Bussey Leads Bobcats in Win over Bears

Thursday, February 9

Bozeman, MT

7:05 p.m.

Montana State University

NORTHERN COLORADO

Katie Bussey had a game-high 23 points against Northern Colorado on Thursday night.

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

2/9/2012 10:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State senior standout Katie Bussey recorded a game-high 23 points and hit a crucial three-pointer with just over four minutes remaining to lift the Bobcats to a 58-50 win over Northern Colorado, Thursday night in Worthington Arena.

“It's exactly what you want,” said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. “At that point in the game you look for your senior leader to step-up and get the job done and Katie answered the call.”

Montana State (16-8, 8-4) led by three points at intermission as Bussey posted nine points, while Ashley Albert hit for eight.

In the second stanza, Northern Colorado (14-10, 6-5) evened the score on two occasions but could never take the lead.

The Bobcats held a 3-5 point advantage for most of the period before Bussey's triple following a timeout gave MSU an eight point cushion with 4:42 left.

Montana State converted five-of-six free throws in the final minute to secure the victory.

“I thought we did a nice job on the defensive end,” Binford said. “(D'shara) Strange got away from us in the first half, but we limited her to just three points in the second half, and that was big.”

Bussey scored 14 points in the second stanza and shot 50 percent from the field. For the game, she recorded three 3-pointers and moved into second on the all-time Big Sky Conference list with 237 triples. She needs two more three-pointers to unseat Weber State's Chelsey Warburton as the Big Sky all-time three-point makes champion.

Also in double-figures for the Bobcats were Albert and Rachel Semansky with 13 points, apiece. Semansky also paced MSU under the boards with eight rebounds.

Northern Colorado was led in the loss by Strange with 17 points and five rebounds.

MSU will close out its regular season home slate against Sacramento State on Saturday at 2 p.m., in Worthington Arena. The Bobcats will celebrate Bussey's career prior to tipoff.