Battle in the Big Sky

MSU WBB WEEKLY NOTES (pdf)

HOME SWEET HOME:
After its road sweep at Sacramento State and Northern Colorado, the Montana State women's basketball squad returns to Worthington Arena/Brick Breeden Fieldhouse for a two-game home stand. The Bobcats will face Portland State on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7:05 p.m., and Eastern Washington, Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2:05 p.m.

BAREFOOT IN THE BRICK:
As part of MSU's game with Eastern Washington on Saturday afternoon, head coach Tricia Binford will take part in the Samaritan's Feet - Barefoot for Bare Feet movement. She will coach bare-footed to help make a difference. Samaritan's Feet serves the impoverished in over 62 countries around the world and has placed new shoes on the feet of more than 3.5 million children in addition to raising nearly $2 million dollars. Binford's goal this year is to raise $1,000, which will provide 100 pairs of shoes in our community. For more information go to: www.msubobcats.com.

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 or at each opponent's website in the case of away games.

CAT CHAT:
The Bobcats will look for their fifth straight win against Portland State on Thursday night...MSU defeated PSU 95-83 on Dec. 31 in the Rose City...The Bobcats will look to avenge its 79-73 loss at Eastern Washington when it hosts the Eagles on Saturday afternoon.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

* Chelsea Banis, 6-4, Sophomore, Center, Fairfield, Montana

Banis had a consistent weekend for the Bobcats as MSU swept its road series at Sacramento State and Northern Colorado...for the weekend, she averaged 12 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 61 percent from the field...had weekend high 14 points to pace Montana State at Sacramento State.

* Latisha Adams, 5-9, Junior, Guard, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Adams played a big role in MSU's win at Sacramento State on Thursday...finished the game with seven points and career-high eight rebounds...also dished out two assists and added a career-high five steals, as well...posted three points and had two steals in MSU's win over Northern Colorado.

TIME TO GET BUSSEY:
Katie Bussey has established herself as Montana State's all-time three-point makes queen. Bussey continues to add on to her school record, which currently stands at 226 treys. The mark ranks fourth on the all-time Big Sky chart. The league mark of 238 is held by Chelsey Warburton (Weber State, 2004-07). Bussey will have a good shot at breaking the conference mark as she will need to average 1.4 makes per game. She is currently averaging 2.3 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 1,507 points ranks 4th overall at Montana State. Last week, she became the 4th member of MSU's prestigious 1500-point club against Northern Colorado. Last weekend, the native of Alamosa, Colo., averaged 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. In addition, she dished out six assists and had four steals on the weekend. Against Northern Colorado, Bussey saw her string of 20 straight FTs snapped.

THE PRIDE OF HIGHWOOD:
Junior Rachel Semansky, a first-team All Big Sky selection last winter, continued her stellar play against Sacramento State and Northern Colorado, which culminated in being named the Madness Big Sky Player of the Week. She ended the two games, averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds per outing. Semansky has led MSU in rebounding in 11 games this season. In all, she has notched 8 double-digit rebounding games and ranks 12th on MSU's all-time list (581). Semansky leads the team shooting .540 and is top in rebounding at 8.9 per outing. The pride of Highwood recorded a career-high 30 points against the College of Idaho and hauled down a career-best 18 rebounds against NAU this year.

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. The native of Fairfield averaged 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting 54 percent from the field as a freshman. Banis hit double-figures in both games last weekend, averaging 12 ppg. She had her best outing against Sacramento State, scoring a team-high 14 points on seven-of-11 from the field. 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. This season, Albert has been a steady performer for the Bobcats and is currently chipping in 12.4 points and 7.4 rebounds from her small forward spot. Last weekend, Albert posted 12 points and 8 rebounds in MSU's win over Sacramento State. In Montana State's one-point win at Northern Colorado, Albert paced the Bobcats under the boards with a team-high 10 rebounds. Albert's 11 boards versus Idaho State three weeks ago matched a career-high. Earlier this season, she posted a career-high 20 points against Big-10 foe Wisconsin. Overall, she has registered 14-of-19 games in double-figure scoring games.

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 and pulled down a career-high eight rebounds against Sacramento State, last Thursday. On the weekend, Adams averaged 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. She also registered seven steals. Adams had her best outing against Sacramento State with 7 points.

AUSHA BY-GOSHA:
In her second season, Ausha Cole, a 5-foot-6 point guard, is currently second in assist/turnover ratio at +2.0 in Big Sky play. She is also ranked sixth in assists and eighth in steals. Last Thursday, Cole came off the bench and recorded six points, three assists and one steal in MSU's win over Sacramento State. Earlier this season, Cole dished out a career-high 11 assists against the College of Idaho. She has notched 13 games this season with a positive assist/turnover ratio. As a frosh, Cole received her first start against CS Bakersfield playing 29 minutes and dishing out seven assists. MSU went 15-6 overall with Cole at the starting point-guard spot. Cole has 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. Last weekend, Elliott came off the bench and had four points against Sacramento State and two points vs. Northern Colorado. For the season, Elliott is averaging 3.4 points and 3.0 rebounds. The graduate of Billing Central notched a season-best 14 points against UM-Western and pulled down a season-best nine rebounds in MSU's win over Utah State. She is averaging 14.6 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 men's coach at UM-Western. Last Saturday, Durham came off the bench and posted six points against Sacramento State, including a four-of-four effort from the free throw line. The Miles City native is 5th in the Big Sky shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc. She recorded a season-high 19 points against the College of Idaho.

ALLONS-Y CHATTE:
Destini French, a 6-foot-2 freshman center from Playa del Rey, Calif., is logging some playing time for the Bobcats after tearing her ACL and MCL her senior season at St. Bernard. French snapped a four game scoring drought with two points at Sacramento and one at Northern Colorado. She averaged three minutes of action. 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 did not play last weekend. She saw her first action of the season 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.

MADNESS/BIG SKY
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Rachel Semansky
6-0, Forward, Junior
Highwood, Montana

Rachel Semansky had a solid weekend as the Bobcats swept its road trip to Sacramento State and Northern Colorado. For the weekend, Semansky averaged 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting 47 percent from the field and 90 percent (9-10) from the line. In addition, Semansky recorded her third 3-pointer of the year against Northern Colorado. In its battle against Northern Colorado for second place in the league standings, Semansky played an instrumental role scoring 10 second half points, while hauling down five of her six rebounds. At Sacramento State on Thursday, she posted her fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds against Sac State.

WELCOME BACK, ELMO:
Bobcat sophomore forward Emily Allen rejoined the team after sitting out the first semester for personal reasons. The native of Gold Coast, Australia made her presence felt right away in MSU's win over North Dakota in Worthington Arena prior to the Christmas break. Against UND she registered a career-high 11 rebounds, to go along with eight points. Last weekend, Allen averaged 10 minutes of action and scored two points and two rebounds in both of MSU's victories on the road. On the season, she is averaging 2.4 points and 3.2 boards per game, which sixth highest on the Bobcat squad this winter.

COLLEGEINSIDER.COM:
The Bobcats fell from receiving 'other votes' in the collegeinsider.com's Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The No. 1 Mid-Major spot belongs to Wisconsin-Green Bay with 774 points. Both Idaho State (58) and Portland State (2) are receiving votes.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TEAM:
The Bobcats rank among the league's top five in 16 of the Big Sky's 21 statistical categories. MSU is ranked first in scoring margin (+6.6), defensive rebounds (28.9) and assist/turnover ratio (+0.9).

POWER OUTAGE:
MSU's only hiccup so far this season is in its games against the 'so-called' power conferences. MSU finished 2-4 with wins over Colorado State (Mountain West) and Utah State (WAC) and losses to Oregon State (Pac-12), Wisconsin (Big 10), Illinois (Big 10) and #13 Georgia (SEC).

TOSSING THE ROCK:
Rachel Semansky is ranked 22nd in the nation in field-goal percentage hitting at a 54 percent clip.

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Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Northwest Nazarene (exhibition) on Oct. 27, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Bushnell (exhibition) on Oct. 30, 2025 at TBA

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Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball at Portland on Nov. 7, 2025 at 8 p.m. (MT)

Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Minot State on Nov. 10, 2025 at 11 a.m.