Friday, November 8
BOZEMAN
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
UC Davis
Senior Blaire Braxton is ready for her final season in the Blue and Gold.
Photo by: Garrett Becker
Bobcats Open 2019-20 Regular-Season Friday Night Hosting UC Davis
11/7/2019 6:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Montana State women’s basketball team will open its 2019-20 regular-season when it hosts UC Davis, Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena. It will mark the 15th season-opener for head coach Tricia Binford at the helm of the Bobcat program. She is 8-6 all-time in season-openers on the College Hill.
WHO: UC Davis at Montana State
WHEN: Friday, November 8, 2019 @ 7 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Bozeman, MT - Worthington Arena (6,772)
RECORDS: MSU: 0-0, 0-0 Big Sky, UCD: 0-0, 0-0 Big West
SERIES: UC Davis 1-0
LAST MTG: Nov. 23, 2016 - @UC Davis 70, MSU 62
SEASON OPENER: The Montana State women's basketball team will open its 2019-20 regular-season when it hosts UC Davis, Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena. It will mark the 15th season-opener for head coach Tricia Binford at the helm of the Bobcat program. She is 8-6 all-time in season-openers on the College Hill.
OUT OF THE GATES: Friday night's tilt with UC Davis should be one of the best this side of the Rocky Mountain front. The Bobcats were picked to finish atop the Big Sky Conference standings in the preseason coaches' and media polls. The Aggies received the same acclaim from the Big West media but were picked second by the league coaches. Both UC Davis (71) and Montana State (4) received votes in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25.
A SERIES NOTE: Montana State and UC Davis have met just once with the Aggies taking a 70-62 victory on Nov. 23, 2016 in Davis. Peyton Ferris and Riley Nordgaard led MSU with 21 and 11 points, respectively. UC Davis was paced by Rachel Nagel and Morgan Bertsch with 21 and 17 points.
CAT CHAT: 1) Montana State will face six teams that posted 20-wins last year, along with two that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, three that finished ranked in the final USA Today/WBCA Coaches Top 25 poll and three that won their conference championship. 2) Oliana Squires, who garnered all-Big Sky Conference Third-Team accolades last winter, returns as Montana State's leading scorer at 11.4 points per game. Squires also led the Bobcats last season with 199 assists. In addition, she led the Big Sky in league games shooting 94 percent from the free throw line. 3) Head coach Tricia Binford, who enters her 15th season at the helm of the Bobcat program, will enjoy one of the biggest and most experienced senior classes in her tenure at Montana State. Three-year starters Oliana Squires, Blaire Braxton and Madeline Smith will be joined by Martha Kuderer, who started in 27 games last winter after transferring from Seton Hall, and Fallyn Freije, who sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules. 4) Although she didn't play last season, senior Fallyn Freije is a familiar name in the Big Sky Conference. The Edmore, N.D., played three seasons at North Dakota before transferring to Montana State. Freije is a two-time all-Big Sky Conference honorable mention selection and averaged 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for the Fighting Hawks as a junior. 5) Montana State, who went 16-15 overall and 11-9 in Big Sky Conference play last winter, has not had a losing season since 2006-07- a string of 12 successful campaigns.
HOLY MOLY, OLI: Oliana Squires, a 2019-20 preseason All-Big Sky Conference pick, earned All-Big Sky Conference Third-Team accolades last winter after guiding the Bobcats averaging 11.4 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and a steal per game. Squires recorded twenty double-digit scoring game and went over the 20-point plateau on four occasions, including a career-high 23 points in MSU's win over Sacramento State. Against the Hornets, she connected on nine-of-16 from the field, including three 3-pointers. For the season shot 37% from the field, 27% from long distance and 92% from the line. Her 48 three-point makes were the second highest on the squad. Squires' 92% (56-61) free throw rate was tops on the squad and her 94% Big Sky Conference only free throw percentage was best in the league. Squires averaged 11.3 points per game in Big Sky play, which ranked 23rd overall. She finished sixth in the league averaging 4.3 assists per contest.
MAD ABOUT YOU: Madeline Smith played in all 31 games, including 23 starts for the Bobcats last season. She finished the year averaging 8.8 points per game. Smith also completed the year third in the Big Sky Conference in field-goal percentage, shooting 53.7% from the floor. She had ten games in double-figure scoring and posted a career-high 27 points, converting 12-20 from the field, in MSU's win at Southern Utah. Smiths' only double-double of the season came against Long Beach State with 10 points and 11 rebounds. She connected on her only three-pointer of the season as the Bobcats knocked-off arch-rival Montana in Missoula. Smith also became the 25th member of MSU prestigious 500-rebound club, last winter. Her current total of 509 rebounds ranks 23rd all-time at MSU.
MARTHA'S MOMENTS: Martha Kuderer played in 28 games, including 27 starts, last winter. She averaged 10 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. In addition, Kuderer shot 42.4% from the field, 37.9% from three-point range and 76.7% from the line. She finished ninth in the Big Sky connecting on 69-of-90 from the charity stripe and was among the top 30 scorers in the conference. In addition, she was in the top 20 in the league in rebounding; was top 15 in the Big Sky in field-goal percentage; was top 10 in the conference averaging 1.6 steals per game; and her 37.9% shooting from long distance was 13th in the Big Sky. Kuderer posted 11 games in double-figure scoring. She recorded a season-high 21 points against Texas State in preseason WNIT action. On the season, she recorded two double-doubles, including 17 points and ten boards against Delaware. Kuderer's 44 steals were the best on the squad and she tallied a season-best five steals against Omaha.
BOUNDING WITH BLAIRE: Blaire Braxton played in all 31 games, including seven starts for the Bobcats, last winter. She finished first on the team hauling down 5.9 rebounds per game, which ranked 18th overall and in Big Sky action. Braxton ended the 2018-19 campaign averaging 7.0 points per outing and notched seven games in double-figure scoring, including a career-high 18 points against Idaho. Against the Vandals, she connected on 7-of-11 from the field and was four-of-six at the line. Braxton also recorded two double-digit rebounding games, including a season-high 13 boards in MSU's win at Eastern Washington. She saw remarkable improvement in field-goal percentage shooting a team-best 55.8% from the field. Braxton's 54% shooting acumen in Big Sky games was third best in the league.
MVP, MVP, MVP: Despite not playing in a game for over a year and not ever wearing the Blue and Gold, Montana State senior Fallyn Freije was named preseason Big Sky Conference MVP. The Edmore, N.D. product played three seasons at North Dakota before transferring to Bozeman. Freije was a two-time All-Big Sky performer for the Fighting Hawks, where she averaged 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game as a junior. She played in 90 games and started in 58 of her appearances at UND. Freije had recorded 838 points, is a 41.5% shooter from the field and has amassed 505 rebounds over the course of her collegiate career.
BARDS OF THE BLOCK: Seniors Madeline Smith and Blaire Braxton have manned the blocks for the Bobcats the past three seasons. The duo has swapped starting time at the five spot and each averaged around 20 minutes per contest, last winter. The duo will finish their eligibility this season and will go down as one of the best tandems to ever guard the glass in Worthington Arena. Blythe Hommes/Julie Brown combined for a program record 1,248 rebounds when they finished their careers in 1997. Other top performers include Alaina Bauer/Sandy Neiss, 1,196, 1991; Braxton/Smith, 1,059, 2020; and Kelly Martin/Serena Merrill, 1,034, 2001.
TORI, TORI, TORI: Tori Martell connected on 46 three-pointers last season, which was third highest on the squad. She saw action in 29 games, including 18 starts and averaged 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 27.7 minutes of action. Martell registered a season-best five triples in Montana State's win at Northern Colorado and ended the game with a season-high 19 points converting six-of-11 from the field. In all, she notched eight games in double-figure scoring. Martell pulled down five rebounds or more on nine occasions, including a season-best seven rebounds on two occasions coming against Carroll College and Long Beach State.
GAB FEST: Sophomore Gabby Mocchi played in all 31 games for the Bobcats last season, including one start. The 6-1 forward finished her inaugural season averaging 3.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. Mocchi posted a season-high 11 points against Portland State in the regular-season finale'. Under the boards, she pulled down a season-high seven rebounds on two occasions, the last coming against Portland State, as well. Mocchi ended her first season in the Blue and Gold with 22 three-pointers.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Bobcats saw the nation's second longest home court win streak snapped against Portland State on Jan. 11, 2018. The loss broke MSU's 31-game home streak. Since losing to San Diego on Nov. 11, 2015, Montana State has won 42 of 50 games in The Brick. The Bobcats averaged 2,017 fans per game last winter, which included a sold-out crowd of 6,772 against Carroll College on Nov. 6. MSU ranked 73rd in the nation in attendance.
WHEN: Friday, November 8, 2019 @ 7 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Bozeman, MT - Worthington Arena (6,772)
RECORDS: MSU: 0-0, 0-0 Big Sky, UCD: 0-0, 0-0 Big West
SERIES: UC Davis 1-0
LAST MTG: Nov. 23, 2016 - @UC Davis 70, MSU 62
SEASON OPENER: The Montana State women's basketball team will open its 2019-20 regular-season when it hosts UC Davis, Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena. It will mark the 15th season-opener for head coach Tricia Binford at the helm of the Bobcat program. She is 8-6 all-time in season-openers on the College Hill.
OUT OF THE GATES: Friday night's tilt with UC Davis should be one of the best this side of the Rocky Mountain front. The Bobcats were picked to finish atop the Big Sky Conference standings in the preseason coaches' and media polls. The Aggies received the same acclaim from the Big West media but were picked second by the league coaches. Both UC Davis (71) and Montana State (4) received votes in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25.
A SERIES NOTE: Montana State and UC Davis have met just once with the Aggies taking a 70-62 victory on Nov. 23, 2016 in Davis. Peyton Ferris and Riley Nordgaard led MSU with 21 and 11 points, respectively. UC Davis was paced by Rachel Nagel and Morgan Bertsch with 21 and 17 points.
CAT CHAT: 1) Montana State will face six teams that posted 20-wins last year, along with two that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, three that finished ranked in the final USA Today/WBCA Coaches Top 25 poll and three that won their conference championship. 2) Oliana Squires, who garnered all-Big Sky Conference Third-Team accolades last winter, returns as Montana State's leading scorer at 11.4 points per game. Squires also led the Bobcats last season with 199 assists. In addition, she led the Big Sky in league games shooting 94 percent from the free throw line. 3) Head coach Tricia Binford, who enters her 15th season at the helm of the Bobcat program, will enjoy one of the biggest and most experienced senior classes in her tenure at Montana State. Three-year starters Oliana Squires, Blaire Braxton and Madeline Smith will be joined by Martha Kuderer, who started in 27 games last winter after transferring from Seton Hall, and Fallyn Freije, who sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules. 4) Although she didn't play last season, senior Fallyn Freije is a familiar name in the Big Sky Conference. The Edmore, N.D., played three seasons at North Dakota before transferring to Montana State. Freije is a two-time all-Big Sky Conference honorable mention selection and averaged 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for the Fighting Hawks as a junior. 5) Montana State, who went 16-15 overall and 11-9 in Big Sky Conference play last winter, has not had a losing season since 2006-07- a string of 12 successful campaigns.
HOLY MOLY, OLI: Oliana Squires, a 2019-20 preseason All-Big Sky Conference pick, earned All-Big Sky Conference Third-Team accolades last winter after guiding the Bobcats averaging 11.4 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and a steal per game. Squires recorded twenty double-digit scoring game and went over the 20-point plateau on four occasions, including a career-high 23 points in MSU's win over Sacramento State. Against the Hornets, she connected on nine-of-16 from the field, including three 3-pointers. For the season shot 37% from the field, 27% from long distance and 92% from the line. Her 48 three-point makes were the second highest on the squad. Squires' 92% (56-61) free throw rate was tops on the squad and her 94% Big Sky Conference only free throw percentage was best in the league. Squires averaged 11.3 points per game in Big Sky play, which ranked 23rd overall. She finished sixth in the league averaging 4.3 assists per contest.
MAD ABOUT YOU: Madeline Smith played in all 31 games, including 23 starts for the Bobcats last season. She finished the year averaging 8.8 points per game. Smith also completed the year third in the Big Sky Conference in field-goal percentage, shooting 53.7% from the floor. She had ten games in double-figure scoring and posted a career-high 27 points, converting 12-20 from the field, in MSU's win at Southern Utah. Smiths' only double-double of the season came against Long Beach State with 10 points and 11 rebounds. She connected on her only three-pointer of the season as the Bobcats knocked-off arch-rival Montana in Missoula. Smith also became the 25th member of MSU prestigious 500-rebound club, last winter. Her current total of 509 rebounds ranks 23rd all-time at MSU.
MARTHA'S MOMENTS: Martha Kuderer played in 28 games, including 27 starts, last winter. She averaged 10 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. In addition, Kuderer shot 42.4% from the field, 37.9% from three-point range and 76.7% from the line. She finished ninth in the Big Sky connecting on 69-of-90 from the charity stripe and was among the top 30 scorers in the conference. In addition, she was in the top 20 in the league in rebounding; was top 15 in the Big Sky in field-goal percentage; was top 10 in the conference averaging 1.6 steals per game; and her 37.9% shooting from long distance was 13th in the Big Sky. Kuderer posted 11 games in double-figure scoring. She recorded a season-high 21 points against Texas State in preseason WNIT action. On the season, she recorded two double-doubles, including 17 points and ten boards against Delaware. Kuderer's 44 steals were the best on the squad and she tallied a season-best five steals against Omaha.
BOUNDING WITH BLAIRE: Blaire Braxton played in all 31 games, including seven starts for the Bobcats, last winter. She finished first on the team hauling down 5.9 rebounds per game, which ranked 18th overall and in Big Sky action. Braxton ended the 2018-19 campaign averaging 7.0 points per outing and notched seven games in double-figure scoring, including a career-high 18 points against Idaho. Against the Vandals, she connected on 7-of-11 from the field and was four-of-six at the line. Braxton also recorded two double-digit rebounding games, including a season-high 13 boards in MSU's win at Eastern Washington. She saw remarkable improvement in field-goal percentage shooting a team-best 55.8% from the field. Braxton's 54% shooting acumen in Big Sky games was third best in the league.
MVP, MVP, MVP: Despite not playing in a game for over a year and not ever wearing the Blue and Gold, Montana State senior Fallyn Freije was named preseason Big Sky Conference MVP. The Edmore, N.D. product played three seasons at North Dakota before transferring to Bozeman. Freije was a two-time All-Big Sky performer for the Fighting Hawks, where she averaged 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game as a junior. She played in 90 games and started in 58 of her appearances at UND. Freije had recorded 838 points, is a 41.5% shooter from the field and has amassed 505 rebounds over the course of her collegiate career.
BARDS OF THE BLOCK: Seniors Madeline Smith and Blaire Braxton have manned the blocks for the Bobcats the past three seasons. The duo has swapped starting time at the five spot and each averaged around 20 minutes per contest, last winter. The duo will finish their eligibility this season and will go down as one of the best tandems to ever guard the glass in Worthington Arena. Blythe Hommes/Julie Brown combined for a program record 1,248 rebounds when they finished their careers in 1997. Other top performers include Alaina Bauer/Sandy Neiss, 1,196, 1991; Braxton/Smith, 1,059, 2020; and Kelly Martin/Serena Merrill, 1,034, 2001.
TORI, TORI, TORI: Tori Martell connected on 46 three-pointers last season, which was third highest on the squad. She saw action in 29 games, including 18 starts and averaged 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 27.7 minutes of action. Martell registered a season-best five triples in Montana State's win at Northern Colorado and ended the game with a season-high 19 points converting six-of-11 from the field. In all, she notched eight games in double-figure scoring. Martell pulled down five rebounds or more on nine occasions, including a season-best seven rebounds on two occasions coming against Carroll College and Long Beach State.
GAB FEST: Sophomore Gabby Mocchi played in all 31 games for the Bobcats last season, including one start. The 6-1 forward finished her inaugural season averaging 3.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. Mocchi posted a season-high 11 points against Portland State in the regular-season finale'. Under the boards, she pulled down a season-high seven rebounds on two occasions, the last coming against Portland State, as well. Mocchi ended her first season in the Blue and Gold with 22 three-pointers.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Bobcats saw the nation's second longest home court win streak snapped against Portland State on Jan. 11, 2018. The loss broke MSU's 31-game home streak. Since losing to San Diego on Nov. 11, 2015, Montana State has won 42 of 50 games in The Brick. The Bobcats averaged 2,017 fans per game last winter, which included a sold-out crowd of 6,772 against Carroll College on Nov. 6. MSU ranked 73rd in the nation in attendance.
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