This Week in Bobcat Women's Basketball:
WBB Weekly Notes (pdf)
March 11-13, 2010 - Big Sky Tourney Time
Bobcat Women Make 15th Big Sky Tournament Appearance
Thur., March 11 (6) Montana State vs (3) Sacramento State,
Venue/Tip: Reese Court, Cheney, WA, (5,000), 4:30 pm (MST)
Fri., March 12 - If Win: (6) MSU vs. (1) E. Washington, 7 pm
Sat., March 13 - If Win: (6) MSU vs. TBA, 3:05 pm
Live Radio: My 103.5 FM (www.my1035.com)
Live Stats: www.goeags.com
Live Webcast: www.B2TV.com
Live Television: Championship on Saturday - Altitude TV
Next Up:
The Montana State women's basketball team will make its 16th appearance in the 22nd Annual Big Sky Conference Tournament, beginning Thursday, March 11. The Bobcats will enter the tournament as the No. 6 seed and will face No. 3 Sacramento State. The other quarterfinal game has No. 4 Idaho State facing No. 5 Portland State. Should MSU win its first-round game, they would face No. 1 seed Eastern Washington on Friday night in semifinal action. The Big Sky Conference championship game is slated for Saturday afternoon at 3:05 p.m. (MST) and will be aired on Altitude. Montana State enters Thursday's game with a 16-13 overall mark, after finishing 9-7 in Big Sky Conference action. The Bobcats went 6-2 in league play in the second half of the season and have won seven-of-their-last-nine contests, including a 5-1 record away from Worthington Arena.
A Look at the #Sacramento State vs. #6 Montana State:
Sacramento State earned the league's No. 3 seed in the Big Sky Conference tournament, after finishing the league slate with a 10-6 mark. The Hornets enter Thursday's game winning 11 of their last 13 games. Their only defeats during that span were to Montana State and Idaho State- in overtime. The Bobcats were the only Big Sky team to sweep Sacramento State this season, winning 95-86 in Bozeman, and 84-73 in Sacramento. Montana State holds the all-time series edge 23-6 dating back to the 1996-97 campaign. The Bobcats and Hornets have only met once in postseason play with MSU coming out on top of a 66-55 decision at the 1997 Big Sky Tournament in Missoula. Montana State was paced that season by Blythe Hommes and Julie Brown. Sacramento State currently possesses the Big Sky's most potent offense, averaging 79.6 points per game. The Hornets have also connected on a whopping 259 three-pointers this season. SAC has four players with 43 3-pointers or more. The Hornets are led in scoring by Charday Hunt, a first-team All Big Sky selection, who averages 18.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. In the two games between MSU and SAC, Hunt has averaged 20.5 points and four rebounds per game. Also averaging in double-figures for the Hornets are Emily Christensen and Erika Edwards at 14.1 and 10 points, respectively. Edwards, a second-team all-league selection, leads Sacramento State under the boards, averaging 8.1 rebounds per game. In addition, she leads the Big Sky Conference with 75 3-pointers.
Get to the Point:
Erica Perry became the 15th player in MSU history to reach the 1000-point plateau. Perry reached the milestone in the first meeting with Idaho State (Jan. 2) and presently sits 11th on the all-time scoring list 1,194 career points. A four-year starter, she is averaging 13.2 points and 3.5 rebounds, while dishing out 3.4 assists in 29 games. Perry recorded a career high 28 points at Pacific, connecting on 8-13 from the field and 10-13 from the line. The two-time first-team All-Big Sky pick is shooting 44 percent from the field and 75 percent from the stripe. Last weekend, Perry averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game
Hop on the Bus:
Sophomore Katie Bussey leads the Bobcats in scoring, averaging 13.6 points per outing. In addition, she is first on the team with 69 three-pointers, while shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc- which ranks second in the Big Sky. Last weekend, Bussey had 18 points, including a career-matching six 3-pointers in MSU's win at Montana in Dahlberg Arena. The 2008-09 Big Sky Freshman of the Year is the top scoring sophomore in the league, and is also chipping in 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals per contest. Bussey posted a career-high 30 points and six 3-pointers at Pacific. She has been in double-digit scoring in 23 of MSU's 29 games. Her streak of 12 consecutive double-figure scoring games was broken when she was held to seven points at Northern Colorado, last weekend. For her efforts this season, Bussey was named to the Big Sky honorable-mention squad.
Sleepless in Seattle:
Sarah Strand is Montana State's 'steady-betty' and is second on the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game, while leading the squad in rebounding, averaging 7.3 boards. In all, the native of Shoreline, Wash., has posted 25 double-figure scoring games. A Strand is the top blocker on the team and in Big Sky action at 2.0 per contest. Strand is MSU's all-time single-season blocks record-holder (59), surpassing Alaina Bauer, who had 44 swats during the 1987-88 campaign. Strand's 2.0 blocks per game output is also 35th in the nation. Strand also has 105 career blocks, which is 2nd best all-time in Bobcat history. Last weekend, she averaged 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. In addition, she added five blocks, four assists, three triples and a steal.
