Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcat Women Head to Big Sky Tourney
3/6/2012 7:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball
As the Montana State women’s basketball team heads to the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the sixth consecutive year this week, it prepares for its most familiar foe. The Bobcats brace for Cat-Griz III, squaring off with Montana on Thursday at Reed Gym on the Idaho State campus. Tipoff is at 7:30 pm.
MONTANA STATE BASKETBALL NOTES (pdf):
POKEY-IN' ALONG:
As the Montana State women's basketball team heads to the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the sixth consecutive year this week, it prepares for its most familiar foe. The Bobcats brace for Cat-Griz III, squaring off with Montana on Thursday at Reed Gym on the Idaho State campus. Tipoff is at 7:30 pm.
WARM UP THE BUS:
Senior Katie Bussey is putting the wraps on a stellar career. The Alamosa, Colo., product owns the MSU and Big Sky three-point field goals record with 250, and became the third player in Bobcat history to surpass the 1600-point plateau. She is second on MSU's all-time scoring chart with 1,678 career points. The total also ranks 11th all-time in Big Sky history.
GET SMART:
Montana State junior standout Rachel Semansky has earned Capital One Academic All-America Second-Team honors, the nation's highest academic accolade for student-athletes. Semansky, a native of Highwood, is among fifteen women's basketball players (the only Big Sky player) at the NCAA Division I level to achieve the recognition. Semansky sports a 3.95 grade-point average in elementary education.
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.
TIME TO GET BUSSEY:
Prior to the season, Katie Bussey had established herself as Montana State's all-time three-point makes (175) queen. Bussey now can lay claim to the Big Sky all-time mark, surpassing Chelsey Warburton's (Weber State, 2004-07) record of 238 triples. Bussey's first shot at Northern Arizona on Feb. 16 gave her the all-time record. She went on to convert four treys against the Lumberjacks. Her new total stands at 250. A three-time All Big Sky performer and the 2008-09 Big Sky Freshman of the Year, she is also moving up MSU's all-time scoring ladder. Her current total of 1,678 points ranks 2nd overall. She trails only Kathleen McLaughlin Howard (1,761). The native of Alamosa, Colo., paced Montana State with a team-high 16 points at Montana. In addition, she connected for four 3-pointers and had three assists, two rebounds and one steal. On Feb. 2, Bussey established a new Bobcat school-record and matched the Big Sky Conference record, pouring in 41 points against Idaho State in Pocatello.
THE PRIDE OF HIGHWOOD:
Junior Rachel Semansky, a first-team All Big Sky selection last winter and second-team choice this year, continued her strong 2011-12 campaign against Weber State last Saturday, despite foul trouble. Semansky notched nine points and a team-high eight rebounds in MSU's season-ending win against the Wildcats. Semansky has led MSU in rebounding in 16 contests, including last time out at Weber, and has recorded ten double-digit rebounding games. She ranks 11th on MSU's all-time rebounding list (658), and has her sights set on a top 10 spot, currently held by Natalie Smith (664, 1994-98). Semansky leads the team in all games shooting 51.5 percent and is tops in rebounding at 8.8 per game. 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.
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 played in 26 games this winter with 21 starts. The native of Fairfield averaged 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting 54 percent from the field as a freshman. Banis is averaging 9.0 points and 4.8 rebounds this year. In MSU's most recent game against Weber State, Banis came off the bench to notch four points and a block.
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 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds from her forward spot. Against Weber State last Saturday, Albert registered four points and five rebounds, despite being plagued with early foul trouble. She also dished out one assist and hit one three-pointer against the Wildcats. Earlier this season, she posted a career-high 20 points against Big-10 foe Wisconsin. Overall, she has registered 18-of-28 games in double-figure scoring games. Albert is also second on the Bobcat squad with 39 three-pointers.
SWISHA:
Junior Latisha Adams has transitioned into a point-guard role this season, 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 at Sacramento State. She scored 11 points last time out against Weber State to match her career-high.
AUSHA BY-GOSHA:
In her second season, Ausha Cole is currently second in assist/turnover ratio at +1.8 in Big Sky play. She is also ranked sixth in assists and seventh in steals. Since returning to a super-sub role three games ago, Cole has scored eight points but grabbed six boards and compiled 11 assists against only four turnovers. Cole dished out a career-high 11 assists against the College of Idaho, and owns a positive assist/turnover ratio in 18 games this year. 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 as the starting point-guard in 2010-11.
PHONE HOME:
Jackie Elliott, a true freshman from Billings, has seven starts, including the last five games for the Bobcats. The Billings Central grad has averaged 22 minutes in the last three games. Since becoming a full-time starter five games ago, Elliott has averaged 5.0 points and 2.3 assists, but has been a huge boost on the boards. She has 30 rebounds in that time, half of those in the last two outings. Against Weber State last time out, she scored 16 points with seven boards, dished out five assists to only one turnover, and blocked three shots.
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. She came off the bench to post 10 points with two rebounds against Montana, following that with 14 points and three boards against Weber last time out. Durham recorded a season-high 19 points, including a season-best four three-pointers against the College of Idaho.
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 Saturday, Allen had her best offensive output since the UND game, with 7 points and three rebounds in MSU's win over Weber State. For the game, Allen connected on 3-of-4 from the field. On the season, she is averaging 1.8 points and 2.8 boards per game.
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/MCL her senior season at St. Bernard. French saw eight minutes at Weber State last Saturday- her second highest total of the season. She ended the game with a season-matching four rebounds, while going two-of-four from the free throw line. 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.
MONTANA STATE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Jackie Elliott
6-0, Forward
Freshman
Billings, Montana
For the first time this season, freshman Jackie Elliott was named Montana State's Player of the Week for her efforts in MSU's regular-season ending win at Weber State last Saturday afternoon in Ogden, Utah. The Billings Central grad posted a career and team-high 16 points against Weber State, including 14 points in the second half. For the game, Elliott connected on 5-of-13 from the field, 2-4 from beyond the three-point arc and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the line. In addition, she added seven rebounds, five assists, three blocked shots and two steals. Elliott has started the last five games for the Bobcats at the small forward spot.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM:
With their 77-76 buzzer-beating loss to Sacramento State in Bozeman, Montana State dropped out of the 'other receiving votes' category in the collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Women's Top 25 poll. Idaho State is the only Big Sky team to crack the poll at No. 22. One of ISU's two league losses came at the hands of the Bobcats. The No. 1 Mid-Major ranking belongs to Delaware with 770 points, after knocking UW-Green Bay from its hold on the top.
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 three-point field-goal percentage defense (.283) and defensive rebounds (28.8).
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).
MONTANA STATE - BIG SKY CONFERENCE TOURNEMANT NOTES:
Montana State will be making its 18th appearance in the Big Sky Conference Tournament, second only to Montana...MSU's 15 wins in Big Sky postseason play is also second to UM...The Bobcats are 15-12 in league tournament action...Montana State has played in eight Big Sky Conference Tournament championship games, the last coming against Portland State in 2010...The Bobcats are 1-7 in tourney title games...MSU's lone championship victory and NCAA trip came in 1993 as the Bobcats defeated Montana 64-57 in Worthington Arena behind Cass Bauer's MVP performance...Current Montana State head coach Tricia Binford was a member of the 1994 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team...Binford's Boise State team defeated the Bobcats in the semifinals that season 78-68 in a game that saw Binford notch eight points and four assists...The last time the Bobcats have played the Lady Griz in Big Sky Tournament play was in 2008 as UM downed MSU 101-65 in the tournament title game in Missoula...Prior the 2008 title tilt, the Bobcats had won two straight tournament games over the Lady Griz- 2003 semifinals (70-64) and 2002 semifinals (61-54 OT) - both games on a neutral floor in Ogden, Utah.
Wednesday, January 26
Saturday, December 18
Thursday, November 04
Tuesday, November 02
