Bobcat Hoopsters Head to Palouse
11/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
This Week in Bobcat Women’s Basketball:
Heading to the Palouse
Game No. 3 (McCarthey Center -- Spokane, WA -- 6,000 )
Friday, Nov. 14 Montana State at Gonzaga Tip Time: 7 p.m. (MST)
Game No. 4 (Friel Court -- Pullman, WA -- 11,671)
Sunday, Nov. 16 North Dakota vs. Montana State
Tip Time: 4 p.m. (MST)
Radio: KZMY 103.5 FM (Tyler Wiltgen)
Live Stats: www.gozags.com
www.wsucougars.com
Next Up:
The Montana State women’s basketball team will travel to the Palouse this weekend for a pair of games. MSU will open play at Gonzaga on Friday night at 7 p.m. (MST) in the McCarthey Center. The Zags are currently receiving votes in the USA Today ESPN Division I Top 25 Coaches poll. Gonzaga enters Friday’s contest 3-0 overall, with victories over Eastern Oregon, Washington and Utah Valley. The Zags recently defeated UVU 95-79, while the Bobcats also downed the Wolverines, 94-71, to open its 2008-09 campaign. Washington State is 0-1 overall, after dropping an 82-69 decision at Texas Tech on Sunday. The Cougars will face Boise State on Thursday night in Idaho, before its home season opener against the Bobcats on Sunday afternoon. WSU is led by second-year head coach June Daugherty, who was Tricia Binford’s collegiate coach at Boise State.
That Was The Week That Was:
Montana State opened its 2008-09 season with a pair of victories. The Bobcats opened with a 94-71 win at Utah Valley. Six MSU players reached double-figure scoring, led by Sarah Strand and Erica Perry with 15 points, apiece. Also hitting double-digits were Nubia Garcia 14, Katie Bussey 13, Jenny Heringer 12 and Anne Phippard 10. The Montana State bench produced 41 points. For the game, MSU shot 51 percent from the field. On Sunday, MSU built a 21-point lead over North Dakota in the second stanza, but had to hang on for an 85-78 win over the Fighting Sioux. Strand paced the ‘Cats for the second straight game with 19 points, while adding five rebounds and three assists. Also in double-figure scoring were Garcia 14 and Mara Hoefer, with a career-high 12 points, on five-of-seven from the field.
Dialing Long Distance:
Montana State converted 15 3-pointers in the opening weekend. As a team, the Bobcats are shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc. MSU is currently second in the Big Sky Conference in 3-point field goals made and 3-point field goal percentage. Five MSU players have tallied two treys or better on the year. Conversely, Montana State is tops in the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense, limiting their opponents to just .206 from long range.
Turnin’ It Around:
Montana State had the 11th best turnaround in the nation at the NCAA Division I from 2005-06 to 06-07, improving 8.5 games from its 3-23 mark during the 2005-06 campaign to 13-16 in 06-07. Last year, the Bobcats moved up again posting its first winning season under Tricia Binford’s tutelage with an 18-13 mark and an 11-5 Big Sky slate. The 2007-08 season culminated with an upset win over Idaho State in the BSC semifinals, and a trip to the league title game for the first time since 2003.
To Catch A Thief:
Last year, Montana State finished second in the Big Sky Conference in steals per game led by point guard Erica Perry, who ended the season ranked 30th in the nation at 2.8 per contest. This season, after the opening weekend, the Bobcats lead the league averaging 9.5 thefts per game.
‘Cat Chat:
For the second consecutive year the Montana State women’s basketball team ranked among the nation’s finest in terms of academics. After ranking fourth in the country in 2006-07, MSU once again found themselves listed in the upper echelon being listed in the top 15 with an overall team cumulative grade-point average of 3.392...Aside from their achievements on the court and in the classroom, the Bobcats enjoyed success at the ticket window. Montana State posted the fourth highest increase in attendance from the previous year at the NCAA Division I level. MSU averaged 3,035 fans last winter- an increase from 1,791 in 2006-07...The Bobcats finished 2007-08 with an 18-13 record and an 11-5 Big Sky Conference slate. After upsetting Idaho State in the semifinals at the league tournament, Montana State played in its first Big Sky Conference championship game since 2003. The Bobcats also defeated every Big Sky Conference team last season, a feat they last accomplished in 2002-03...MSU finished the 2007-08 season ranked 27th in the nation in scoring (73.2) and 28th in free throw percentage (75.1). The Bobcats were led by senior first-team All-Big Sky performer Rebecca Mercer, who averaged 18.4 points per game and 2.69 treys. MSU returns 57 percent of its offense this season, including top returning scorer Sarah Strand, who averaged 9.7 points per game.
BOBCAT PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Sarah Strand came off the bench to guide the Montana State squad to a pair of victories, last weekend. Strand averaged 17 points and five rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from the field. In addition, she converted four-of-eight three-point attempts. A 6-foot-1 native of Seattle, she also chipped in three assists, 2.5 steals and .5 blocks. Against North Dakota, Strand led the Bobcats with 19 points, while posting five rebounds and three assists. Her numbers were all the more impressive, as she tallied just 23.5 minutes of action. Strand opened the season at Utah Valley with 15 points, five boards, three assists and four steals.
For this week's complete Bobcat women's basketball release, click on the 'PDF Version Available' link at the top of this page.
Heading to the Palouse
Game No. 3 (McCarthey Center -- Spokane, WA -- 6,000 )
Friday, Nov. 14 Montana State at Gonzaga Tip Time: 7 p.m. (MST)
Game No. 4 (Friel Court -- Pullman, WA -- 11,671)
Sunday, Nov. 16 North Dakota vs. Montana State
Tip Time: 4 p.m. (MST)
Radio: KZMY 103.5 FM (Tyler Wiltgen)
Live Stats: www.gozags.com
www.wsucougars.com
Next Up:
The Montana State women’s basketball team will travel to the Palouse this weekend for a pair of games. MSU will open play at Gonzaga on Friday night at 7 p.m. (MST) in the McCarthey Center. The Zags are currently receiving votes in the USA Today ESPN Division I Top 25 Coaches poll. Gonzaga enters Friday’s contest 3-0 overall, with victories over Eastern Oregon, Washington and Utah Valley. The Zags recently defeated UVU 95-79, while the Bobcats also downed the Wolverines, 94-71, to open its 2008-09 campaign. Washington State is 0-1 overall, after dropping an 82-69 decision at Texas Tech on Sunday. The Cougars will face Boise State on Thursday night in Idaho, before its home season opener against the Bobcats on Sunday afternoon. WSU is led by second-year head coach June Daugherty, who was Tricia Binford’s collegiate coach at Boise State.
That Was The Week That Was:
Montana State opened its 2008-09 season with a pair of victories. The Bobcats opened with a 94-71 win at Utah Valley. Six MSU players reached double-figure scoring, led by Sarah Strand and Erica Perry with 15 points, apiece. Also hitting double-digits were Nubia Garcia 14, Katie Bussey 13, Jenny Heringer 12 and Anne Phippard 10. The Montana State bench produced 41 points. For the game, MSU shot 51 percent from the field. On Sunday, MSU built a 21-point lead over North Dakota in the second stanza, but had to hang on for an 85-78 win over the Fighting Sioux. Strand paced the ‘Cats for the second straight game with 19 points, while adding five rebounds and three assists. Also in double-figure scoring were Garcia 14 and Mara Hoefer, with a career-high 12 points, on five-of-seven from the field.
Dialing Long Distance:
Montana State converted 15 3-pointers in the opening weekend. As a team, the Bobcats are shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc. MSU is currently second in the Big Sky Conference in 3-point field goals made and 3-point field goal percentage. Five MSU players have tallied two treys or better on the year. Conversely, Montana State is tops in the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense, limiting their opponents to just .206 from long range.
Turnin’ It Around:
Montana State had the 11th best turnaround in the nation at the NCAA Division I from 2005-06 to 06-07, improving 8.5 games from its 3-23 mark during the 2005-06 campaign to 13-16 in 06-07. Last year, the Bobcats moved up again posting its first winning season under Tricia Binford’s tutelage with an 18-13 mark and an 11-5 Big Sky slate. The 2007-08 season culminated with an upset win over Idaho State in the BSC semifinals, and a trip to the league title game for the first time since 2003.
To Catch A Thief:
Last year, Montana State finished second in the Big Sky Conference in steals per game led by point guard Erica Perry, who ended the season ranked 30th in the nation at 2.8 per contest. This season, after the opening weekend, the Bobcats lead the league averaging 9.5 thefts per game.
‘Cat Chat:
For the second consecutive year the Montana State women’s basketball team ranked among the nation’s finest in terms of academics. After ranking fourth in the country in 2006-07, MSU once again found themselves listed in the upper echelon being listed in the top 15 with an overall team cumulative grade-point average of 3.392...Aside from their achievements on the court and in the classroom, the Bobcats enjoyed success at the ticket window. Montana State posted the fourth highest increase in attendance from the previous year at the NCAA Division I level. MSU averaged 3,035 fans last winter- an increase from 1,791 in 2006-07...The Bobcats finished 2007-08 with an 18-13 record and an 11-5 Big Sky Conference slate. After upsetting Idaho State in the semifinals at the league tournament, Montana State played in its first Big Sky Conference championship game since 2003. The Bobcats also defeated every Big Sky Conference team last season, a feat they last accomplished in 2002-03...MSU finished the 2007-08 season ranked 27th in the nation in scoring (73.2) and 28th in free throw percentage (75.1). The Bobcats were led by senior first-team All-Big Sky performer Rebecca Mercer, who averaged 18.4 points per game and 2.69 treys. MSU returns 57 percent of its offense this season, including top returning scorer Sarah Strand, who averaged 9.7 points per game.
BOBCAT PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Sarah Strand came off the bench to guide the Montana State squad to a pair of victories, last weekend. Strand averaged 17 points and five rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from the field. In addition, she converted four-of-eight three-point attempts. A 6-foot-1 native of Seattle, she also chipped in three assists, 2.5 steals and .5 blocks. Against North Dakota, Strand led the Bobcats with 19 points, while posting five rebounds and three assists. Her numbers were all the more impressive, as she tallied just 23.5 minutes of action. Strand opened the season at Utah Valley with 15 points, five boards, three assists and four steals.
For this week's complete Bobcat women's basketball release, click on the 'PDF Version Available' link at the top of this page.
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
