Bobcat Women Lose Banis to Season-Ending Injury
1/7/2011 8:56:42 PM | Women's Basketball
The Montana State women’s basketball team was dealt another blow on Thursday night as redshirt freshman Chelsea Banis went down with a season-ending injury in the second half of its 106-55 win over Sacramento State in the Big Sky Conference opener.
The Montana State women's basketball team was dealt another blow on Thursday night as redshirt freshman Chelsea Banis went down with a season-ending injury in the second half of its 106-55 win over Sacramento State in the Big Sky Conference opener.
Banis (Fairfield) tore her meniscus ligament and had surgery to repair the knee, Friday afternoon.
“We're devastated for Chelsea,” said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. “She was having such a tremendous season and had played a big role in our current five-game win streak.
“This just takes the wind out of you,” Binford said. “But, like our earlier injuries, I know this team will persevere. That's just the character of this group.”
Banis, the leading candidate for Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors, was leading the league shooting 55 percent from the field, in addition to being ranked among the Big Sky's top ten in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.
Prior to going down against Sacrament State, Banis had notched 15 points and four rebounds in 14 minutes of action. The 6-4 center also sparked MSU's 17-0 run in the first half against the Hornets to blow the game open.
In 15 games, Banis was averaging 12.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest.
Montana State is now down to just eight players. Earlier this season, sophomore guard Ashley Albert (Hamilton) was lost after tearing her ACL, while true freshman Kate Webb (Gold Coast, Australia) was sidelined after having surgery to remove a pin from a stress fracture.
MSU will host Northern Colorado on Saturday night at 7 p.m., in Worthington Arena.
NOTE: Banis, who averages 4.93 field-goal makes, is just shy of the 5.0 FGMs required by the NCAA to be ranked in the weekly statistics. Based on her current 55.2 percentage, she would have been just one of two freshmen ranked among the top 30 shooters at the Division I level.
