Bobcat Women Host Yellowjackets on Monday Night

Monday, December 15

BOZEMAN

7 p.m.

Montana State University

Montana State University-Billings

Senior Kalli Durham

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

12/12/2014 4:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Montana State is 5-4 overall and have a three-game win streak intact heading into Monday’s game against the Yellowjackets. MSU Billings is 6-3 overall and will host Jamestown on Saturday night, before making the trip west on I-90.

By: Tom Schulz

BACK FROM BREAK:
After notching a convincing 79-52 win over Wyoming on Dec. 6, the Bobcat women's basketball squad returns to the hardwood following its hiatus for final exams. Montana State will host sister institution MSU Billings on Monday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena. The Bobcats will close out its non-conference schedule at Washington State on Dec. 20 in Pullman, before opening Big Sky Conference action after the Christmas break, Jan. 1 at North Dakota.

THIS WEEK'S VITALS:
Montana State is 5-4 overall and have a three-game win streak intact heading into Monday's game against the Yellowjackets. MSU Billings is 6-3 overall and will host Jamestown on Saturday night, before making the trip west on I-90.

REWINDING WYOMING:
Tenacious defense on one end of the court, coupled with four Montana State players in double-figures on the other end, resulted in a convincing 79-52 win over Wyoming on Dec. 6 in Worthington Arena. Montana State junior Jasmine Hommes recorded her second career double-double with a game-high 24 points, while pulling down a career and game-high 12 rebounds to spark a Bobcat squad that shot 48 percent from the field and out-rebounded Wyoming 50-32. The Bobcats entered the game being out-rebounded by its opponents by more than six per contest. MSU held a commanding 26-12 advantage under the glass at intermission. Montana State used an 11-0 run over a two-minutes, 45-second span midway through the first half to take a 31-21 lead at the 7:10 mark. Four different Bobcats scored during the stretch led by Hommes with four. MSU held a 44-34 cushion at the break. Hommes ended the first stanza with 16 points and six rebounds, while freshman Hannah Caudill came off the bench to notch 11 points, including a three-of-three effort from long distance. Peyton Ferris was also in double-figures at the half with ten points. The Bobcats held the Cowgirls to just one free throw in the final ten minutes of the game, outscoring Wyoming 21-1. Caudill ended the game with 18 points, while Ferris finished with a career-high 14 points, while adding six rebounds. Junior guard Lindsay Stockton also finished with an impressive stat line with ten points, nine rebounds and six assists. Wyoming shot just 32 percent from the field, including 23 percent in the second half. The Cowgirls were led by Kayla Woodward with 17 points and ten rebounds.

BIG SKY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Jasmine Hommes was named Big Sky Player of the Week, after averaging 23.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, while shooting 58 percent from the field against Wyoming and Great Falls. On the season, she has registered six games over 20 points, and has been in double-figure scoring in all nine MSU games to date.

THE SCOUTING REPORT:
MSU Billings is 6-3 overall and will face Jamestown on Saturday night. Last week the Yellowjackets opened up Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a loss against nationally-ranked Alaska Anchorage, but came back on Saturday with a solid win over Alaska Fairbanks. Kayleen Goggins put up 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the two games. Sophomore forward Alisha Breen contributed 29 points and 13 rebounds shooting 62.5 percent against the Seawolves. Goggins is leading the Yellowjackets averaging 18.2 points per game. Breen is adding 15.7 points and a team-leading 7.7 rebounds off the glass. Quinn Peoples is averaging 12.8 points per game with 2.3 3-point baskets made per game. As a team, Montana State University Billings is shooting 39.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the 3-point arc. The Yellowjackets are averaging 45.2 rebounds per game, a 9.4 advantage over their opponents. This week is finals week at MSUB and the women's basketball team is concentrating their efforts on the books. Up first for MSU Billings is nationally-ranked NAIA Jamestown (N.D.). The Jimmies are ranked No. 10 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top-25 poll. - preview courtesy MSU Billings Sports Information.

CAT CHAT:
The Bobcats rank among the top three in the Big Sky Conference in scoring offense (3rd/70.3 ppg); field-goal percentage (2nd/.443); three-point field-goal percentage (3rd/.309); assists per game (3rd/16.6) and assists/turnover ratio (3rd/+1.00)...MSU is ranked 34th in the nation, averaging 16.6 assists per game...the Bobcats are listed 56th in the country shooting 44.3 percent from the floor...Montana State is ranked 53rd overall in assists/turnover ratio at +1.03...individually, Jasmine Hommes is ranked 29th in the nation averaging 19.9 points per game...she is also 79th in field-goal percentage at 52.6 and 110th in blocked shots at 1.56 swats per contest...Lindsay Stockton is also nationally ranked at 59th overall, dishing out 4.8 assists per game and 67th in assist/turnover ratio at +2.15.

CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK:
Like her dad, NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton, Lindsay Stockton has done an outstanding job distributing and taking care of the basketball in nine games to date. Stockton is first on the team and second in the Big Sky averaging 4.8 assists per game. Her career-high eight assists are the second best recorded in the Big Sky this season. She has also posted nine straight games with a positive assist/turnover ratio.

KICKIN' IT:
Senior Jackie Elliott has started all nine games for the Bobcats this season and is averaging 7.6 points and a team-best 6.2 rebounds per game. The Billings Central graduate recorded a season-high 19 points in MSU's win over Great Falls, connecting on 7-of-11 from the field. Not too shabby for the 2011 Montana High School Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year. Currently serving as President of MSU's Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Elliott is heavily involved in community service and can be seen on TV in numerous Public Service Announcements. She is a mechanical engineering major.

BLEEDING BLUE AND GOLD:
Senior and Miles City product Kalli Durham has strong family ties to Montana State. Durham's grandfather Lin (who recently passed away), Uncle Mick and cousin Casey all played for the Bobcat men's team. The daughter of former UM-Western Athletic Director and men's basketball coach Mark Durham, she has recorded 43 career double-figure scoring games in four seasons. Durham's 119 career 3-pointers are 6th best all-time at MSU.

FATHER'S DAY:
Lindsay Stockton is the daughter of legendary NBA Hall of Famer and former Utah Jazz standout John Stockton, while Alexa 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.

ALL IN THE FAMILY:
Jasmine Hommes matched a career-high with 24 points at against Wyoming on Dec. 6. The Lynden Christian product has recorded six 20+ scoring games in nine outings this season. She leads the Bobcats in scoring, averaging 19.9 per game, which is good for second in the league behind Idaho's Stacey Barr at 21.9 ppg. The 2013-14 Second-Team All-Big Sky honoree started all 30 games, last year. Hommes also has strong ties to the MSU women's basketball. She is the niece of former MSU and Big Sky MVP Blythe Hommes and former MSU and All-Big Sky performer Brooke Svendsen. Hommes' aunts made a combined 130 starts for MSU.

BABY TALK:
After taking off the 2012-13 season on maternity leave, Ausha Cole returned to the Bobcat line-up last winter and averaged 6.0 points and 4.3 assists per game- starting and playing in all 30 contests. Last weekend, the Mesa, Arizona native averaged 7.5 minutes per game and totaled five points, while pulling down two rebounds. Cole's biggest fan and daughter, Kadence, celebrated her 2nd birthday on Nov. 19.

THE LILAC CITY:
The Bobcats have three players representing Spokane, Washington - The Lilac City. Lindsay Stockton, Hannah Caudill and Delany Junkermier combined for 55 points, 25 rebounds, 17 assists, and nine 3-pointers last week. Junkermier, a graduate of Mead High School, has paced Montana State from beyond the 3-point arc shooting 44 percent on 11-25 attempts, while Caudill is averaging 9.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in her first nine games.