Montana State University
Southern Utah
Bobcat Women at Southern Utah
11/19/2010 11:10:37 AM | Women's Basketball
The Montana State women's basketball team will play its only game of the weekend at Southern Utah on Friday night.
Montana State Weekly Basketball Notes (pdf)
Next Up: After playing three games in three days last weekend, including a match-up with No. 2 Baylor, the Montana State women's basketball squad will have only one contest this week - a Friday night affair with future Big Sky Conference member Southern Utah University. Despite playing without its starting point-guard Ashley Albert, who is out for the season following an ACL tear, and starting forward Rachel Semansky, flu, the Bobcats posted its first win of the season with a 58-57 decision over Florida International, last Sunday. On the season, MSU is 1-2 overall, which includes losses to Baylor, and a three-point overtime decision to Rice. Senior Lyndi Seidensticker paced the Bobcats at the World Vision Invitational, averaging 19.3 points and four three-pointers per game. For her efforts, the Spokane, Wash., native was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week- her first-ever league honor.
On The Air: All 32 Montana State women's basketball games, plus all postseason action, will be broadcast on KZMY My 103.5 FM. Games are also available at www.msubobcats.com. Tyler Wiltgen enters his fourth year with the Bobcats and will begin his pregame show 20-minutes prior to tip. Born in Billings and raised in Wilsall, Wiltgen is a MSU grad with a undergraduate degree in agricultural education and a master's degree in applied economics. In his spare time, Wiltgen is Development Director for Bobcat Athletics and a side line reporter for MSU football games.
Name Change(s): A pair of Bobcats underwent name changes during the summer. Associate head coach Amy Saneholtz married Montana State men's assistant coach Temesghen Starr on June 4, 2010, while senior forward Sarah Strand married Aaron Balian on Aug. 17, 2010.
Hard Block Cafe: Last season, Montana State shattered all of the Bobcat block records. Senior Sarah Balian set a new single-season mark with 66 swats, including a record-breaking game high of seven against Sacramento State. Strand is MSU's all-time career blocks leader with 120 in 96 games. As a team, the Bobcats recorded an all-time high 173 blocks. Balain was the 2009-10 Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year and an All Big Sky Conference second team selection.
Dialing Long Distance: Sophomore Katie Bussey is third on Montana State's all-time three-point makes list with 120 treys. Last winter, Bussey converted 78-of-186 attempts from long distance. Bussey garnered All Big Sky Conference honorable mention kudos last March. Senior Sarah Balian is currently seventh all-time with 98 three-pointers. Lyndi Seidensticker is getting close tobreaking into MSU's all-time top list with 85 triples.
Starting With a Little Adversity: Seventy-two hours before tipping off the 2010-11 season against Rice, the Montana State women's basketball squad received news that sophomore Ashley Albert will sit out the year following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in her right knee suffered during Monday practice. Albert had started at point-guard for the Bobcats in their two exhibition games. A 6-foot native of Hamilton, Albert averaged 13.5 points, six rebounds and two assists, while connecting on six three-pointers. Last winter, Albert was MSU's top player off the bench and averaged 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, as the Bobcats went 18-14 overall and 9-7 in Big Sky Conference action and advanced to the league's championship game. Albert expects to have surgery on her knee later this month.
Noting the Thunderbirds: Southern Utah is currently 0-2 on the season, dropping a 76-42 decision to UNLV and a 91-80 contest to Boise State on Tuesday...the Thunderbirds have been led in the two outings by Caitlyn Sears, a 5-10 senior, who is averaging 17.5 points per game, while shooting 45 percent from the field...Challis Pascucci, a 6-2 forward is averaging a double-double so far this season, recording 14.5 points and ten rebounds per game...Last winter, SUU posted a 7-23 overall mark under the direction of head coach JR Payne...the Thunderbirds finished 5-13th in The Summit Leauge- good for eighth place...Southern Utah is returning four starters from last season's squad...MSU is 8-2 all-time against the Thunderbirds going back to the 1988-89 season.
