Home Sweet Home: Bobcat Women Host Eastern Washington, Portland State

Thursday, January 31

Bozeman, MT

7 p.m.

Montana State University

EASTERN WASHINGTON

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

Home Sweet Home: Bobcat Women Host Eastern Washington, Portland State

1/30/2013 5:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball

The Montana State women’s basketball squad is happy to be back in the confines of Worthington Arena after its four-game road swing that saw the Bobcats post a 3-1 mark with stops in Cedar City, Utah, Missoula, Ogden, Utah and Pocatello, Idaho. MSU will play six of its last ten Big Sky games at home, beginning with Eastern Washington on Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. Montana State will close out weekend play against Portland State, Saturday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

By: Tom Schulz

CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S BOBCAT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES (pdf)

HOME SWEET HOME: The Montana State women's basketball squad is happy to be back in the confines of Worthington Arena after its four-game road swing that saw the Bobcats post a 3-1 mark with stops in Cedar City, Utah, Missoula, Ogden, Utah and Pocatello, Idaho. MSU will play six of its last ten Big Sky games at home, beginning with Eastern Washington on Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. Montana State will close out weekend play against Portland State, Saturday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

ON THE AIR: Montana State women's basketball games can be heard on KMMS 1450 AM. Should a conflict occur with Bobcat men's basketball, the women's broadcast will be moved back to its original flagship at My 103.5 FM. First-year play-by-play man Adam Seidel will begin his broadcast 15-minutes prior to tip.

QUICK RECAP: Montana State saw its eight-game Big Sky Conference win streak snapped in a 63-55 loss at Idaho State, last Saturday afternoon in Pocatello. MSU sophomore Kalli Durham was the only Bobcat to reach double-digits, notching 20 points on seven-of-15 from the field, including three 3-pointers. For the game, MSU shot a paltry 33 percent from the field. The Bobcats began its road trip with a 67-37 win at Weber State on Thursday night. Ashley Brumwell led the 'Cats with 12 points and ten rebounds. MSU finished the first half of the Big Sky slate atop the league standings- tied with Montana.

ISN'T SHE GRAND? Bobcat senior Rachel Semansky became the 18th member of Montana State's 1000-point club in MSU's win over Clemson. The pride of Highwood now has 1,226 career points, which 14th on the all-time list. In addition, Semansky went over the 800 rebound plateau against Weber State last Thursday night. She becomes only the third Bobcat in history to go over 800 boards, and is now just one of two players in MSU history to post over 1,200 points and 800 rebounds. Currently, she is averaging a team-best 13.5 points per game, while leading the Bobcats under the boards pulling down 7.1 rebounds per outing. Semansky is shooting a team-best 58 percent from the field, which leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks tenth in the nation. Semansky posted her 21st career double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds against Southern Utah on Jan. 17.

THE NAME GAME: Ashley Brumwell, the player formerly known as Ashley Albert, posted her second double-double of the season and the fourth of her career with 12 points and 10 rebounds in MSU's win over Weber State on Thursday. On the season, she is averaging 9.9 points and is second on the squad hauling down 6.1 rebounds per game. Brumwell, who is the sister-in-law of Bobcat men's basketball player Blake Brumwell, has been in double-figure scoring on nine occasions this season. Last weekend, the Hamilton native averaged seven points and seven rebounds in Weber State and Idaho State. Brumwell posted a career-high 23 points, connecting on 10-of-19 from the field in MSU's loss to Wyoming on Dec. 8.

OUR VERY OWN VIOLET BEAUREGARDE: A native of Miles City, sophomore Kalli Durham has played a major role in MSU's season successes. Durham, who comes from a strong Bobcat basketball lineage - grandfather Lin, uncle Mick, cousin Casey and current teammate and cousin Shayla Mack - is second on the team, averaging 13.2 points per game. In 16 starts, Durham has been in double-digits 12 times, including a career-best 23 points in Montana State's win over Clemson at the SMU Hoops for a Cure Classic in Dallas, Texas. In addition, she is first on the team with 26 three-point makes. Durham missed three games (SAC, NAU, MSUB) with a leg injury. Since her return to the starting line-up, MSU is 7-1. Durham had 20 points in MSU's loss at ISU.

BUELLER..BUELLER..BUELLER: Hailing from Twin Bridges, Montana, a town of 400 people located 87 miles west of Bozeman, freshman Peyton Ferris was the 2012 Montana Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Ferris found herself in a starting role for the Bobcats for four games. Currently, she is averaging 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Ferris notched a season-best seven points in Montana State's loss to Sacramento State to open the Big Sky season.

GIMME A BREAK: A relentless defender, Bobcat newcomer Rachel Carter has started 8 of 19 games for the Bobcats. The junior transfer from Foothill College is averaging 2.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and has a team-best 33 steals per game. Carter posted a season-best nine points in MSU's season-opening with at Colorado State. Last weekend, she had five steals, averaging 2.5 per contest

CHELSEA, LATELY: Junior center Chelsea Banis returned from offseason hip surgery to see her first action of the season at Weber State on Thursday night. The Fairfield native played five minutes and posted four points, one rebound and a block.

THE DISH: Serving as one of three tri-captains this season, senior Latisha Adams is back for her final season with the Bobcats. The 5-9 guard from Albuquerque, New Mexico, has played in all 19 games this season, including 14 starts. She is currently averaging 10.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in Big Sky play. Adams is second on the team with 37 assists. Adams recorded a career-high 19 points as the Bobcats defeated Portland State, Jan. 3. Last week against Weber State and Idaho State, she averaged 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, while dishing out three assists.

PHONE HOME: Jackie Elliott has played in all 19 games, including eight starts. The 2010-11 Montana Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year is currently averaging 5.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Elliott posted a season-high 13 points in MSU's loss to Sacramento State to begin conference play, connecting on 5-of-8 from the field. Last weekend, she averaged 15.5 minutes against Weber State and Idaho State, scoring 5.0 points per game, including a weekend best eight points, while hauling down seven rebounds and adding five assists, a steal and a block at Weber State.

TAKING STOCK: Lindsay Stockton, a freshman from Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Wash., has seen action in all 19 games and is averaging 14.7 minutes per contest. The daughter of NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton and the sister of Gonzaga guard David Stockton, is making a name for herself with the Bobcats. The 5-6 guard is averaging 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. She recorded a season-high 12 points against UM-Western, connecting on four-of-seven from the field with two 3-pointers. Last weekend, Stockton averaged 3.5 points 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Freshman Jasmine Hommes is another women's player with a strong lineage to the program. Hommes has two aunts who played for MSU, including Brooke (Hommes) Svendsen, an All-Big Sky player and member of the 1992-93 Montana State team that captured the program's only league tournament title, which led to its only NCAA appearance, and Blythe (Hommes) Hintz, the 1996-97 Big Sky Player of the Year and a Kodak All-America Honorable Mention selection. Jasmine Hommes has played in 17 games this season and is averaging 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds as one of the first post players off the bench. The 6-1 forward from Lynden, Wash., tallied eight points and four rebounds at Weber State last Thursday night.

THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER: Junior Emily Allen, a 6-foot forward from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, has played in all 19 games, including starting the last seven games. Allen is averaging 2.3 points and 3.7 rebounds, while shooting 27 percent from the field. Against North Dakota last December, 2011, Allen registered a career-high with eight points. She also recorded a career-high 11 rebounds in the victory over UND. Last weekend, Allen averaged 2.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Against Idaho State on Saturday, Allen posted 3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and an assist.

HOMETOWN PROUD: Bozeman High standout Lexi Dawkins, an all-state selection last winter, has played in all 19 games this season, and has seen her minutes rise significantly, averaging 11.8 per game. Dawkins is chipping in 3.3 points and hauling down 2.9 rebounds per contest. Last weekend, she averaged 6.5 points, while shooting an impressive 86 percent (6-7) from the field. In addition, she pulled down 4.5 rebounds and added two blocks. The 6-foot-1 forward matched a season-high eight points in MSU's win over Northern Colorado. She also currently leads Montana State at the line shooting 86 percent. Dawkins comes from an athletic family as well, as father Dale Dawkins was on the 1987 U of Miami national championship football squad and went on to the NFL as a wide receiver for the New York Jets.

BIG MACK ATTACK: Shayla Mack is a walk-on from Three Forks, MT and is the cousin of Kalli Durham. She has played in five games. She had 2 pts. vs UM-Western and one point at Weber State.

NOTING THE 'CATS: Montana State has posted wins over the Mountain West, WAC (2), ACC and Ohio Valley Conferences...balance and depth have been the key to MSU's success as 10 of 13 players on the roster are averaging ten minutes or more per game, while no one averages more the 30 minutes...Rachel Semansky is 10th in the nation shooting 58 percent from the floor...Montana State is 12-3 with starting guard Kalli Durham in the line-up...despite shooting just 28 percent from 3-point range, the Bobcats are second in the Big Sky shooting 41% from the field...MSU leads the league in field-goal percentage defense .345) 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.257) and defensive rebounds (28.0)...MSU is the top ranked Big Sky school in this week's RPI at 72.