Thursday, January 2
BOZEMAN
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Northern Colorado
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcats Usher in New Year with Northern Colorado
12/31/2019 1:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Montana State will ring in the New Year with its first Big Sky Conference home game of the season when it hosts Northern Colorado, Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena.
Bobcats Usher in New Year with Northern Colorado
WHO: Northern Colorado at Montana State
WHEN: Thursday, January 2, 2020 @ 7 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena (6,772)
RECORDS: MSU: 6-5, 2-0, Northern Colorado 5-5, 1-0
SERIES: Northern Colorado leads series 14-13
LAST MTG: Feb. 4, 2019 - UNC 84, @ MSU 73
RADIO: Live on KZMY 103.5 FM with Jason Alvine on the call; pregame begins 15-minutes prior to opening tip.
STATS: Live statistics can be accessed at bobcatstats.com; running play-by-play and boxscore are available
VIDEO: Montana State's game against Northern Colorado available on Pluto TV (Channel 538) and at WatchBigSky.com
BIG SKY CONFERENCE HOME OPENER: Montana State will ring in the New Year with its first Big Sky Conference home game of the season when it hosts Northern Colorado, Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena. The Bobcats will close out the weekend hosting Southern Utah on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. Montana State enters the week 6-5 overall and 2-0 in Big Sky play after sweeping its road trip to Sacramento State and Northern Arizona last weekend. MSU is in the middle of playing four games in an eight-day span. Meanwhile, UNC is 5-5 overall and 1-0 in league action as the Bears knocked off Portland State 77-58, last Thursday. Northern Colorado will have played just one game in the last 18-days when it comes to Bozeman on Saturday.
SERIES NOTE: Northern Colorado holds a slim 14-13 lead in its all-time series with Montana State dating back to its first meeting - an 88-71 Bobcat victory - in Greeley on Feb. 22, 1980. Last season, the two teams split its series, both winning on its opponent's home court. The Cats defeated UNC in Greeley 79-66, before the Bears returned the favor with an 84-73 victory in Bozeman. In their last ten meetings, Northern Colorado holds a 6-4 advantage.
MORE ON THE BEARS: Northern Colorado showed no signs of rust after a 13-day break between games. They opened their Big Sky season defeating Portland State 77-58, last Thursday night in Greeley. UNC was led by the 20-plus point performances by Bridget Hintz and Micayla Isenbart and strong defense holding PSU to 38.9 percent shooting. Hintz led the charge with a career-high 21 points showing her presence in the paint, while Isenbart provided the outside shooting with her 20 points, including going five-of-eight from behind the arc. In addition, Alexis Chapman had a quiet 15 points, eight rebound performance.
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 11.6 points per game, second highest on the squad. She posted 15 points in MSU's game against No. 11 Texas A&M on Dec. 21. At Northern Arizona on Monday night she posted 13 points- all coming in the second half. In addition, she pulled down two rebounds and added her first block of the season. The senior tri-captain is first on the squad in three-point makes (20) and assists (33). Last winter, Squires earned All-Big Sky 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 nine of MSU's 11 games. 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 8.4 points and 5.9 rebounds, after posting her second double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds at Sacramento State on Saturday afternoon. 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 11 games, Smith is shooting 59.1% from the field, which leads the Big Sky Conference. 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 574 rebounds ranks 17th all-time.
MARTHA'S MOMENTS: Martha Kuderer has started in all 11 games and is averaging 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 41.3%. She has been in double-digits on three occasions, including a career-high 23 points to lead MSU to a victory over Sacramento State, last Saturday. The Eden Prairie, Minn., product went 7-15 from the field and 8-11 from the line against the Hornets. Last year, Kuderer posted 11 games in double-figure scoring. She is currently fourth on the team in steals and rebounding.
BOUNDING WITH BLAIRE: Blaire Braxton, who played in all 31 games, including seven starts for the Bobcats, last winter, is currently averaging 3.1 points and 3.9 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 15th on MSU's all-time rebounding chart with 593 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 973 points and has amassed 583 rebounds over the course of her collegiate career.
DEEP FREIJE: Senior Fallyn Freije is currently averaging a team-best 12.3 points per game. She is first on the squad pulling down 7.1 rebounds, as well. On the season, Freije has been in double-digit scoring on eight occasions, including a season-high 20 points in Montana State's win at Northern Arizona on Monday night. Freije also posted her second double-double of the season hauling down 10 rebounds against the Lumberjacks.
BARDS OF THE BLOCK: Seniors Madeline Smith and Blaire Braxton have manned the blocks for the Bobcats the past four 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, 1,167, 2020; and Kelly Martin/Serena Merrill, 1,034, 2001.
TORI, TORI, TORI: Tori Martell has connected on 16 3-pointers in the early season. She is averaging 6.8 points per game coming off the bench and is shooting 465.6% from the field and 38.1% from long distance. Martell posted nine points against Sacramento State on Saturday afternoon, including a two-of-five effort from beyond the arc. 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 strong start in the Blue and Gold. The Boise, Idaho product has started all 11 games and is third on the team averaging 10.8 points game. She has been in double-figure scoring eight times. White matched a season-high with 15 points at NAU on Monday night. She is coming off an outstanding showing at the Coqui Classic in Puerto Rico, where she averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game. Against Sac State and NAU, she averaged 13.5 points, 4.5 steals and 3.5 boards per game. 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 ten games. The Parma, Idaho native is averaging 4.5 points and 3.3 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 12 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 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game over the first 11 outings. The Billings Senior grad recorded a season-best eight points at Sacramento State on Saturday hitting four-of-six from the field. Bad Bear hauled down nine rebounds in MSU's win over MSU Northern. For the season, Bad Bear is averaging 11.8 minutes per game.
WHO: Northern Colorado at Montana State
WHEN: Thursday, January 2, 2020 @ 7 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena (6,772)
RECORDS: MSU: 6-5, 2-0, Northern Colorado 5-5, 1-0
SERIES: Northern Colorado leads series 14-13
LAST MTG: Feb. 4, 2019 - UNC 84, @ MSU 73
RADIO: Live on KZMY 103.5 FM with Jason Alvine on the call; pregame begins 15-minutes prior to opening tip.
STATS: Live statistics can be accessed at bobcatstats.com; running play-by-play and boxscore are available
VIDEO: Montana State's game against Northern Colorado available on Pluto TV (Channel 538) and at WatchBigSky.com
BIG SKY CONFERENCE HOME OPENER: Montana State will ring in the New Year with its first Big Sky Conference home game of the season when it hosts Northern Colorado, Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena. The Bobcats will close out the weekend hosting Southern Utah on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. Montana State enters the week 6-5 overall and 2-0 in Big Sky play after sweeping its road trip to Sacramento State and Northern Arizona last weekend. MSU is in the middle of playing four games in an eight-day span. Meanwhile, UNC is 5-5 overall and 1-0 in league action as the Bears knocked off Portland State 77-58, last Thursday. Northern Colorado will have played just one game in the last 18-days when it comes to Bozeman on Saturday.
SERIES NOTE: Northern Colorado holds a slim 14-13 lead in its all-time series with Montana State dating back to its first meeting - an 88-71 Bobcat victory - in Greeley on Feb. 22, 1980. Last season, the two teams split its series, both winning on its opponent's home court. The Cats defeated UNC in Greeley 79-66, before the Bears returned the favor with an 84-73 victory in Bozeman. In their last ten meetings, Northern Colorado holds a 6-4 advantage.
MORE ON THE BEARS: Northern Colorado showed no signs of rust after a 13-day break between games. They opened their Big Sky season defeating Portland State 77-58, last Thursday night in Greeley. UNC was led by the 20-plus point performances by Bridget Hintz and Micayla Isenbart and strong defense holding PSU to 38.9 percent shooting. Hintz led the charge with a career-high 21 points showing her presence in the paint, while Isenbart provided the outside shooting with her 20 points, including going five-of-eight from behind the arc. In addition, Alexis Chapman had a quiet 15 points, eight rebound performance.
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 11.6 points per game, second highest on the squad. She posted 15 points in MSU's game against No. 11 Texas A&M on Dec. 21. At Northern Arizona on Monday night she posted 13 points- all coming in the second half. In addition, she pulled down two rebounds and added her first block of the season. The senior tri-captain is first on the squad in three-point makes (20) and assists (33). Last winter, Squires earned All-Big Sky 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 nine of MSU's 11 games. 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 8.4 points and 5.9 rebounds, after posting her second double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds at Sacramento State on Saturday afternoon. 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 11 games, Smith is shooting 59.1% from the field, which leads the Big Sky Conference. 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 574 rebounds ranks 17th all-time.
MARTHA'S MOMENTS: Martha Kuderer has started in all 11 games and is averaging 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 41.3%. She has been in double-digits on three occasions, including a career-high 23 points to lead MSU to a victory over Sacramento State, last Saturday. The Eden Prairie, Minn., product went 7-15 from the field and 8-11 from the line against the Hornets. Last year, Kuderer posted 11 games in double-figure scoring. She is currently fourth on the team in steals and rebounding.
BOUNDING WITH BLAIRE: Blaire Braxton, who played in all 31 games, including seven starts for the Bobcats, last winter, is currently averaging 3.1 points and 3.9 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 15th on MSU's all-time rebounding chart with 593 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 973 points and has amassed 583 rebounds over the course of her collegiate career.
DEEP FREIJE: Senior Fallyn Freije is currently averaging a team-best 12.3 points per game. She is first on the squad pulling down 7.1 rebounds, as well. On the season, Freije has been in double-digit scoring on eight occasions, including a season-high 20 points in Montana State's win at Northern Arizona on Monday night. Freije also posted her second double-double of the season hauling down 10 rebounds against the Lumberjacks.
BARDS OF THE BLOCK: Seniors Madeline Smith and Blaire Braxton have manned the blocks for the Bobcats the past four 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, 1,167, 2020; and Kelly Martin/Serena Merrill, 1,034, 2001.
TORI, TORI, TORI: Tori Martell has connected on 16 3-pointers in the early season. She is averaging 6.8 points per game coming off the bench and is shooting 465.6% from the field and 38.1% from long distance. Martell posted nine points against Sacramento State on Saturday afternoon, including a two-of-five effort from beyond the arc. 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 strong start in the Blue and Gold. The Boise, Idaho product has started all 11 games and is third on the team averaging 10.8 points game. She has been in double-figure scoring eight times. White matched a season-high with 15 points at NAU on Monday night. She is coming off an outstanding showing at the Coqui Classic in Puerto Rico, where she averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game. Against Sac State and NAU, she averaged 13.5 points, 4.5 steals and 3.5 boards per game. 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 ten games. The Parma, Idaho native is averaging 4.5 points and 3.3 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 12 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 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game over the first 11 outings. The Billings Senior grad recorded a season-best eight points at Sacramento State on Saturday hitting four-of-six from the field. Bad Bear hauled down nine rebounds in MSU's win over MSU Northern. For the season, Bad Bear is averaging 11.8 minutes per game.
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