Bobcat Women Fall to Bengals in Overtime

Saturday, February 21

Pocatello, ID

2 p.m.

Montana State University

12-14, 6-9BSC

Idaho State University

12-14, 7-8BSC

Team	1	2	OT 1	F
Montana State	42	27	5	74
Idaho State	38	31	18	87

MSU's Peyton Ferris had 15 points and seven rebounds at Idaho State.

2/21/2015 10:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

“It’s a heartbreaking loss,” MSU Head Coach Tricia Binford said. “Lemon made the play. Idaho State made the plays they needed. It was a tough way to lose a game.”

By: Tom Schulz

It was one of the most bizarre finishes in Montana State women's basketball history. And in the end, it was Idaho State coming away with an 87-74 overtime victory, Saturday afternoon in Reed Gym.

Leading 68-66 with 1:29 left in regulation following a Jasmine Hommes layup, both teams traded missed opportunities. Montana State (12-14, 6-9) then got a decent look by Alexa Dawkins in the middle of the lane that rolled around and out with 23-seconds left.

Idaho State (12-14, 7-8) raced to the other end and Jasmine Lemon's jumper went long and was corralled by Bobcat senior Jackie Elliott with three-seconds left. Elliott was immediately fouled, but during the skirmish got her elbows high and was called for a dead ball technical foul.

Elliott received two free throws by virtue of the foul and connected on one-of-two tosses giving Montana State a 69-66 advantage. ISU's Apiphany Woods then shot the technical fouls, going one-for-two, as well. Trailing by two-points, the Bengals in-bounded the ball under its own basket and Lemon took a contested jumper on the baseline that hit nothing but net at the buzzer to force an extra period.

"It's a heartbreaking loss," MSU Head Coach Tricia Binford said. "Lemon made the play. Idaho State made the plays they needed. It was a tough way to lose a game."

In overtime, it was all Idaho State as the Bengals opened with a triple, followed by a Rebecca Schrimpsher basket off the glass. ISU out-scored MSU 18-5 in the final five minutes.

"We didn't get it done on the defensive end," Binford said. "We'll need to regroup for Eastern Washington and Idaho. Each game from here on will have a playoff flavor."

Lemon, who entered the game averaging nine points per game, went off for a career-high 27 points, while Woods added 20, Anna Policicchio 13, and Schrimpsher 12.

Montana State was hampered with foul trouble in the second half. Sophomore Peyton Ferris, who was almost unstoppable, drew her fifth foul with just over eight minutes left in regulation. The Twin Bridges product finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Hommes played just ten minutes in the second half, after picking up her fourth foul at 14-minute mark.

Hommes paced the Bobcats with 19 points, while Kalli Durham 12 and Elliott 11 also hit double-digits.

For the game, MSU shot 35 percent from the field and were four-of-17 from long distance. ISU shot 46 percent from the floor and connected on nine-of-19 from beyond the arc.

The Bengals held a sizeable 52-38 advantage under the boards. The Bobcats were paced by Ferris and Elliott with seven and six rebounds, respectively.

With the loss, the Bobcats fall into ninth place in the Big Sky standings, a half-game behind Idaho. MSU closes out its season with three home games – Eastern Washington, Idaho and Montana. The Vandals will travel to Montana and MSU next week, before finishing at home against Weber State and Idaho State.
Eight teams make the Big Sky Conference tournament.

The Bobcats will host Eastern Washington, Thursday night in Worthington Arena.