Behind Play of Adams, Bobcat Women Down Thunderbirds

Thursday, January 17

Cedar City, UT

7 p.m.

Montana State University

12-4 (6-1)

SOUTHERN UTAH

9-7 (3-3)

Team	1	2	F
Montana State	35	30	65
Southern Utah	22	37	59

Senior Latisha Adams

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

1/17/2013 10:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Montana State senior Latisha Adams made the plays down the stretch, including a pair of crucial free throws, as the Bobcat women’s basketball team out-lasted Southern Utah 65-59, Thursday night in the Centrum.

By: Tom Schulz

BOXSCORE: MONTANA STATE 65, SOUTHERN UTAH 59 (pdf)

Montana State senior Latisha Adams made the plays down the stretch, including a pair of crucial free throws, as the Bobcat women's basketball team out-lasted Southern Utah 65-59, Thursday night in the Centrum.

Adams finished with a team-high 16 points, while fellow senior Rachel Semansky added her 21st career double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

“Tish and Rachel really led as veterans,” said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. “Tish was clutch down the stretch and she led us to the win.”

Montana State (12-4, 6-1) took over sole possession of first place in the Big Sky Conference with the victory- a ½ game ahead of Saturday's opponent Montana.

The Bobcats led by 13-point at intermission, but Southern Utah (9-7, 3-3) whittled the margin down to three-points, before Semansky and Adams took over to put the game out of reach.

“Southern Utah played harder and we had a lot of errors in the second half,” Binford said. “They got to the boards, and coupled with our turnovers, got back in the game. It wasn't a good game for us and we didn't shoot well, but we did just enough to get the win.”

MSU held a commanding 31-19 advantage under the boards in the opening half and finished the game with a two-rebound cushion. Aside from Semansky's dozen under the glass, freshman Lexi Dawkins pulled down eight rebounds to go along with four points.

The Bobcats also got a strong performance out of freshman guard Lindsay Stockton, who finished with five points and six rebounds.

For the game, MSU shot 37 percent from the field, while holding the Thunderbirds to 27 percent. Each squad connected at the line as the Bobcats converted 22-31 charity tosses and SUU 23-32.

Southern Utah was led by Kim Hawkins, who notched 12 points and five rebounds.

MSU will play at Montana in Missoula on Saturday at 3 p.m., in Dahlberg Arena.