Monday, December 19
Las Vegas, NV
1 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
ILLINOIS
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Viva Las Vegas: Bobcat Women Head to Las Vegas Shootout
12/16/2011 11:08:00 AM | Women's Basketball
After a 14-day hiatus, the Montana State women’s basketball team will return to the hardwood at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 19-20. MSU will open play against Big 10 foe Illinois on Monday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. (MST). The Bobcats conclude play against No. 12 Georgia, Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 4:30 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE:
• Tuesday's Game Time vs. Georgia will be at 4:30 p.m. (MST); a change from the original 2 p.m. start.
• Next Thursday's Game Time vs North Dakota is 6:05 p.m., not the usual 7:05 p.m. start.
• The MSU women's basketball Fast Break Club is having a no-host listening party at the Smiling Moose Deli (2631 West Main St.) on Monday for the Bobcats' game against Illinois. Game time is 2 p.m., with the pre-game show by Tyler Wiltgen starting at 1:40 p.m. The invitation to listen is open to everyone.
Click here for this week's WBB Notes (pdf):
VIVA LAS VEGAS:
After a 14-day hiatus, the Montana State women's basketball team will return to the hardwood at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 19-20. MSU will open play against Big 10 foe Illinois on Monday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. (MST). The Bobcats conclude play against No. 12 Georgia, Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 4:30 p.m. Both contests will be played in the South Point Arena within the South Point Hotel. MSU will return home to host North Dakota on Dec. 22 at 6:05 p.m., in Worthington Arena.
PILOT OF THE AIRWAVES:
All Montana State women's basketball games - exhibition through postseason - will be carried live on KZMY My 103.5 FM. Tyler Wiltgen is in his fifth year calling the action. Wiltgen's pregame show begins 20-minutes prior to tip off.
FOR YOUR LISTENING/VIEWING PLEASURE:
Montana State women's basketball home and Big Sky Conference games can be seen via free video streaming at www.b2tv.com. In addition, games can be heard on the web by clicking the Bobcat Sports Radio Network button at www.msubobcats.com. Live stats are also available for home games at www.msubobcats.com.
CAT CHAT:
After dropping a ten-point decision to Big 10 foe Wisconsin on Nov. 25, the Montana State women's basketball squad has reeled off four consecutive victories- two at home and two on the road. During that span, the Bobcat offense has averaged 75.8 points per game, while giving up just 62 to its opponents. Over the course of the four-game run, MSU has shot 44 percent from the field, including two contests (Colorado State, Utah State) in which they hit over 50 percent. Balance has been the key to MSU's recent successes as four players are either at or near double-figure scoring led by Katie Bussey (19.7 ppg), Ashley Albert (14.7 ppg), Chelsea Banis (12.0 ppg) and Rachel Semansky (9.7 ppg). As a unit, the Bobcats offense is ranked among the nation's top 50 in scoring offense (45th/73.9 ppg), field goal percentage (32nd/44.1), free throw percentage (45th/74.2), three-point field goal percentage (47th/6.8) and assists (20th/17.3 apg).
TIME TO GET BUSSEY:
Senior Katie Bussey has already established herself as Montana State's all-time three-point makes queen. Bussey will continue to add on to her school record, which currently stands at 206 treys. The mark also ranks fifth on the all-time Big Sky Conference chart. The league mark of 238 is held by Chelsey Warburton, who played at Weber State from 2004-07. Bussey will have a good shot at breaking the conference mark as she will need to average 1.7 makes per game. Bussey is currently averaging 2.7 makes per contest. A two-time All Big Sky performer and the 2008-09 Big Sky Freshman of the Year, she is also moving up the MSU all-time scoring ladder. Her current total of 1,364 points ranks 7th overall at Montana State. Last season, she posted 24 double-figure scoring games. Her career-high of 30 points was set against Pacific, Nov, 15, 2009. In her last outing, Bussey led MSU past North Dakota with 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and a steal. She has been in double-digit scoring in all nine games to date.
THE PRIDE OF HIGHWOOD:
Junior Rachel Semansky, a first-team All Big Sky selection last winter, continued her stellar play in MSU's win over North Dakota, despite being held to just two points. Semansky led the Bobcats under the glass with 10 rebounds. She has led Montana State in rebounding in five games this season. The 6-foot forward is second in the Big Sky Conference averaging 8.6 rebounds per game. Semansky recorded a career-high 30 points against the College of Idaho on Nov. 20. Last season, she finished second in Big Sky games in scoring, rebounding, field-goal percentage and steals. The pride of Highwood has hauled down a career-best 13 rebounds on three occasions.
CHELSEA, LATELY:
Sophomore Chelsea Banis, who returned to the Bobcat roster this season after missing 15 Big Sky Conference games last winter due to a torn MCL, has worked herself back into MSU's starting rotation. Against North Dakota, the 6-foot-4 center from Fairfield, posted her first double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Her ten boards tied a career-high. Last winter, Banis established herself as one of the top freshman in the Big Sky averaging 12.6 points and 5.9 rebounds, while shooting 55 percent. Banis recorded a career-high 28 points at Utah Valley on Jan. 1, 2011.
DOUBLE A:
Sophomore Ashley Albert, a 6-foot-1 forward from Hamilton, Mont., returned to the Montana State lineup after missing all of the 2010-11 season with a torn ACL. As a freshman, Albert averaged 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds, while shooting 42 percent. Recently, Albert has notched six straight double-figure scoring games, including 18 points at North Dakota. Over the course of the six contests, she has averaged 16.3 points per game. Albert is currently second on the squad with 15 3-pointers. She also leads MSU and the Big Sky Conference shooting 91 percent from the free throw line. Albert had her best game of the season against Big-10 foe Wisconsin with a career-high 20 points, while pulling down a team-best eight rebounds. In the season-opener at the University of Portland, Albert recorded a career-high 11 rebounds.
SWISHA:
Junior Latisha Adams has transitioned into the starting point-guard role, which gives the Bobcats added size at the spot. Last season, the 5-foot-9 native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, averaged 2.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Adams recorded a career-high 11 points at Weber State on Jan. 17, 2011. In addition, she pulled down a career-high seven rebounds against Sacramento State and dished out a season-high six assists against the Hornets, as well. At North Dakota on Dec. 4, Adams had three points and four rebounds in 22 minutes.
AUSHA BY-GOSHA:
Ausha Cole is in her second season with the Bobcats. The 5-foot-6 point guard currently leads the Big Sky Conference in assist/turnover ratio at +2.6. Cole is also ranked fourth in assists and fifth in steals. Against North Dakota, Cole came off the bench and notched seven points and seven assists. The native of Mesa, Arizona, dished out a career-high 11 assists against the College of Idaho on Nov. 20. As a freshman, Cole played in 27 games, including 21 starts. She received her first starting nod against Cal State Bakersfield playing 29 minutes and dishing out seven assists. Montana State went 15-6 overall with Cole at the starting point-guard spot. Cole notched a career-best 13 points on two occasions.
PHONE HOME:
Jackie Elliott, a true freshman from Billings, made two starts (UMW/CI) for the Bobcats with Chelsea Banis out of the line-up. In MSU's win at North Dakota, the 6-foot forward played 22 minutes and recorded three points and three steals. For the season, Elliott is averaging 5.4 point and 4.4 rebounds, while shooting 43 percent from the field. The graduate of Billing Central notched a season-best 14 points. Elliott pulled down a season-best nine rebounds in MSU's win over Utah State. She is averaging 19.1 minutes per contest.
ALL IN THE FAMILY:
Kalli Durham and the Bobcats have a long and storied family history on the Bozeman campus. Durham's grandfather (Lin), uncle (Mick) and cousin (Casey) played for the Montana State men's team. Uncle Mick served as the men's head coach at MSU for 16 years and is the current head coach at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Father Mark is the current athletic director and former head coach at UM-Western. In Montana State's four-point win at North Dakota, Durham pulled down one rebound in six minutes of action. The Miles City native leads is shooting 36 percent from beyond the arc. Durham recorded a season-high 19 points, including four triples in MSU's win vs. the College of Idaho.
ALLONS-Y CHATTE:
Destini French, a 6-foot-2 center from Playa del Rey, Calif., is starting to log some playing time for the Bobcats after tearing her ACL and MCL her senior season at St. Bernard. Against North Dakota, French played ten minutes- her longest stint of the season- and posted one point and two boards. French registered a career-high six points and hauled down four rebounds against the College of Idaho on Nov. 20, 2011.
SYMONE SAYS:
Symone Brown is also seeing some minutes this season. She saw her first action against the College of Idaho and logged seven minutes. She pulled down two rebounds in the contest. Brown, a 5-9 guard who prepped at Richard Gahr High School, averaged 20.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as a senior. As a senior, Brown was selected to the CIF Division 3AA First-Team, as well as the San Gabriel Valley League First-Team; Long Beach Press Telegram Dream Team; and the Cerritos Community News First-Team.
Wednesday, January 26
Saturday, December 18
Thursday, November 04
Tuesday, November 02
