Thursday, January 2
Sacramento, CA
7 p.m.
Montana State University
at
Sacramento State
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcat Women Ring in New Year with Big Sky Opener
12/31/2013 3:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Montana State women’s basketball team will ring in the New Year with its Big Sky Conference opener at Sacramento State on Thursday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. (MST) in the Hornets’ Nest.
SAC/NAU GAME NOTES (PDF)
* The Montana State women's basketball team will ring in the New Year with its Big Sky Conference opener at Sacramento State on Thursday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. (MST) in the Hornets' Nest. Sacramento State is the toast of the league this season, boasting a Big Sky Conference best 8-1 overall mark under first-year head coach Bunky Harkleroad. The Hornets have notched notable victories over San Diego State, Oregon and St. Mary's. Their lone loss was a 97-85 decision to Oregon State.
* The Bobcats have been on hiatus the last 12 days, and in fact have played just one contest since Dec. 15 - a 50-36 win over Carroll College on Dec. 20 - in the last 18 days. MSU dropped its BSC opener last year to Sacramento State at home.
* Since the inception of the Big Sky Conference for women's sports during the 1988-89 season, the Montana State basketball team is 13-12 in league openers, including a 1-1 mark against Sacramento State.
* Montana State holds a 25-9 lead in its all-time series with Sacramento State. However, the Hornets have won the last three meetings, including both contests last winter. From Feb. 14, 2009 - Jan. 19, 2012, MSU rattled off seven straight wins over the Hornets.
* MSU's last game was a 50-36 non-conference victory over Carroll College. Sophomore Lindsay Stockton came off the bench to lead all scorers with 12 points, connecting on five-of-eight from the field. Also in double-digits for the Bobcats was Jackie Elliott, who notched 10 points on five-of-six shooting.
* So far this season, the Bobcats are averaging 68.7 points per game, while giving up 68.4 points per contest.
* MSU is boasting a +5.1 turnover margin.
* All ten players on the Bobcat active roster are averaging 11.1 minutes or more per game.
* The Hornets lead NCAA Div. I in three-point makes per game (14.4) and steals per game (16.4), are second in turnover margin (+10.78), and fourth in points per game (92.1)
* Sacramento State's 8-1 record is the best start to a season in the Div. I era of the program and equals the best overall start as the 1976-77 team also opened the year at 8-1.
* The Hornets have scored 47.0% of their total points this season on 3-pointers (just 37.9% on 2-point shots) and have outscored their opposition 217-111 in points off turnovers.
* Sacramento State enters the week ranked No. 19 in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 and is the only Big Sky team to appear in the poll.
* Sacramento State has won its last five games by a total of 20 points and is 6-0 this season in games decided by six points or less. In the last two minutes of those six games the Hornets outscored their opposition 39-23 and in the final minute had a 23-9 scoring edge.
A FULL PLATE:
Senior Ashley Brumwell has a lot on her plate. In addition to her playing gig, the 5th-year senior is also student-teaching at Bozeman High in the math department. Brumwell (formerly Albert) notched her first double-double of the season with 12 points and ten rebounds against Seattle. Against Carroll College, Brumwell recorded seven points, six rebounds, a career-high five blocks and four assists. Brumwell is third on MSU's all-time career blocked shot chart with 107 swats.
SHE'S A KICK:
The effervescent Jackie Elliott continued her stellar early season play recording her first double-double of the season against Washington with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Against Carroll College, she registered 10 points and four boards. Elliott, who was the 2010-11 Montana Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year and a 16-time All-State Academic pick as a prepster, is majoring in Bio-Engineering.
FROM THE TOWN THAT MADE VIOLET BEAUREGARDE FAMOUS:
Miles City, Montana product Kalli Durham, who has strong family ties to Montana State (grandfather Lin, Uncle Mick and cousin Casey all played for the Bobcat men's basketball program) had two points and four rebounds against Carroll College. The daughter of a coach (father Mark is the former head men's basketball coach and athletic director at Montana-Western) has been in double-digits in three games. Durham has recorded 27 career double-figure scoring games.
ALL IN THE FAMILY:
Jasmine Hommes has started all ten games for MSU this season and is averaging 10.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. She is ninth in the Big Sky Conference shooting 48.8 percent from the field. Hommes also has strong ties to the MSU women's basketball program as the niece of former Bobcat and Big Sky MVP Blythe Hommes-Hintz and former MSU and Big Sky All-Conference performer Brooke Hommes-Svendsen. Hommes' aunts made a combined 130 starts for the Bobcats- Blythe Hommes-Hintz 78 - Brooke Hommes-Svendsen 52.
BABY TALK:
After taking last year off on maternity leave, junior point-guard Ausha Cole has returned to the Bobcat starting line-up. Cole totaled two points, five rebounds and five assists in Montana State's win over Carroll College on Dec. 20. The native of Mesa, Ariz., is averaging 2.3 assists per game. On a side note, her biggest fan and daughter, Kadence, celebrated her first birthday on Nov. 19, 2013.
STOCK AND DAWK:
Lindsay Stockton came off the bench to post a game-high 12 points on five-of-eight shooting against Carroll College. On the season, Stockton is averaging 6.6 points and a team-best 2.5 assists per game. She has been in double-figures twice, including a career-high 19 points against Valparaiso. Alexa Dawkins also came off the pine and saw six minutes of play against Carroll College. The duo hail from strong athletic lineages. Lindsay is the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton, while Dawkins' father Dale played football on the University of Miami's 1987 National Championship team. Dawkins later went on to play wide receiver for the New York Jets from 1990-93.
THE THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER:
Senior forward Emily Allen from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia came off the bench for 15 minutes of action against Carroll College and finished with two rebounds and a blocked shot. Allen's biggest fans, her parents Craig and Julie Allen, will stay in the United States for the remainder of the Big Sky Conference season.
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS:
Redshirt freshman Margreet Barhoum came off the bench and saw five minutes of action against Carroll College on Dec. 20. On the season, the Edmonds, Wash., native has played in all nine games and is averaging 3.4 points per game.
DeNOTE ON DeWIT:
Montana State sophomore forward Kayla DeWit came off the bench and had a strong showing in MSU's win over Carroll College. The Columbia Falls native recorded nine points and a game-high nine rebounds.
BUELLER, BUELLER, BUELLER:
Sophomore Peyton Ferris, who averaged 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds last winter, is sidelined with a leg injury. She is listed as day-to-day.
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