Bobcat Women Host Two Big Sky Games

Thursday, February 12

BOZEMAN

7 p.m.

Montana State University

University of Northern Colorado

Buy Tickets

Freshman Hannah Caudill

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

2/11/2015 2:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball

The Bobcats will open the week on Thursday, Feb. 12 when it welcomes Northern Colorado for a 7 p.m. tip. Montana State will conclude weekend play hosting North Dakota, Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. Saturday’s game will be part of the ‘Pack the Place in Pink’ promotion and co-sponsored with Bozeman OB GYN - Billings Clinic.

By: Tom Schulz

PACK THE PLACE IN PINK:
The Montana State women's basketball team will now embark on its most favorable portion of the 2015 Big Sky Conference schedule as it hosts five of its last seven games within the friendly confines of Worthington Arena. MSU is 7-2 overall and 3-1 on its home court this season. The Bobcats will open the week on Thursday, Feb. 12 when it welcomes Northern Colorado for a 7 p.m. tip. Montana State will conclude weekend play hosting North Dakota, Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. Saturday's game will be part of the 'Pack the Place in Pink' promotion and co-sponsored with Bozeman OB GYN - Billings Clinic. The event will financially support breast cancer patients in our community and raise breast cancer awareness. Fans are invited to come to the game dressed in pink. Pink Bobcat/Pack the Place in Pink t-shirts can be purchased at Universal Athletics for $10 and will also be sold at the game.

THIS WEEK'S VITALS:
Montana State is 10-12 overall and 4-7 in Big Sky Conference play after splitting a pair of Big Sky Conference road games, last weekend. The Bobcats defeated Idaho on Thursday night 76-65, before dropping a 72-58 decision at Eastern Washington on Saturday afternoon. Northern Colorado is 11-11 overall and 5-6 in Big Sky action. The Bears split at home last weekend, losing to Northern Arizona 51-49, before rebounding with an 87-58 victory over Southern Utah. UNC defeated MSU earlier this season 80-61 in Greeley. North Dakota, who will play at Montana on Thursday night, is 16-7 overall and 8-3 in conference games. Last weekend, UND defeated SUU 67-52 and NAU 78-62. North Dakota has won six of its last seven outings.

REWINDING THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Lindsay Stockton averaged a team-best 15.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last weekend, as MSU split a pair of league road games. In its win over Idaho, the Bobcats were led by freshman Hannah Caudill with 18 points, while junior Jasmine Hommes added 17. In its loss at Eastern Washington, Stockton poured in a career-high 22 points, while junior forward Alexa Dawkins added 10 points.

TRENDING TOPICS:
Montana State has yet to win (0-7) this season if its opponent records more assists in a game...MSU's opponent is 10-4 when making more three-pointers...The Bobcats are 7-1 when scoring 70 points or more and 6-2 when holding its opponent under 70 points...Montana State is 0-8 this season trailing at halftime.

THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Northern Colorado 11-11 overall, 5-6 Big Sky: Northern Colorado now starts a span of five road games in its final seven games with a trip to the Montana's. Northern Colorado snapped a three game losing streak with the win against Southern Utah on Saturday. The Bears are led by D'Shara Strange, who garnered Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year accolades in 2012 and 2013. In addition, senior center Stephanie Lee is averaging 17.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Lee was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference pick last winter. UNC won the first match-up between the two schools 80-61 on Jan. 3 in Greeley. MSU had four players in double-figures, led by Jasmine Hommes and Lindsay Stockton with 12, apiece. The Bears were led by Strange with 18.

CAT CHAT:
The Bobcats are ranked third in the Big Sky Conference shooting 42.0 percent from the field. North Dakota leads the league at 45.8 percent...MSU is ranked 75th in the nation averaging 14.7 assists per game; 78th in field-goal percentage; and 106th in scoring offense at 68.1 ppg...Individually, Lindsay Stockton is 73rd in the nation averaging 4.5 assists per game...The Gonzaga Prep graduate is also 137th overall in assist/turnover ratio at +1.55...Jasmine Hommes is ranked 78th in the country shooting 48.6 percent from the floor. In addition, she is 94th in scoring at 16.6 points per game...in the most current RPI, the Big Sky falls out as follows North Dakota 109, Montana 114, Sacramento State 130, Eastern Washington 169, Idaho 208, Montana State 209, Northern Colorado 221, Southern Utah 222, Idaho State 228, Weber State 251, Northern Arizona 283, and Portland State 292.

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 22 games to date. Stockton is third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 4.5 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 18-of-22 games without a negative assist/turnover ratio.

KICKIN' IT:
Jackie Elliott has started all 22 games for the Bobcats and is averaging 7.5 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game. The Billings Central grad became part of MSU's prestigious 500 rebound club two weeks ago. Her 527 boards are 17th all-time. Not 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 127 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 22 outings this season. She leads the Bobcats in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game, which is good for third in the league. 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 third leading scorer. The Twin Bridges native is averaging 8.6 points per and 5.3 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. Delany Junkermier, a 6-foot product of Mead High School in Spokane, is 4th in the Big Sky shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc. Hannah Caudill has played in all 22 games, including eight starts and is first on the team with 29 triples. Bozeman's Amy Davis is averaging 3.4 rebounds per game, including 5.5 rpg last week.

THE LILAC CITY:
The Bobcats have three players representing Spokane, Washington - The Lilac City. Lindsay Stockton, Hannah Caudill and Delany Junkermier combined for a whopping 62 points, 17 rebounds, nine assists and eight three-pointers at Idaho and Eastern Washington. Junkermier, a graduate of Mead High School, has connected on 26-of-70 from beyond the 3-point arc shooting 37 percent, while Caudill is averaging 8.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in her first 22 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.