Montana State junior Sarah Strand posted 20 points and ten rebounds to lift the Bobcats to a 71-59 win over MSU Billings, Sunday afternoon in exhibition play.
Strand, a 6-1 forward from Seattle, converted six-of-14 from the field and seven-of-nine from the line. Strand tallied six points down the stretch as MSU pushed a three-point margin with 3:59 remaining into a 13-point advantage with 45-seconds left.
“It’s a good starting point,” said MSU fifth-year head coach Tricia Binford. “We definitely need to step up our defense and communication. We can’t afford to get out-worked on the boards.”
Also in double-figures for Montana State were Erica Perry and Lyndi Seidensticker. Perry, who was a first-team All-Big Sky pick last winter, connected on five-of-eight from the field, while adding four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Seidensticker hit a pair of 3-pointers to guide MSU from the perimeter.
The opening half featured six ties, and Bobcat freshman Ally Schmitt’s three-pointer at the buzzer gave MSU a 37-35 lead at intermission.
Montana State opened the second half with a 7-1 run, taking a 44-36 lead on another Schmitt three-pointer. MSU Billings closed to within two points on a Sarah McNamee triple, but MSU responded with seven unanswered points to go up 55-46 following a Seidensticker jumper at the 11:33 mark.
The Yellowjackets cut the margin to 57-54 with 4:41 remaining, however, the Bobcats went on a 14-5 run down the stretch to cruise to the 12-point victory.
“MSU Billings was very feisty,” Binford said. “They really hustled and did a good job on the boards. We need to do a better job keeping the opponents off the offensive glass.”
MSU Billings out-rounded MSU 45-44, including 17 offensive rebounds.
The Bobcats were led under the boards by Strand and Janette Jackson, who pulled down six rebounds, including five in the second half.
For the game, Montana State shot 40 percent from the field, while holding MSU Billings to 31 percent.
The Yellowjackets were led in the loss by Callie Kautzmann with 14 points and ten rebounds.
MSU will open its regular season at Cal State Bakersfield, Nov. 13.
MSU Billings vs Montana State
11/1/09 2:05 p.m. at Worthington Arena, Bozeman, Mont.
At Worthington Arena, Bozeman, Mont.
MONTANA STATE 71, MSU BILLINGS 59
MSU BILLINGS
Kautzmann,Callie 6-12 1-3 14; McNamee,Sarah 4-13 0-0 11; Stanhope,Kalli 3-9
2-3 10; Jacobs,Mandy 3-10 3-3 9; Marquis,Shantell 3-12 1-2 7; Hansen,Rachel
1-2 1-2 4; Ryan,Kayla 2-6 0-0 4; Hollowell,Monica 0-2 0-0 0; Reed,Ashley 0-0
0-0 0; Denham,Kylee 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 22-70 8-13 59.
MONTANA STATE
STRAND, Sarah 6-14 7-9 20; PERRY, Erica 5-8 4-5 14; SEIDENSTICKER, Lyndi 4-6
0-1 10; SCHMITT, Ally 3-5 0-0 8; BAK, Beata 2-4 2-4 6; THORNTON, Jamie 1-4
2-2 4; ALBERT, Ashley 1-10 0-0 3; ADAMS, Latisha 1-1 0-0 2; SEMANSKY, Rachel
1-2 0-1 2; JACKSON, Janette 1-8 0-0 2; BANIS, Chelsea 0-0 0-0 0; ROBEN,
Kelsey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-62 15-22 71.
MSU Billings.................. 35 24 - 59
Montana State................. 37 34 - 71
3-point goals--MSU Billings 7-28 (McNamee,Sarah 3-9; Stanhope,Kalli 2-8;
Hansen,Rachel 1-2; Kautzmann,Callie 1-4; Ryan,Kayla 0-1; Marquis,Shantell
0-2; Jacobs,Mandy 0-2), Montana State 6-18 (SEIDENSTICKER, Lyndi 2-3;
SCHMITT, Ally 2-4; ALBERT, Ashley 1-6; STRAND, Sarah 1-2; JACKSON, Janette
0-1; BAK, Beata 0-1; PERRY, Erica 0-1). Fouled out--MSU
Billings-Marquis,Shantell; Ryan,Kayla; Jacobs,Mandy, Montana State-None.
Rebounds--MSU Billings 45 (Kautzmann,Callie 10), Montana State 44 (STRAND,
Sarah 10). Assists--MSU Billings 12 (Stanhope,Kalli 5), Montana State 11
(JACKSON, Janette 4). Total fouls--MSU Billings 21, Montana State 14.
Technical fouls--MSU Billings-None, Montana State-None. A-1115
Exhibition Game