THE FRIENDLY CONFINES: Bobcat Women Home for Two

Thursday, January 29

BOZEMAN

7 p.m.

Montana State University

Sacramento State

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Freshman Delany Junkermier

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

1/28/2015 6:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

The Bobcats will look to snap a three game losing streak on Thursday night.

By: Tom Schulz

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES:
After playing a hellacious Big Sky slate that has seen the Montana State women's basketball team open its league season with five-of-seven games away from Worthington Arena, and against four opponents that finished in the top five of the Big Sky last winter, the Bobcats return to the friendly confines of the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse for a pair of games this weekend. MSU will host league-leading Sacramento State, Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m., and Portland State, Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m.

THIS WEEK'S VITALS:
Montana State is 7-11 overall and 1-6 in Big Sky action following losses at Southern Utah (74-69) and Northern Arizona (79-64), last weekend. The Bobcats will look to snap a three game losing streak on Thursday night. Sacramento State is 9-10 overall and 7-1 in Big Sky games. The Hornets enter Thursday's contest as the hottest team in the league, winning its last seven games, including victories over Idaho State and Weber State, last weekend. Portland State, who will face Montana on Thursday night before making the trek down I-90 to Bozeman on Saturday, is 3-16 overall and 1-7 in Big Sky Conference action. Last weekend, the Vikings dropped a pair of home games to Weber State and Idaho State. PSU's lone conference win was a 73-70 decision over North Dakota.

REWINDING THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Northern Arizona used a 9-0 run over a three minute span midway through the second half to pull away from a tied game and cruise to a 79-64 win over Montana State, Saturday night. Northern Arizona shot 54 percent in the second half, while MSUS shot 32 percent from the field. In addition, NAU connected on 14-19 free throws in the second half. MSU was led by Kalli Durham with 13 points, while Hannah Caudill added 12 and Jasmine Hommes 10. Lindsay Stockton finished with seven points, eight rebounds and six assists. Ashleigh Munns posted 18 points to pace four Southern Utah players in double-figures as the Thunderbirds defeated Montana State 74-69, Thursday night. The Bobcats were led by Lindsay Stockton, who recorded a career-high 20 points, connecting on seven-of-15 from the field. The Spokane product also had a career-best matching nine rebounds and dished out five assists, while notching three steals.

TRENDING TOPICS:
Montana State is 6-2 when leading at halftime and 0-8 when entering intermission with a deficit...The Bobcats are 6-4 overall when shooting 70 percent or better from the free throw line and just 1-7 when shooting 60 percent or below...MSU needs to guard the arc as its opponents are 9-2 against the Bobcats when notching more three-pointers...MSU is 1-8 if its opponent out-rebounds them...The Bobcats are 5-1 when scoring 70 points or more, but are 2-10 when scoring 69 points or less...MSU is 1-8 when its opponent commits fewer turnovers.

THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Sacramento State 9-10 overall, 7-1 Big Sky: Sacramento State enters Thursday's contest on a school-record seven-game win streak. The Hornets lead the NCAA with 12.3 three-pointers, 16.5 steals, and 20 offensive rebounds per game, is second in turnover margin (11.42), and third in scoring (85.6 ppg). Last week, Sacramento State tied the Big Sky single-game record with 28 steals against Idaho State. The Hornets have eight players averaging 6.0 points per game or better, and six players who have connected on at least 20 three-pointers.

CAT CHAT:
The Bobcats are ranked third in the Big Sky Conference shooting 41.5 percent from the field. North Dakota leads the league at 45.4 percent...MSU is ranked 64th in the nation averaging 14.9 assists per game; 99th in field-goal percentage; and 103rd in assist/turnover ratio at +.90 per contest...Individually, Lindsay Stockton is 46th in the nation averaging 4.9 assists per game...The Gonzaga Prep graduate is also 93rd overall in assist/turnover ratio at +1.75...Jasmine Hommes is ranked 90th in the country shooting 48.8 percent from the floor. In addition, she is 71st in scoring at 17.4 points per game; and 239th in blocked shots at 1.06 swats per game...in the most current RPI, Montana State is 216 in the country. In front of the Bobcats in the Big Sky RPI are North Dakota 107, Sacramento State 121, Montana 122, Eastern Washington 170, Idaho 180 and Northern Colorado 188.

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 18 games to date. Stockton is first in the Big Sky Conference averaging 4.9 assists per game. She posted a career-high ten assists at North Dakota on Jan. 1 to ring in the New Year. She has also posted 16-of-18 games without a negative assist/turnover ratio.

KICKIN' IT:
Jackie Elliott has started all 18 games for the Bobcats and is averaging 7.4 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds per game. The Billings Central grad pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds in MSU's win over Weber State. 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 46 career double-figure scoring games in four seasons. Durham's 124 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 eight 20+ scoring games in 18 outings this season. She leads the Bobcats in scoring, averaging 17.4 per game, which is good for second in the league behind Idaho's Stacey Barr at 19.2 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.

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS:
Sophomore redshirt Peyton Ferris has overcome the injury bug and is currently MSU's second leading scorer. The Twin Bridges native is averaging 9.1 points per and 5.2 rebounds per contest. Ferris had a career game at Montana notching 20 points and 12 boards for her first career double-double.

DIAPER DANDIES:
MSU's three freshmen on the active Bobcat roster have made significant contributions this season. Delany Junkermier, a 6-foot product of Mead High School in Spokane, is 5th in the Big Sky shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc. Hannah Caudill has played in all 18 games, including eight starts and is first on the team with 25 triples. Bozeman's Amy Davis is one of seven Bobcats averaging 3.0 rebounds or better.

THE LILAC CITY:
The Bobcats have three players representing Spokane, Washington - The Lilac City. Lindsay Stockton, Hannah Caudill and Delany Junkermier combined for 47 points, 20 rebounds, 14 assists and six three-pointers at Southern Utah and Northern Arizona, last week. Junkermier, a graduate of Mead High School, has connected on 22-of-60 from beyond the 3-point arc shooting 37 percent, while Caudill is averaging 8.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in her first 18 games. Stockton and Caudill played together at Gonzaga Prep.

BOZEMAN INK:
Annika Lai, a 6-1 guard from Boulder, Colorado signed a National Letter-of-Intent to play for the Montana State women's basketball program next season. Lai, who preps at Fairview High School, averaged 15 points, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals per game as a junior, guiding her squad to the second-round of the Colorado 5A state tournament. Lai comes from a strong basketball pedigree as mother, the former Amy Mathern, was a member of Colorado's 1993 Elite Eight team that knocked-off defending national champion Stanford at the NCAA West Regionals in Missoula.