Montana State University
Denver
Montana State Women Fall to Pioneers down the Stretch
11/30/2010 9:50:33 PM | Women's Basketball
The Montana State women’s basketball team couldn’t convert in the final two minutes going just one-of-seven from the field as the University of Denver escaped with a 74-68 victory, Tuesday night in Worthington Arena.
The Montana State women's basketball team couldn't convert in the final two minutes going just one-of-seven from the field as the University of Denver escaped with a 74-68 victory, Tuesday night in Worthington Arena.
Montana State's (2-5) Katie Bussey hit a three-pointer with 1:54 remaining to tie the score at 65-all. Denver (3-3) answered the bucket with seven straight points to take a 72-65 advantage, before Bobcat senior Sarah Balian ended the drought with a trey with seven-seconds left.
“We're struggling with our execution down the stretch,” said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. “We missed some opportunities to convert and we didn't get the defensive stops we needed.”
After trailing 36-34 at intermission, the Bobcats built their largest lead of the game at 57-51 following a Bussey triple at the six-minute mark. DU went on an 11-5 run to knot the score at 62-all with 3:19 left.
For the game, MSU was paced by Bussey with 16 points, while Balian and Chelsea Banis chipped in 14 points, apiece.
Banis, a freshman from Fairfield, came off the bench and connected on four-of-eight from the field and six-of-eight from the free throw line. In addition, she recorded her first career double-double hauling down a team-high ten rebounds.
“We got our offense back where we need it to be,” Binford said. “However, we had too many turnovers and were especially sloppy in the first half.”
The Bobcats posted ten turnovers in the opening stanza.
DU was led by Kaetlyn Murdoch with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
MSU will travel to UC Riverside on Friday, before facing No. 12 UCLA on Sunday afternoon in Westwood, Calif.
