Thursday, January 10
Bozeman, MT
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
NORTHERN COLORADO
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcat Women Host Northern Colorado, North Dakota
1/9/2013 5:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Bobcat women's basketball team will host a pair of Big Sky games this weekend, beginning with Northern Colorado on Thursday night at 7 p.m., in Worthington Arena.
CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S NOTES (pdf)
THE GREAT NORTH: The Montana State women's basketball squad will be back on the Worthington Arena floor this weekend for pair of Big Sky Conference games. The Bobcats will host league-leading Northern Colorado (6-6, 3-0) on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. MSU will close out the weekend with Big Sky newcomer North Dakota (7-6, 2-2) on Saturday, Jan. 12 at 2 p.m.
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. NOTE: Thursday's game against Northern Colorado will be carried live on KZMY 103.5 FM.
QUICK RECAP: Montana State put a quick halt to Eastern Washington's five-game win streak, holding the Eagles to just one field-goal in the final 11-minutes, en route to a 73-60 win on Saturday. Rachel Semansky led all scorers with 20 points, connecting on eight-of-ten from the field. The Highwood native also paced the Bobcats under the boards with a team-high eight rebounds. On Thursday, Semansky connected on a school-record matching 12-of-12 from the free throw line, recording a game-high 22 points to pace the Bobcats to an 81-74 win over Portland State in the Stott Center.
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 1,154 career points, which 14th on the all-time list. In addition, Semansky went over the 700 rebound plateau against SMU. Last Saturday, she pulled down eight rebounds against Eastern Washington to move into 3rd on MSU's all-time list. Currently, she is averaging a team-best 14.2 points per game, while leading the Bobcats under the boards pulling down 6.9 rebounds per outing. Semansky is shooting a team-best 59 percent from the field, which leads the Big Sky and is 8th in the nation. The 6-foot forward was this week's Big Sky Player of the Week, after averaging 21 points and 6.5 rebounds last weekend. Semansky posted her 20th career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds against MSU Billings.
THE NAME GAME: Ashley Brumwell, the player formerly known as Ashley Albert, posted her first double-double of the season and the third of her career with 14 points and 10 rebounds in MSU's win over Utah State on Dec. 1. On the season, she is averaging 11.2 points and is second on the squad hauling down 5.9 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 seven occasions this season, including both games last weekend, where she averaged 15.5 points per game, while shooting 48 percent from the field. 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 Linn, uncle Mick, cousin Casey and current teammate and cousin Shayla Mack - is second on the team, averaging 13.9 points per game. In ten starts, Durham has been in double-digits eight 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 18 three-point makes. Durham missed the last three games with a leg injury, before returning to the starting rotation last weekend and averaging 14.5 point and 5.5 rebounds per game.
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 2.8 points and 2.7 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 13 games for the Bobcats. The junior transfer from Foothill College is averaging 3.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Carter posted a season-best nine points in MSU's season-opening with at Colorado State. Last weekend, she posted a season-best five steals against Eastern Washington, while averaging 4.5 points and 2.5 boards.
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 13 games this season, including eight starts. She is currently averaging 7.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. In addition, Adams is second on the team with 27 assists, averaging 2.1 per contest. Adams recorded a career-high 19 points as the Bobcats defeated Portland State last Thursday. For the game, she connected on six-of-ten from the field and went a career-best seven-of-11 from the free throw line. In addition, Adams pulled down seven assists and had two steals.
PHONE HOME: Jackie Elliott has played in all 13 games, including eight starts. The 2010-11 Montana Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year is currently averaging 6.0 points and 4.0 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 per game, and chipped in 4.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest. Elliott had her best game of the weekend with six points, two assists, one steal and one block at Portland State.
TAKING STOCK: Lindsay Stockton, a freshman from Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Wash., has seen action in all 13 games and is averaging 13.9 minutes per contest. The daughter of NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton and the sister of Gonzaga guard David Stockton, she is making a name for herself in the early going for the Bobcats. The 5-6 guard is averaging 4.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and an assist 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 Saturday at Eastern Washington, she posted six points.
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 12 games this season and is averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds as one of the first post players off the bench. The 6-1 forward from Lynden, Wash., tallied a season-best 12 points vs. UM-Western on five-of-seven from the floor.
THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER: Junior Emily Allen, a 6-foot forward from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, has played in all 13 games, including her first start at Eastern Washington. Allen is averaging 2.1 points and 3.4 rebounds, while shooting 33 percent from the field. Against North Dakota last December, 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 just one point per game, but hauled down 3.5 rebounds and dished out 3.5 assists per game. She recorded a career-high five assists in Montana State win over Eastern Washington last Saturday.
HOMETOWN PROUD: Bozeman high standout Lexi Dawkins, an all-state selection with the Hawks last winter, has played in all 13 games this season, averaging 9.7 minutes, while chipping in 2.2 points and hauling down 2.2 rebounds per contest. In MSU's win over ACC foe Clemson, Dawkins notched a season-best seven rebounds. The 6-foot-1 forward recorded a season-best eight points against Northern Arizona, and currently leads Montana State at the line shooting 92 percent. She also comes from an athletic family 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 three games. She had 2 pts. vs. UM-Western.
HITTING THE BOOKS: For the sixth time in the last seven years, the Montana State women's basketball team ranked among the top 12 in the nation at the NCAA Division 1 level for combined grade-point average inclusive of all student-athletes on its rosters for the 2011-12 season. The Bobcats finished 11th overall with a combined 3.456 grade-point average. MSU was the highest ranked Big Sky team from last winter. Northern Colorado (12), Montana (17) and Eastern Washington (25) also ranked in the top 25.
IT'S ALL ACADEMIC: Montana State senior standout Rachel Semansky earned Capital One Academic All-America Second-Team honors, the nation's highest academic accolade for student-athletes, last winter. Semansky was among fifteen women's basketball players at the NCAA Division I level to achieve the recognition. Semansky sported a 3.95 grade-point average in elementary education. With the honor, Semansky became the first Bobcat women's basketball player to earn the recognition since Evelyn Baldridge in 1985. Baldridge was a third team honoree, while Kathie Roos garnered honorable mention accolades in 1982.
IN A CLASS OF HER OWN: Rachel Semansky is one of 30 female student-athletes who is a candidate for the 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. Candidates will be narrowed to ten finalists midway through the season. Semansky and Idaho State's Kaela Oakes are the only Big Sky players on the list.
NOTING THE 'CATS: Montana State has posted wins over the Mountain West, Western Athletic (2), Atlantic Coast and Ohio Valley Conferences...balance and depth have been the key to MSU's success as 11 of 13 players on the roster are averaging seven minutes or more per game, while no one averages more the 30 minutes...Rachel Semansky is 8th in the nation shooting 59.3 percent from the floor...The Bobcats rank among the top 50 in the country in rebound margin, currently sitting 49th overall at +6.0 boards per game...Montana State is 8-2 with starting guard Kalli Durham in the line-up... The Bobcats are the Big Sky's highest ranked squad in the current RPI at No. 102; they are followed by Eastern Washington (106) and Montana (115).
THE SCOUTING REPORT: NORTHERN COLORADO (6-6, 3-0)- Northern Colorado is the only undefeated team remaining in Big Sky Conference play. The Bears are 3-0 for the first time since joining the league in 2006-07...Senior forward Lauren Oosdyke moved into a tie for 16th on the Big Sky Conference career free throws made chart after going 5-for-7 against Idaho State. She now has 340, knotting Eastern Washington's Vanessa Jones (1988-92)...Northern Colorado currently ranks in the top 50 in the nation in both scoring defense (48th, 55.2) and rebounding margin (43rd, +6.7) and lead the Big Sky in scoring defense and rebounding defense (32.8)...In the first three Big Sky Conference games, the Bears have forced 70 turnovers and recorded 42 steals...Junior guard D'shara Strange is now second on the school's career steals chart with 196. She is just 17 shy of tying the record of 213 by Courtney Stoermer (2007-11). NORTH DAKOTA (7-6, 2-2)- UND-- winners of three straight-- will open a four-game road swing at Montana Thursday, part of six of the next eight away from home. North Dakota already owns a four-game winning streak this season and will be aiming to match that against the Lady Griz. MSU, thanks to three straight wins, leads the all-time series, 3-2 ... UND played a home-and-home with the Bobcats two seasons ago, falling 67-63 and 70-54 ... The first game in the series was a commanding 80-47 UND win back on Dec. 18, 1976 at North Dakota State.
Wednesday, January 26
Saturday, December 18
Thursday, November 04
Tuesday, November 02
