Bobcat Women Host Zags
12/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Next Up:
The Montana State women’s basketball team is currently on a three-game winning streak. MSU has knocked off Utah Valley, Denver and Utah State in the past two weeks. The three consecutive victories mark the longest streak under current third-year Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford. MSU is 5-4 overall. Friday night’s game will be the second match-up of the evening, as the Bobcat men will host the University of Great Falls, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Gonzaga is 6-5 overall, despite playing an ardous schedule. GU’s last two losses have come to No. 1 Tennessee and Purdue. The Bulldogs have notched victories over Montana and Sacramento State of the Big Sky Conference, but dropped a 75-72 decision to BSC foe Portland State. On the season, the Bulldogs have been paced by Heather Bowman, who is averaging 21.2 points per game. Bowman, however, is currently out with a broken hand. GU will look to Jami Bjorklund to pick up the slack. The Spokane native is averaging 10.5 points, and tallied a game-high 20 points against Purdue on Wednesday night.
‘Cat Tracks:
Montana State avenged its earlier season loss to Denver with an 81-69 victory over the Pioneers. This time around, the Bobcats shot 56 percent from the field, including a hefty 68 percent in the second stanza. MSU also converted 10-of-16 from beyond the arc...Rebecca Mercer posted 17 points against, connecting on 7-of-10 from the field. The senior from Perth, Australia played just four minutes in the second half. Mercer had three 3-pointers and dished out three assists in the victory...Point-guard Erica Perry dished out a career-high eight assists, while adding two steals...Junior Nubia Garcia played her first game of the season, after sitting out the past seven outings with a broken collarbone. Garcia played 19 minutes against DU and posted eight points four rebounds and an assist...The Bobcats shot a season-high 58 percent from the field in its 71-49 victory over Utah State. As a team, Montana State leads the Big Sky shooting .442 from the floor.
The Week That Was:
The Bobcats won a pair of games last week, defeating Denver 81-69 and Utah State 71-69. Against DU, MSU was paced by freshman Sarah Strand with 19 points, including four 3-pointers. Also in double-digits was Rebecca Mercer with 17 points, including 3 3-pointers. Junior Nubia Garcia played in her first game this season. The native of Chihuahua, Mexico played 19 minutes and chipped in eight points, four rebounds and an assist. MSU traveled to Logan, Utah on Monday. For the second straight season, Tricia Binford beat her former boss at Utah State as the ‘Cats shot 58 percent from the field. Mercer and Krislyn Wallace each notched 15 points.
M*A*S*H 4077th:
With Nubia Garcia back in the line-up after sitting out the first seven games with a broken collarbone, only Rebecca Mercer and Jenny Heringer are under the weather and not at a full 100 percent.
Turnin’ It Around:
Montana State had the 11th best turnaround in the nation at the NCAA Division I level, last year. MSU improved 8.5 games from its 3-23 mark during the 2005-06 campaign. The Bobcats finished 13-16 last season.
Smart Cookies:
As a team, MSU ranked 4th in the country, academically speaking. The Bobcats had a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.56 and ranked among the WBCA’s top five for the second straight season. MSU had a Big Sky Conference record 11 players on the league’s all-academic list last spring.
Toe The Line:
As a team, Montana State shot 72 percent from the free throw line during the 2006-07 season. Three Bobcats ranked among the Big Sky’s top ten in free throw percentage. Rebecca Mercer led the Big Sky shooting 92 percent, while Nubia Garcia was 9th (.776) and Alyssa Nelson 10th (.763). During the season, Mercer had a stretch of 23 consecutive makes. Currently, the Bobcats are shooting 70 percent from the charity line, with Krislyn Wallace leading the way at 79 percent.
To Catch a Thief:
As a team, the Bobcats lead the Big Sky Conference in steals, averaging 9.00 thefts per game. Sophomore Erica Perry paces the team and the Big Sky Conference, averaging 3.00 steals per game. Perry, a native of Lynwood, Calif., is ranked 20th in the nation in steals per game.
MSU Player of the Week:
Sarah Strand led Montana State in an 81-69 victory over Denver. The freshman from Seattle notched 19 points, connecting for 64 percent (7-11) from the field, including 67 percent (4-6) from beyond the arc. In addition, Strand posted two rebounds and three assists. Her 19 points and four 3-pointers were season-highs. Strand has been in double-figure scoring in seven of MSU’s eight games to date. On the year, Strand is averaging 12.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 49 percent from the floor. Against Utah State on Monday night, she recorded six points on two-of-three from the floor. Strand also added four rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Da Wonder From Down Under:
Senior Rebecca Mercer is off to another strong start for the Bobcats. She currently leads the team in scoring (16.1) and is second in assists (2.3). In nine games to date, she has been in double-digit scoring on seven occasions, including a career-high 30 points against Utah Valley. Mercer was the 2006-07 Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year. Her current career scoring average of 13.2 points per game ranks among the top 15 all-time at Montana State.
The Hooper Hoopster:
Senior Krislyn Wallace, a 6-1 forward from Hooper, Utah is one of two MSU captains this winter. Wallace is third on the squad in scoring (11.4 ppg). She paces the Bobcats under the glass, averaging 6.1 rebounds per game. Wallace’s current 6.8 career rebounds per game average is 6th all-time at MSU. She posted a season-high 19 points at Denver. Wallace, a 6-foot-1 junior, transferred to MSU from Eastern Utah.
Diaper Dandies:
Montana State has a pair of true-freshmen making significant contributions to the Bobcat squad. Sarah Strand, a graduate of King’s High School in the Seattle area, has started all nine games and is averaging 11.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. In addition, she is first on the team in blocked shots. Lyndi Seidensticker, a graduate of Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane is averaging 12.7 minutes per game. She is averaging 5.31points and 2.4 rebounds on the season.
Montana Ink:
Montana State signed a pair of high school standouts during the early signing period. Rachel Pauli, 6-1 guard, of Big Timber and Katie Bussey, 5-9 guard, of Alamosa, Colo., have inked to play for the Bobcats next season. As a juniors, Pauli averaged 10.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while Bussey poured in 13.7 points per contest.
Things That Make You Go Hmmm:
The Bobcats are currently shooting .442 from the field. The all-time season mark is .482 (1987-88). MSU’s current shooting clip is the best for a Bobcat team since the 2002-03 WNIT squad went .442.
For this week's complete women's basketball release, click on the 'PDF Version Available' link at the top of this page.
The Montana State women’s basketball team is currently on a three-game winning streak. MSU has knocked off Utah Valley, Denver and Utah State in the past two weeks. The three consecutive victories mark the longest streak under current third-year Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford. MSU is 5-4 overall. Friday night’s game will be the second match-up of the evening, as the Bobcat men will host the University of Great Falls, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Gonzaga is 6-5 overall, despite playing an ardous schedule. GU’s last two losses have come to No. 1 Tennessee and Purdue. The Bulldogs have notched victories over Montana and Sacramento State of the Big Sky Conference, but dropped a 75-72 decision to BSC foe Portland State. On the season, the Bulldogs have been paced by Heather Bowman, who is averaging 21.2 points per game. Bowman, however, is currently out with a broken hand. GU will look to Jami Bjorklund to pick up the slack. The Spokane native is averaging 10.5 points, and tallied a game-high 20 points against Purdue on Wednesday night.
‘Cat Tracks:
Montana State avenged its earlier season loss to Denver with an 81-69 victory over the Pioneers. This time around, the Bobcats shot 56 percent from the field, including a hefty 68 percent in the second stanza. MSU also converted 10-of-16 from beyond the arc...Rebecca Mercer posted 17 points against, connecting on 7-of-10 from the field. The senior from Perth, Australia played just four minutes in the second half. Mercer had three 3-pointers and dished out three assists in the victory...Point-guard Erica Perry dished out a career-high eight assists, while adding two steals...Junior Nubia Garcia played her first game of the season, after sitting out the past seven outings with a broken collarbone. Garcia played 19 minutes against DU and posted eight points four rebounds and an assist...The Bobcats shot a season-high 58 percent from the field in its 71-49 victory over Utah State. As a team, Montana State leads the Big Sky shooting .442 from the floor.
The Week That Was:
The Bobcats won a pair of games last week, defeating Denver 81-69 and Utah State 71-69. Against DU, MSU was paced by freshman Sarah Strand with 19 points, including four 3-pointers. Also in double-digits was Rebecca Mercer with 17 points, including 3 3-pointers. Junior Nubia Garcia played in her first game this season. The native of Chihuahua, Mexico played 19 minutes and chipped in eight points, four rebounds and an assist. MSU traveled to Logan, Utah on Monday. For the second straight season, Tricia Binford beat her former boss at Utah State as the ‘Cats shot 58 percent from the field. Mercer and Krislyn Wallace each notched 15 points.
M*A*S*H 4077th:
With Nubia Garcia back in the line-up after sitting out the first seven games with a broken collarbone, only Rebecca Mercer and Jenny Heringer are under the weather and not at a full 100 percent.
Turnin’ It Around:
Montana State had the 11th best turnaround in the nation at the NCAA Division I level, last year. MSU improved 8.5 games from its 3-23 mark during the 2005-06 campaign. The Bobcats finished 13-16 last season.
Smart Cookies:
As a team, MSU ranked 4th in the country, academically speaking. The Bobcats had a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.56 and ranked among the WBCA’s top five for the second straight season. MSU had a Big Sky Conference record 11 players on the league’s all-academic list last spring.
Toe The Line:
As a team, Montana State shot 72 percent from the free throw line during the 2006-07 season. Three Bobcats ranked among the Big Sky’s top ten in free throw percentage. Rebecca Mercer led the Big Sky shooting 92 percent, while Nubia Garcia was 9th (.776) and Alyssa Nelson 10th (.763). During the season, Mercer had a stretch of 23 consecutive makes. Currently, the Bobcats are shooting 70 percent from the charity line, with Krislyn Wallace leading the way at 79 percent.
To Catch a Thief:
As a team, the Bobcats lead the Big Sky Conference in steals, averaging 9.00 thefts per game. Sophomore Erica Perry paces the team and the Big Sky Conference, averaging 3.00 steals per game. Perry, a native of Lynwood, Calif., is ranked 20th in the nation in steals per game.
MSU Player of the Week:
Sarah Strand led Montana State in an 81-69 victory over Denver. The freshman from Seattle notched 19 points, connecting for 64 percent (7-11) from the field, including 67 percent (4-6) from beyond the arc. In addition, Strand posted two rebounds and three assists. Her 19 points and four 3-pointers were season-highs. Strand has been in double-figure scoring in seven of MSU’s eight games to date. On the year, Strand is averaging 12.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 49 percent from the floor. Against Utah State on Monday night, she recorded six points on two-of-three from the floor. Strand also added four rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Da Wonder From Down Under:
Senior Rebecca Mercer is off to another strong start for the Bobcats. She currently leads the team in scoring (16.1) and is second in assists (2.3). In nine games to date, she has been in double-digit scoring on seven occasions, including a career-high 30 points against Utah Valley. Mercer was the 2006-07 Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year. Her current career scoring average of 13.2 points per game ranks among the top 15 all-time at Montana State.
The Hooper Hoopster:
Senior Krislyn Wallace, a 6-1 forward from Hooper, Utah is one of two MSU captains this winter. Wallace is third on the squad in scoring (11.4 ppg). She paces the Bobcats under the glass, averaging 6.1 rebounds per game. Wallace’s current 6.8 career rebounds per game average is 6th all-time at MSU. She posted a season-high 19 points at Denver. Wallace, a 6-foot-1 junior, transferred to MSU from Eastern Utah.
Diaper Dandies:
Montana State has a pair of true-freshmen making significant contributions to the Bobcat squad. Sarah Strand, a graduate of King’s High School in the Seattle area, has started all nine games and is averaging 11.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. In addition, she is first on the team in blocked shots. Lyndi Seidensticker, a graduate of Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane is averaging 12.7 minutes per game. She is averaging 5.31points and 2.4 rebounds on the season.
Montana Ink:
Montana State signed a pair of high school standouts during the early signing period. Rachel Pauli, 6-1 guard, of Big Timber and Katie Bussey, 5-9 guard, of Alamosa, Colo., have inked to play for the Bobcats next season. As a juniors, Pauli averaged 10.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while Bussey poured in 13.7 points per contest.
Things That Make You Go Hmmm:
The Bobcats are currently shooting .442 from the field. The all-time season mark is .482 (1987-88). MSU’s current shooting clip is the best for a Bobcat team since the 2002-03 WNIT squad went .442.
For this week's complete women's basketball release, click on the 'PDF Version Available' link at the top of this page.
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