Bobcat Women Head Down I-15 for Crucial Series

Thursday, February 19

Ogden, UT

7 p.m.

Montana State University

Weber State University

Junior Lindsay Stockton

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

2/17/2015 5:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball

The Montana State women’s basketball team makes its final regular-season Big Sky Conference road trip when it faces Weber State in Ogden, Utah, Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. The Bobcats will complete the I-15 road swing against Idaho State in Pocatello, Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.

By: Tom Schulz

LAST REGULAR-SEASON ROAD TRIP:
The Montana State women's basketball team makes its final regular-season Big Sky Conference road trip when it faces Weber State in Ogden, Utah, Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. The Bobcats will complete the I-15 road swing against Idaho State in Pocatello, Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.

THIS WEEK'S VITALS:
Montana State is 11-13 overall and 5-8 in Big Sky Conference action, after splitting a pair of home games last week in Worthington Arena. MSU defeated North Dakota 80-62 and dropped an 84-63 decision to Northern Colorado. Weber State is one game ahead of MSU in the standings and is 11-13 overall and 6-7 in league play. Montana State defeated Weber State 62-54 on Jan. 10 in Bozeman. Idaho State, who hosts Montana on Thursday, is 11-13 overall and also one game ahead of the Bobcats with a 6-7 Big Sky Conference ledger. The Bengals defeated MSU on Jan. 8, 65-62, in Bozeman.

REWINDING THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Jasmine Hommes posted a career-high 25 points to lead four Bobcats in double-figures as MSU defeated North Dakota 80-62 on Saturday. Also hitting double-digits were Kalli Durham 14, and Jackie Elliott and Peyton Ferris with ten each. Elliott posted her first double-double of the year hauling down 12 rebounds. Facilitating the Montana State offense was Lindsay Stockton, who finished with seven points, five rebounds and a game-high five assists. Ausha Cole paced MSU at the line converting seven-of-eight tosses for a season-best seven points. For the game, the Bobcats shot 46 percent from the field, while holding UND to 31 percent, which included an icy 21 percent in the first half. Montana State out-rebounded North Dakota 46-36. Northern Colorado seniors D'Shara Strange and Stephanie Lee combined for 56 points and 21 rebounds to lift the Bears to an 84-63 win over Montana State, Thursday night. The Bobcats had three players in double-figures led by Hommes with 18 points. Also in double-digits were Durham 13 and Stockton 10. Stockton also finished with four assists and six rebounds. Also pulling down six boards for MSU were Elliott and Alexa Dawkins. The Bobcats shot 35 percent from the field in the opening half and ended the game hitting at a 41 percent clip. UNC held a 36-30 advantage under the boards.

TRENDING TOPICS:
For the Montana State women's basketball squad the 70-point mark seems to be the magical 'line in the sand.' When the Bobcats score 70 points or more, they are 8-1 this season. When scoring 69 points or less, they are 3-12...MSU's opponents are 8-0 this season when dishing out more assists...MSU is 10-3 when leading at halftime, but are 0-9 when trailing at intermission...win or lose, 19-of-MSU's-24 games have been decided by 10 points or more...if the Bobcats out-rebound its opponent they are 8-3 overall, but just 2-10 when its opponents win the battle of the boards.

THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Weber State 11-13 overall, 6-7 Big Sky: The Wildcats have been hot lately winning three of its last four contests. Last weekend, WSU split a pair of road games, winning at Southern Utah 50-48, before dropping a 56-52 decision at Northern Arizona. The Wildcats are paced by Jalen Carpenter and Regina Okoye, who average 12.3 and 10.0 points, respectively. Carpenter also guides Weber State under the glass, averaging 8.0 rebounds per game.

CAT CHAT:
The Bobcats are ranked third in the Big Sky Conference shooting 42.2 percent from the field. North Dakota leads the league at 44.7 percent...MSU is ranked 88th in the nation averaging 14.4 assists per game; 74th in field-goal percentage; and 98th in scoring offense at 68.4 ppg...Individually, Lindsay Stockton is 69th in the nation averaging 4.5 assists per game...The Gonzaga Prep graduate is also 104th overall in assist/turnover ratio at +1.64...Jasmine Hommes is ranked 77th in the country shooting 48.5 percent from the floor. In addition, she is 87th in scoring at 17.0 points per game...in the most current RPI, the Big Sky falls out as follows North Dakota 114, Montana 120, Sacramento State 149, Eastern Washington 153, Northern Colorado 182, Montana State 205, Idaho 207, Southern Utah 233, Idaho State 241, Weber State 242, No. Arizona 266, and Portland State 309.

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 24 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 20-of-24 games without a negative assist/turnover ratio.

KICKIN' IT:
Jackie Elliott has started all 24 games for the Bobcats and is averaging 7.4 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per game. The Billings Central grad became part of MSU's prestigious 500 rebound club three weeks ago. Her 545 boards are 16th 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 48 career double-figure scoring games in four seasons. Durham's 131 career 3-pointers are 5th 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 recorded a career-high with 25 points in MSU's win over North Dakota on Feb. 14. The Lynden Christian product has recorded nine 20+ scoring games in 24 outings this season. She leads the Bobcats in scoring, averaging 17.0 per points 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 8.5 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. Delany Junkermier, a 6-foot product of Mead High School in Spokane, is third in the Big Sky shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc. Hannah Caudill has played in all 24 games, including eight starts and is first on the team with 30 triples. Bozeman's Amy Davis is averaging 3.3 rebounds per game, including 2.5 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 33 points, 17 rebounds, ten assists and three 3-pointers at Idaho and Eastern Washington. Junkermier, a graduate of Mead High School, has connected on 30-of-89 from beyond the 3-point arc shooting 38 percent, while Caudill is averaging 7.5 points and 2.2 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.