Monday, March 5
Reno, NV
Montana State University
16-14
68
vs
58
North Dakota
12-18
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 12 | 9 | 20 | 17 | 58 |
| Montana State | 14 | 22 | 16 | 16 | 68 |
Senior Delany Junkermier
Photo by: Andrew Pedersen
Second Quarter Explosion Lifts Cats to Win over UND in Big Sky Tourney Opener
3/5/2018 10:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
“I thought we had a great first half despite dealing with some jitters,” said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. “Our veterans made some plays and we got a big spark from our freshmen in the second quarter.”
After a tight opening quarter the Montana State women's basketball team exploded in the second frame, out-scoring North Dakota 22-9, giving the Bobcats just enough cushion to post a 68-58 win over the Fighting Hawks on Monday in the first-round of the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
Montana State (16-14) shot 44.4 percent from the field, including a four-of-seven effort from beyond the three-point line in the second period. Trailing by three-points at the 5:42 mark, MSU went on an 18-0 run capped by a three-pointer at the buzzer via freshman Tori Martell to give Montana State a 36-21 lead at intermission.
Martell, a freshman from Somerset, Wis., sparked the run scoring eight points in the final 2:42 of the quarter.
"I thought we had a great first half despite dealing with some jitters," said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. "Our veterans made some plays and we got a big spark from our freshmen in the second quarter."
North Dakota (12-18) closed the gap to seven in the third quarter, but the Bobcats were able to push its lead back to 16-points on a Laura Pranger triple at the 2:01 mark. The Fighting Hawks whittled the margin to 11-points heading into the final quarter.
UND opened the final frame on a 12-4 run to get to within 56-53 with 4:39 remaining. A Rebekah Hatchard layin followed by back-to-back three-pointers by Delany Junkermier gave MSU the spread needed to secure the win.
"Bek (Hatchard) and Delany hit some big shots when we needed them most," Binford said. "Torri gave us the cushion we needed at halftime and I thought Laura bothered them a little with her length."
Hatchard matched a career-high 18 points to guide MSU. Also hitting double-digits were Junkermier 15 and Martell 10. And, despite getting out-rebounded 47-41, MSU's post duo of Blaire Braxton and Madeline Smith combined for 17 boards.
The Bobcats received 23 points from its bench led by Martell, Pranger, seven and Smith, six.
"Our depth played a key role," Binford said. "We were able to keep fresh legs on the floor. (Lexi) Klabo is a handful, but we did what we needed to do."
Klabo paced the Fighting Hawks with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
Montana State will face No.2 Idaho on Wednesday in quarterfinal action at 6:30 p.m. (MST).
Montana State (16-14) shot 44.4 percent from the field, including a four-of-seven effort from beyond the three-point line in the second period. Trailing by three-points at the 5:42 mark, MSU went on an 18-0 run capped by a three-pointer at the buzzer via freshman Tori Martell to give Montana State a 36-21 lead at intermission.
Martell, a freshman from Somerset, Wis., sparked the run scoring eight points in the final 2:42 of the quarter.
"I thought we had a great first half despite dealing with some jitters," said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. "Our veterans made some plays and we got a big spark from our freshmen in the second quarter."
North Dakota (12-18) closed the gap to seven in the third quarter, but the Bobcats were able to push its lead back to 16-points on a Laura Pranger triple at the 2:01 mark. The Fighting Hawks whittled the margin to 11-points heading into the final quarter.
UND opened the final frame on a 12-4 run to get to within 56-53 with 4:39 remaining. A Rebekah Hatchard layin followed by back-to-back three-pointers by Delany Junkermier gave MSU the spread needed to secure the win.
"Bek (Hatchard) and Delany hit some big shots when we needed them most," Binford said. "Torri gave us the cushion we needed at halftime and I thought Laura bothered them a little with her length."
Hatchard matched a career-high 18 points to guide MSU. Also hitting double-digits were Junkermier 15 and Martell 10. And, despite getting out-rebounded 47-41, MSU's post duo of Blaire Braxton and Madeline Smith combined for 17 boards.
The Bobcats received 23 points from its bench led by Martell, Pranger, seven and Smith, six.
"Our depth played a key role," Binford said. "We were able to keep fresh legs on the floor. (Lexi) Klabo is a handful, but we did what we needed to do."
Klabo paced the Fighting Hawks with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
Montana State will face No.2 Idaho on Wednesday in quarterfinal action at 6:30 p.m. (MST).
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballTeam Stats
UND
MSU
FG%
.344
.349
3FG%
.261
.367
FT%
.625
.650
RB
47
41
TO
16
10
STL
3
4
Game Leaders
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
1
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