'Cat-Griz, Part II: The Bobcat women's basketball team will look to sweep the Lady Griz on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday, March 2

Bozeman, MT

3 p.m.

Montana State University

MONTANA

Photo by: Felix Marquez

'Cat-Griz, Part II: The Bobcat women's basketball team will look to sweep the Lady Griz on Saturday afternoon.

3/1/2013 1:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Following a two-week hiatus, the Montana State women’s basketball team will return to the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse hardwood when it hosts intra-state rival Montana, Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m.

By: Tom Schulz

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

HOME STAND: Following a two-week hiatus, the Bobcats return to the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse hardwood when it hosts intra-state rival Montana, Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m. The annual 'Cat-Griz clash will be televised state-wide on Max Media (check your local listings for channel) with Chris Byers handling play-by-play duties and Mark Durham adding color commentary. The Bobcats will conclude its Big Sky home schedule when it faces Big Sky newcomer Southern Utah, Monday, March 4 at 7 p.m. The SUU-MSU game will be senior night as the Bobcats honor Rachel Semansky and Latisha Adams.

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 split a pair of Big Sky games prior to its break. The Bobcats dropped a 65-46 decision to Idaho State and snapped its six-game losing streak defeating Weber State 69-65 in Shroyer Gym on Feb. 16. Five teams have clinched a spot in the Big Sky tournament (UM, UNC, ISU, SAC, EWU), while MSU, Southern Utah and No. Arizona vie for the two remaining slots- a MSU win or a NAU loss and the Bobcats are in- numerous other scenarios exist, but the two stated earlier are the easiest to follow.

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 1,313 career points, which 8th on the all-time list. In addition, Semansky went over the 800 rebound plateau against Weber State on Jan. 24. 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 1,300 points and 800 rebounds. Currently, she is averaging a team-best 13.7 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 fifth in the nation. Semansky posted her 22nd career double-double with a season-high 28 points and 11 rebounds in Montana State's win over Weber State on Feb. 16 in Shroyer Gym.

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 Jan. 24. On the season, she is averaging 9.5 points and is second on the squad hauling down 6.2 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 12 occasions this season. The Hamilton native has been in double-digits in three of the last four games, and is averaging 10.5 points per game, while shooting 44 percent over the span. Brumwell posted a career-high 23 points, converting 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, 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 12.3 points per game. In 22 games, Durham has been in double-digits 13 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 30 three-point makes. Durham missed three games (SAC, NAU, MSUB) with a leg injury. In her last two outings against Idaho State and Weber State, she averaged 8.5 points and 3 boards 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 in the early season. Last week, she averaged 15.5 minutes of action and posted five points, including one 3-pointer against Weber State. Currently, she is averaging 2.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

GIMME A BREAK: A relentless defender, newcomer Rachel Carter has played in all 25 games, including eight starts. The junior transfer from Foothill College is averaging 2.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and has a team-best 36 steals per game. Carter posted a season-best nine points in MSU's season-opening with at Colorado State.

CHELSEA, LATELY: Junior center Chelsea Banis returned from offseason hip surgery to see her first action of the season at Weber State on Jan. 24. The Fairfield native has played in three games this winter, including four points in five minutes in Montana State's win over Weber State in Ogden.

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 25 games this season, including 19 starts. She is currently averaging 9.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in Big Sky play. Adams is third on the team with 43 assists. Adams recorded a career-high 19 points as the Bobcats defeated Portland State, Jan. 3. Against Idaho State and Weber State, she averaged 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 43 percent from the field.

PHONE HOME: Jackie Elliott has played in all 25 games, including eight starts. The 2010-11 Montana Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year is currently averaging 4.8 points and 3.3 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 7.5 minutes per game and was held scoreless. Elliott struggled shooting 0-of-five from the floor, but chipped in three rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot in the two contests.

TAKING STOCK: Lindsay Stockton, a freshman from Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Wash., has seen action in all 25 games, including the last four as a starter. She is averaging 16.3 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 5.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. She recorded a season-high 13 points against Portland State, connecting on four-of-10 from the field, including a three-of-four effort from beyond the arc on Feb. 2.

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 21 games this season and is averaging 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds. The 6-1 forward from Lynden, Wash., played eight minutes against Idaho State and had six points, all from the free throw line where she is shooting 86 percent.

THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER: Emily Allen, a 6-foot forward from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, has played in all 25 games, including 12 starts. Allen is averaging 2.4 points and 3.6 rebounds, while shooting 27 percent from the field. Against North Dakota (December 2011) Allen registered a career-high with eight points. She also recorded a career-high 11 rebounds in the victory over UND. Against Idaho State and Weber State, Allen averaged 9.5 minutes of action and chipped in two rebounds and a blocked shot. She also struggled from the field going 0-of-five from the floor.

HOMETOWN PROUD: Bozeman High standout Lexi Dawkins, an all-state selection last winter, has played in all 25 games, including two as a starter. Dawkins has seen her minutes rise significantly, averaging 13.8 per game. She is currently chipping in 3.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest. Against Idaho State and Weber State, she averaged 3.0 points and 3.5 boards. In addition, she added an assist and a blocked shot. The 6-foot-1 forward matched a season-high eight points in four games this season, last against Portland State. 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 six games. She had 2 pts. vs UM-Western and one point at Weber State.
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.

ONE SMART COOKIE: Rachel Semansky became just the seventh Bobcat in history to garner at least two Academic All-America accolades during her tenure at MSU. The Highwood native was named to the 2012-13 Capital One Academic All-America Third Team. The award is the highest academic achievement given to a NCAA student-athlete. Semansky, has a 3.96 grade-point average in elementary education, and was one of 15 women's players named to the first, second or third teams. She is the only Big Sky women's basketball player to capture the honor. Last winter, Semansky was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Second-Team. The last Bobcat to earn back-to-back Academic All-America recognition was Elisabeth Driscoll, track and field, 2008 and 2009. MSU's other multiple Academic All-America honorees include Anders Larsson, football, Ryan Johnson (3), football, Jon Montoya, football, Marek Gebicki, tennis, and Christy Otte, track and field.

IN A CLASS OF HER OWN: Rachel Semansky was one of 30 student-athletes to be a 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award candidate. To be eligible for the award, the athlete must have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.

NOTING THE 'CATS: Montana State has wins over the Mountain West, WAC (2), ACC and Ohio Valley Conferences this season...balance and depth have been the key to MSU's success as 10 of 13 players on the roster are averaging 12.0 minutes or more per game, while no one averages more the 30 minutes...Rachel Semansky is 5th in the nation shooting 58 percent from the floor...despite shooting just 23 percent from 3-point range, the Bobcats are shooting at a 40% clip from the field...MSU second in the Big Sky Conference averaging 1,524 fans per game...The Bobcats are ranked 139 in this week's RPI, behind UM 85, E. Washington 99, Northern Colorado 101, and Idaho State 135.