Second Half Surge Lifts Cats Past Argos

Sunday, November 20

BOZEMAN

2 p.m.

Montana State University

1-2

Great Falls

7-0Exhibition

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Great Falls	11	15	8	8	42
Montana State	15	17	25	18	75

Madeline Smith led MSU with 12 points against Great Falls.

Photo by: Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

11/20/2016 5:28:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

After owning just a six-point lead at halftime and shooting an uninspired 37 percent from the field in the first 20-minutes, the Montana State women’s basketball team came out of intermission with a purpose

By: Tom Schulz

After owning just a six-point lead at halftime and shooting an uninspired 37 percent from the field in the first 20-minutes, the Montana State women's basketball team came out of intermission with a purpose. The Bobcats started the third quarter with twenty unanswered points to blow open the game and cruise to a 75-42 win over the University of Great Falls, Sunday afternoon in Worthington Arena.

"We didn't play a bad first half," said MSU 12^th year head coach Tricia Binford. "We had a few little lulls, and the one right before half, allowed a good team like Great Falls to close the gap."

Montana State (1-2) held a 13-point advantage with one-minute left in the second quarter before the Argos rattled off seven straight points to get to within 32-26 at halftime.

MSU's third quarter frenzy was sparked by its outside shooting as three different Bobcats accounted for four three-pointers. Montana State also shot 53 percent from the field during the run.

Great Falls snapped the Bobcat streak with 2-minutes, 39-seconds remaining on a triple by Jenna Randich.

"We really picked-up our effort on the defensive end and that got us going offensively," Binford said. "I thought we did a nice job of getting back to sharing the basketball."

MSU finished the contest with a season-best 20 assists.

In all, four Bobcats ended in double-digit scoring paced by freshman Madeline Smith, who came off the bench for a game-high 12 points. Also in double-figures were Peyton Ferris and Hannah Caudill 11 and Delany Junkermier 10.

The Bobcats shot 44 percent from the field, including a nine-of-20 effort from three-point range. The MSU defense limited the Argos to 33 percent from the floor, while forcing 23 turnovers.

Montana State also won the battle of the boards out-rebounding UGF 42-31. Ferris led MSU under the glass with a game-high ten rebounds.

Great Falls was paced by Stephanie McDonagh with nine points and four rebounds.

MSU will play at UC Davis on Wednesday, Nov. 23.