Sacramento State Ends Montana State’s Season

Wednesday, March 11

Missoula, MT

11 a.m.

Montana State University

15-15

Sacramento State

16-14

Team	1	2	F
Montana State	36	26	62
Sacramento State	42	36	78

Junior Jasmine Hommes

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

3/11/2015 1:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

“As disappointing as the loss is, we are going to focus on the past six weeks and that fact we were able to turn the season around and get into the tournament,” Binford said. “Today, we just fell short.”

By: Tom Schulz

All season Montana State Head Coach Tricia Binford focused her squad on taking care of the details. And over the course of the past month and a half, the Bobcats had been almost perfect taking care of the ball, being the aggressor and owning the boards.

On Wednesday morning in the opening-round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament, MSU failed to keep its late season surge going as No. 2 Sacramento State handed the Bobcats a 78-62 setback in Dahlberg Arena.

The Hornets turned 25 Montana State miscues into 31 points and out-scored the Bobcats 26-8 on second chance points.

"Sacramento won the offensive board and the hustle plays," Binford said. "They turned our errors into points. I didn't feel that we were the aggressors."

With the game tied at 14-all at the 12:30 mark of the opening period, Sacramento State (16-14) used an 8-0 run for its first advantage of the game. Montana State (15-15) was able to whittle the lead to one on two occasions, and took a 34-33 with 2:55 left following a Kalli Durham three-pointer. The Hornets closed out the stanza on a 9-2 run, taking a 42-36 lead into intermission.

MSU out-shot the Hornets 48 percent to 30 percent, but Sacramento State was able to corral 16 offensive boards and force 11 Bobcat turnovers. In the first meeting this season, MSU defeated Sacramento State 91-64 and held a dominating 63-32 edge under the glass.

Sacramento State opened the second half with six straight points to balloon the lead to 13-points at the 18:56 mark. Again, the Bobcats answered, cutting the margin to four points three times, the last at the 10:22 mark on a Jasmine Hommes jumper to pull the Bobcats to within 57-33.

The Hornets answered MSU's rally with a 10-0 run, taking a 67-53 lead and never looked back.

"We were rushed the whole game and it was hard to find our focus," Binford said.

Hommes led all scorers with 22 points, connecting on ten-of-17 from the floor. In addition, the Lynden, Washington product pulled down 11 rebounds. Also in double-figures was Durham, who sank four three-pointers, including the first of the second half to put her over 1,000 points for her career.

Despite losing the offensive glass 25-11, the two teams each finished with 44 rebounds. Bobcat senior Jackie Elliott matched a career-high with a game-best 14 rebounds.
Sacramento State had four players in double-figures led by Gretchen Harrigan with 19 points.

"As disappointing as the loss is, we are going to focus on the past six weeks and that fact we were able to turn the season around and get into the tournament," Binford said. "Today, we just fell short."

Montana State finished its season 15-15 overall and closed out the 2014-15 campaign winning eight of its last 12 games. The Bobcats will lose the services of seniors Durham, Elliott and Ausha Cole. Cole finished her career-with six assists.