Championship Saturday: Cats vs. Bengals

Saturday, March 11

Reno, NV

1:05 p.m.

Montana State University

Idaho State

Delany Junkermier notched 10 points in MSU's win over Eastern Washington.

Photo by: MSU Sports Information

3/10/2017 11:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball

For the first time since the 2009-10 season the Montana State women’s basketball team will play in the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship game to earn the Big Sky’s automatic bid the NCAA Championships. Top-seeded MSU will face No. 6 Idaho State, Saturday, March 11 at 1:05 p.m. (MST) in the Reno Events Center.

By: Tom Schulz

NEXT UP: For the first time since the 2009-10 season the Montana State women's basketball team will play in the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship game to earn the Big Sky's automatic bid the NCAA Championships. Top-seeded MSU will face No. 6 Idaho State, Saturday, March 11 at 1:05 p.m. (MST) in the Reno Events Center. The Bobcats have played in eight championship tilts since the league opened business for women's athletics during the 1988-89 campaign. However, the Cats have only claimed one title. Judy Spoelstra coached the 1992-93 squad to the NCAAs with a 64-57 victory over Montana in Worthington Arena. Montana State went on to face the University of Washington in the NCAA First-Round, eventually losing to the Huskies. Idaho State lost to Idaho in last year's Big Sky tourney championship.

ON A SERIES NOTE: Montana State and Idaho State split its season series, each winning on its home hardwood. MSU holds a slight 42-35 advantage in the all-time series going back to the 1977-78 campaign. However, in the last 10 meetings between the two Big Sky rivals, the Bengals hold an 8-2 margin. In their last meeting on March 1, the Bobcats defeated the Bengals 73-67 in Worthington Arena. MSU was paced in the win by Peyton Ferris with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Estefania Ors paced Idaho State with 19 points and four rebounds. Bobcat Head Coach Tricia Binford is 9-16 all-time against ISU, but is 3-2 vs. ISU in Big Sky Tournament play.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Bobcats finished its home season with a perfect 13-0 mark. Its current 25-game home winning streak is third longest at the NCAA Division I level, behind UConn 64 and UCLA 27. The 25-game home win streak is a new school-record.

STATE OF THE LEAGUE: The Big Sky is currently ranked 20th out of 32 conferences in the RPI. This week's NCAA Nitty-Gritty team RPI has MSU ranked 74, followed by Northern Colorado 128, North Dakota 129, Eastern Washington 136, Idaho 149, Idaho State 159, Portland State 207, Weber State 235, Sacramento State 285, Southern Utah 290, Northern Arizona 293 and Montana 324.

ON POINT: Montana State's 24 victories match the all-time MSU school-record for wins along with the 1987-88 WNIT squad that posted a final 24-6 overall ledger...with eight three-pointers against Eastern Washington on Friday, MSU continues to set a new school-record for most three-pointers in a season with 233 triples...the old 3-point makes mark of 218 was held by the 2010-11 team...MSU's last appearance in a Big Sky Conference Tournament championship game (2010) was a 62-58 loss to Portland State in Cheney, Washington...Hannah Caudill's 69 3-pointers this year are the fifth most ever recorded in a single-season at Montana State...Big Sky Conference MVP Peyton Ferris was held to a season-low four points against Weber State on Wednesday, but exploded for 16 second-half points to guide MSU in its win over EWU...The Bobcats out-rebounded Weber State by +22 on Wednesday, which marked the fifth time this season MSU has out-boarded its opponent by 20 or more caroms.