Bobcat Women Open Big Sky Play at Sacramento State

Saturday, December 28

Sacramento, CA

3 p.m.

Montana State University

Sacramento State

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

12/27/2019 3:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball

MSU WBB GAME NOTES

Montana State will open its Big Sky Conference schedule at Sacramento State, Saturday, Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. (MT) in The Nest.

By: Tom Schulz

WHO:             Montana State at Sacramento State
WHEN:           Saturday, December 28, 2019 @ 3 p.m. (MT)
WHERE:         Sacramento, Calif. - The Nest (1,012)
RECORDS:      MSU: 4-5 overall, Sacramento State 2-7 overall
SERIES:           Montana State leads series 34-12
LAST MTG:    March 7, 2019 - @ MSU 64, Sac State 58
RADIO:           Live on KZMY 103.5 FM with Jason Alvine on the call; pregame begins 15-minutes prior to    opening tip.
VIDEO:            Montana State's game at Sacramento State and Northern Arizona available on Pluto TV &    WatchBigSky.com
STATS:            Live statistics can be accessed at bobcatstats.com; running play-by-play and boxscore are available

BIG SKY OPENER: Montana State will open its Big Sky Conference schedule at Sacramento State, Saturday, Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. (MT) in The Nest. The Bobcats will close out its first league road swing at Northern Arizona, Monday, December 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the Walkup Skydome. Since the inception of women's basketball in the Big Sky Conference during the 1988-89 season, the Bobcats are 17-14 in league openers, while Tricia Binford is 6-8 all-time in conference openers. Montana State has won its last four Big Sky openers, including a 69-64 victory over Southern Utah on Dec. 29, 2018 in Worthington Arena. MSU's last loss in a league opener came at North Dakota, Jan. 1, 2015 with an 82-74 setback to the Fighting Hawks.

SERIES NOTE: Montana State owns a 34-12 advantage in its all-time series with Sacramento State going back to Jan. 24, 1997. The Bobcats won both meetings last year and have captured eight of the last ten meetings. MSU's last loss at Sacramento State came on Feb. 8, 2018 as the Hornets posted an 88-77 victory. Montana State is 14-7 all-time on Sacramento State's home court. MSU head coach Tricia Binford is 21-8 all-time against the Hornets.

MORE ON THE HORNETS: Sacramento State is 2-7 overall with its victories coming against Cal State Maritime (86-55) and Pacific Union (94-35). In its nine games, the Hornets are averaging a league-best 75.2 points per contest, despite shooting 34.2% from the field. Individually, Gabi Bade leads Sacramento State in scoring averaging 15.7 points per game, while Kennedy Nicholas and Summer Menke chip in 12.9 and 11.4 points, respectively. Kennedy and Bade lead the Hornets under the glass averaging 7.1 and 6.4 rebounds, respectively. MSU and Sacramento State have played two like opponents with the Bobcats defeating UC Davis and Seattle U and the Hornets dropping both games to the Aggies and Redhawks.

BOBCATS VS. TOP 25: Montana State is 3-24 all-time against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 or USA Today/WBCA Coaches polls, following its 78-67 loss to No. 11 Texas A&M on Dec. 21 in Puerto Rico. MSU's victories have come over Montana, twice, when the Lady Griz were ranked. The Bobcats defeated #17 Montana (58-52 in Bozeman) on March 4, 1994 as well as #16 Montana (58-56 in Bozeman) on March 5, 1988. MSU's other victory of a top 25 school came at #21 Boise State (69-68) on Jan. 28. 1994. The highest ranked team Montana State has played was #2 Baylor on Nov. 13, 2010- a 93-56 loss in Waco.

HOLY MOLY, OLI: Oliana Squires, a 2019-20 preseason All-Big Sky Conference pick, is currently averaging a team-best 12.2 points per game. She posted 15 points in MSU last outing against No. 11 Texas A&M on Dec. 21 going 5-17 from the field. The senior tri-captain is first on the squad in three-point makes (17) and second in assists (25). Last winter, Squires earned All-Big Sky Conference Third-Team accolades after guiding the Bobcats averaging 11.4 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and a steal per game. Squires has been in double-digit scoring in eight of MSU's nine games, including the last seven outings in which she has averaged 13.6 points per game. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native poured in a season-high 17 points in MSU's win at Seattle U. Against Wichita State on Dec. 20, Squires registered a career-high four steals.

MAD ABOUT YOU: Madeline Smith, who played in all 31 games, including 23 starts for the Bobcats last season, is currently averaging 7.9 points and 5.7 rebounds, after combining for 10 points and eight rebounds in games against Wichita State and Texas A&M before Christmas. The Snohomish, Wash., product posted MSU's first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the Cats' victory over MSU Northern. After nine games, Smith is shooting 56.9% from the field. Last winter, Smith was third in the Big Sky 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 against Southern Utah. Her current total of 560 rebounds ranks 18th all-time.

MARTHA'S MOMENTS: Martha Kuderer has started in all nine games and is averaging 7.2 points per game, while shooting 45.1% from the field. She has been in double-digits on two occasions, including a season-high 17 points in MSU's win over Carroll College. Last winter, the Eden Prairie, Minn., product averaged 10 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Kuderer posted 11 games in double-figure scoring. She recorded a season-high 21 points against Texas State. Her 44 steals were the best on the squad.

BOUNDING WITH BLAIRE: Blaire Braxton, who played in all 31 games, including seven starts for the Bobcats, last winter, is currently averaging 3.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Braxton posted a season-high nine points in MSU's loss to No. 11 Texas A&M in Puerto Rico. For the game, she connected on 4-7 from the field. Last winter, Braxton averaged 7.0 points per outing and notched seven games in double-figure scoring, including a career-high 18 points against Idaho. She 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. Braxton is currently 16th on MSU's all-time rebounding chart with 584 boards.

PRESEASON MVP: Despite not playing in a game for over a year and not ever wearing the Blue and Gold, 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. Freije has recorded 944 points and has amassed 565 rebounds over the course of her collegiate career.

DEEP FREIJE: Senior Fallyn Freije is currently second on the team averaging 11.8 points per game. She is first on the squad hauling down 6.7 rebounds, as well. On the season, Freije has been in double-digit scoring on seven occasions, including a season-high 18 points in MSU's loss to No. 17th-ranked Gonzaga. Over the past six games, Freije is averaging 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest.

BARDS OF THE BLOCK: Seniors Madeline Smith and Blaire Braxton have manned the blocks for the Bobcats the past three seasons. 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, 1,144, 2020; and Kelly Martin/Serena Merrill, 1,034, 2001.

TORI, TORI, TORI: Tori Martell has connected on 13 3-pointers in the early season. She is averaging 6.8 points per game coming off the bench and is shooting 45.8% from the field and 38.2% from long distance. Martell posted eight points in MSU's loss to Texas A&M last Saturday, connecting on3-6 from the filed with a pair of three-pointers. She notched a season-high 13 points in MSU's first two games of the season against UC Davis and Carroll College.

FRESH START: True-freshman Darian White is off to a fast start in the Blue and Gold. The Boise, Idaho product has started all nine games and is third on the team averaging 10.2 points game. White is first in assists (26) and fifth in rebounding (4.0). She has been in double-figure scoring six times, including a season-high 15 points against UC Davis. White had an outstanding showing at the Coqui Classic in Puerto Rico, averaging 11.5 points, 5.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game, while shooting 52.9% from the field. Last winter, White was the Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year.

ALL JACKED UP: True-freshman Maddison Jackson is averaging 15.3 minutes of action over the first nine games. The Parma, Idaho native is averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Jackson recorded a season-high eight points on two occasions, against UC Davis and MSU Northern. She is fourth on the team with 11 steals. An outstanding athlete, Jackson was an Idaho state champion in the 100 and 330-meter hurdles, the high jump and as a member of the 4X400-meter relay team.

I'LL HAVE A KOLA, PLEASE: True-freshman Kola Bad Bear is off to a solid start averaging 2.2 points and 2.7rebounds per game over the first nine outings. Bad Bear hauled down a season-high nine rebounds in MSU's win over MSU Northern. The Billings Senior grad recorded a season-best six points against the Skylights, as well. For the season, Bad Bear is averaging 12.3 minutes per game.