Bobcat Women Head to the Palouse

Thursday, February 5

Moscow, ID

7 p.m.

Montana State University

University of Idaho

Senior Kalli Durham

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

2/4/2015 6:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Montana State is 9-11 overall and 3-6 in Big Sky action following two home victories in Worthington Arena, last weekend. The Bobcats are back in the thick of the Big Sky race after dispatching then league-leading Sacramento State 91-64 on Thursday, before handing Portland State a 63-46 setback on Saturday afternoon.

By: Tom Schulz

BACK ON THE ROAD:
After opening its Big Sky season with five-of-seven games on the road, the Montana State women's basketball team enjoyed a little home cookin' last weekend with two games in Worthington Arena. However, MSU's homecoming was short-lived as the Bobcats head back out on the Big Sky Conference road this weekend. Montana State's first stop will be Thursday, Feb. 5 in Moscow, Idaho to face league newcomer Idaho at 7:30 p.m. (MST) in Cowan Spectrum. The game will mark the first time the Bobcats and Vandals have met in conference action since MSU defeated UI 69-52 on March 1, 1996 in Bozeman. The Bobcats will conclude the weekend against Eastern Washington, Saturday, Feb. 7 in Cheney. Tip is slated for 3 p.m. (MST) in Reese Court.

THIS WEEK'S VITALS:
Montana State is 9-11 overall and 3-6 in Big Sky action following two home victories in Worthington Arena, last weekend. The Bobcats are back in the thick of the Big Sky race after dispatching then league-leading Sacramento State 91-64 on Thursday, before handing Portland State a 63-46 setback on Saturday afternoon. Idaho is 9-10 overall and 3-5 in Big Sky play. Last Saturday, the Vandals defeated Eastern Washington 71-58 to snap a two-game skid. Eastern Washington will face Montana on Thursday night, before hosting the Bobcats on Saturday afternoon. EWU is 11-8 overall and 4-4 in Big Sky contests. The Eagles will look to halt a four-game losing against the Lady Griz.

REWINDING THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Lindsay Stockton scored a team-high ten points as the Bobcats handed Portland State a 63-46 setback, Saturday afternoon. Jasmine Hommes finished in single digits for just the second time, scoring nine points. Elliott, Peyton Ferris and Alexa Dawkins each added eight points. Ferris dished out a career-high four assists, while Ausha Cole recorded a season-high three steals. It was just what the doctor ordered on Thursday as MSU withstood the frenetic pace of Sacramento State to notch a 91-64 win. All eleven players scored, including five in double-digits. Hommes finished with a game-high 18 points, while Ferris and Elliott added 13, and Stockton and Amy Davis poured in ten, apiece. Davis finished with career-high points and pulled down a season-best seven rebounds.

TRENDING TOPICS:
Montana State has played with the lead for the last 80-minutes going wire-to-wire against both Sacramento State and Portland State...MSU is 8-2 when leading at halftime and 0-8 when entering intermission with a deficit...MSU needs to guard the arc as its opponents are 9-3 against the Bobcats when notching more three-pointers...MSU is 7-3 when out-rebounding its opponent, but 1-8 if its opponent out-rebounds them...The Bobcats are 6-1 when scoring 70 points or more and 7-2 when holding its opponent under 70 points, and 5-0 when holding its opponent under 60 points.

THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Idaho 9-10 overall, 3-5 Big Sky: Idaho won its third conference game last week when it defeated Eastern Washington 71-58. The Vandals are back in the Big Sky after leaving the league following the 1995-96 season. UI is coached by Jon Newlee, who is familiar with the conference as he served as head coach at Idaho State from 2002-08. Stacey Barr leads the Vandals and the Big Sky in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game. Three UI players average 7.0 boards per game.

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 42.3 percent...MSU is ranked 60th in the nation averaging 15.2 assists per game; 76th in field-goal percentage; and 106th in scoring offense at 68.2 ppg...Individually, Lindsay Stockton is 55th in the nation averaging 4.7 assists per game...The Gonzaga Prep graduate is also 107th overall in assist/turnover ratio at +1.68...Jasmine Hommes is ranked 89th in the country shooting 48.9 percent from the floor. In addition, she is 86th in scoring at 17.0 points per game...in the most current RPI, the Big Sky falls out as follows North Dakota 114, Montana 123, Sacramento State 144, Idaho 171, Eastern Washington 194, Montana State 212, Northern Colorado 215, Idaho State 217, Southern Utah 228, Weber State 259, Portland State 286, No. Arizona 310.

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 20 games to date. Stockton is second in the Big Sky Conference averaging 4.7 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 17-of-20 games without a negative assist/turnover ratio.

KICKIN' IT:
Jackie Elliott has started all 20 games for the Bobcats and is averaging 7.7 points and a team-best 6.2 rebounds per game. The Billings Central grad became part of MSU's prestigious 500 rebound club last week. Her 512 boards are 18th all-time. 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 126 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 20 outings this season. She leads the Bobcats in scoring, averaging 17.0 per game, which is good for second in the league behind Idaho's Stacey Barr at 19.8 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 9.3 points per and 5.7 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 36 percent from beyond the arc. Hannah Caudill has played in all 20 games, including eight starts and is first on the team with 26 triples. Bozeman's Amy Davis had a career-high 10 points and 7 rebounds v. Sacramento St.

THE LILAC CITY:
The Bobcats have three players representing Spokane, Washington - The Lilac City. Lindsay Stockton, Hannah Caudill and Delany Junkermier combined for 41 points, 16 rebounds, ten assists and four three-pointers at Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. Junkermier, a graduate of Mead High School, has connected on 24-of-67 from beyond the 3-point arc shooting 36 percent, while Caudill is averaging 7.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in her first 20 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.