as a team.
"Joyce was fantastic today," said Bobcats coach Tricia Binford. "She put the team on her back and made big shots."
Joyce's scoring heroics notwithstanding, Binford said the game's main characteristic was something entirely different. "This team never gives up," she said of her 21st MSU team. "It was a gritty comeback, we got it to one possession in the fourth quarter, but didn't quite get over the top. I'm really proud of this team and I want to highlight how we are of these kids and all they accomplished this season."
That the Bobcats needed a comeback effort was due to its first-half shooting struggles. The game was tied 8-8 after the first quarter, MSU's lowest-scoring opening period of the season but the third game in the last six that the Cats held the opponent to less than 10. MSU shot 3-for-18 in the first quarter, while the Coyotes were 2-for-11.
While South Dakota steadied itself after the quarter break, MSU's frigid shooting continued. The Cats made three of their 10 shots in the second quarter for 21 percent in the first half, but USD shot 8-for-14 and made four of five free throws. The Coyotes were 7-for-10 from the line in the first half, while Montana State was 1-for-2. MSU trailed 28-18 at the intermission.
"We didn't shoot the ball great at the start of this game, so later in the game there's not much room for error," Binford said.
A halftime adjustment led to Montana State's rally. "In the second half we emphasized pace and ball reversals to get the defense to shift," she said. "That created opportunities and our kids took advantage. We gave ourselves a chance late in the game, cut it to one possession, but credit South Dakota. And credit our kids for fighting to get back into the game. This group never quits."
A 5-2 spurt to open the second half, culminating with a Elise Turrubiates three-pointer at 9:16, gave the Coyotes a 33-20 lead. But Addison Harris answered with an and-one layup, the Harris hit a turnaround jumper, Taylee Chirrick made a layup, and Brooke Faitupato drained a layup, and with 6:10 to play the Bobcats had pulled to within four, 33-29, at the 6:10 mark.
The lead see-sawed between nine and five, but layups by Chirrick and Brianne Bailey drew the Bobcats within one late in the period. Joyce's late jumper gave South Dakota a 45-42 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
The Coyotes extended their lead to eight, but again the Bobcats battled back. "This team never quits," Binford said.
Harris hit a three-pointer with 2:38 to draw MSU with 57-55, but Joyce answered with a layup. Chirrick made one of two free throws, but a Joyce three-pointer with one minute to play proved decisive.
The youthful Bobcats, which played 2025-26 without a senior on the active roster, finished the longest season in program history. March 29 is the latest a Montana State basketball team has played, and the team's 35 games is tied for the most for the Bobcat women's team.
Without having a senior on this team, these kids did so much," Binford said. "Initially there was disappointment in not being selected for the WBIT, we thought we'd earned that, but to watch these players achieve what they did (in the WNIT), to watch them celebrate each other and be celebrated by our community, I wouldn't change any of it. There were tremendous highs this season. This team set records and had so much fun, and I think our community responded to that."
Montana State's 57 wins in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons combined is the most ever by a Big Sky program in consecutive campaigns. Binford repeatedly said "the arrow's pointing up" for her program, and she said that begins with the support Montana State receives. "When you look at the crowd support we get game in and game out it all season, it makes me really proud and really excited for the future," she said. "We don't graduate a player off the active roster and we're all looking forward to moving this forward."
Montana State finished the season with a 27-8 record.
#GoCatsGo
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