Cats Face Vandals Saturday in Moscow

Saturday, February 9

Moscow, ID

3 p.m.

Montana State University

Idaho

Freshman Gabby Mocchi drives to the hoop earlier this season against Eastern Washington.

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

2/8/2019 4:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball

WBB NOTES

The Bobcat women’s basketball team will close its current road swing at Idaho, Saturday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. (MT) in Moscow.

By: Tom Schulz

WHO:             Montana State at Idaho
WHEN:           Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 @ 3 p.m. (MT)
WHERE:         Moscow, Idaho - Cowan Spectrum (6,000)
RECORDS:      MSU- 12-10, 7-5, Idaho- 12-8, 9-2
SERIES:           Montana State 35-17
LAST MTG:    Jan. 10, 2019 - Idaho 82, @MSU 66
RADIO:           My 103.5 KZMY FM with Jason Alvine on play-by-play
VIDEO:            Pluto TV ch. 242 or WatchBigSky.com

NEXT UP: The Bobcat women's basketball team will close its current road swing at Idaho, Saturday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. (MT) in Moscow.

ON A SERIES NOTE: Montana State leads the all-time series with Idaho 35-17 going back to March 1, 1975 when the Bobcats handed the Vandals an 81-50 setback in Bozeman. In more recent times, the Vandals have won the last three meetings between the Big Sky rivals, including a convincing 82-66 victory on Jan. 10 in Worthington Arena. Prior to the last three losses, Montana State had won five straight over Idaho. MSU's last victory over the Vandals, 66-61, came on Jan. 26, 2017 in Moscow. In her 14 years at the helm of the Montana State women's basketball program, head coach Tricia Binford is 8-3 against the Vandals.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Montana State had five players average in double-figures against Montana and Northern Colorado. Hitting double-digits were Oliana Squires 12.5, Blaire Braxton 11, Claire Lundberg 11, Madeline Smith 11, and Halle Wright 10.

THAT WAS THE GAME THAT WAS:
    The Montana State defense put up one of its best performances of the season limiting Eastern Washington to just 15 points in the second half, en route to a 61-47 win over the Eagles on Thursday night at Reese Court.
    Montana State (12-10, 7-5), who dropped an 89-87 overtime decision to Eastern Washington (5-15, 4-7) on Jan. 19 in Worthington Arena, held the Eagles 42-points under its total from the first encounter. In addition, Violet Kapri Morrow, who went off for a career-high 37 points against the Bobcats three weeks ago, was held to 18 points, including just seven in the second half.
    Eastern Washington held a three-point lead after the opening 10-minutes, but Montana State turned the table in the second stanza as MSU's freshmen trio of Wright, Mocchi and Kamden Hilborn posted ten of the Bobcats'17 points.
    Montana State held a 34-32 advantage at intermission.
    EWU took a 39-35 lead at the 5:50 mark of the third quarter, but again the Bobcats answered with a 9-0 run the close out the frame sparked by four consecutive points by Braxton to give MSU a five-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter.
    Juniors Martha Kuderer and Oliana Squires took over for Montana State in the final frame. Squires scored seven points in the first three-minutes of the quarter to push the Bobcat lead to 53-41 with 6:56 left. Kuderer secured the MSU victory going six-of-six from the free throw line. Her layup with 3:42 remaining gave the Bobcats its biggest lead at 59-44.
    Kuderer, who returned to the MSU line-up after missing two games, posted a team-high 16 points, including a seven-of-seven effort at the line. Squires also hit double-digits with 13 points, while Madeline Smith chipped in eight and Hilborn with a season-best five.
    Montana State won the battle of the boards out-rebounding the Eagles 40-31. Braxton pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds to give her 507 for her career, making her just the 24th MSU player to hit the 500-rebound plateau. Braxton currently sits 22nd on MSU's all-time rebounding list.
    Also contributing under the glass were Smith and Squires with seven and six rebounds, respectively.
    For the game, MSU shot 40 percent from the field and 86.7 percent from the charity stripe. The Bobcat defense held Eastern Washington to 29.1 percent from the floor, including just 15.4 percent in the second half.

MORE ON THE VANDALS: Idaho enters Saturday's game 12-8 overall and 9-2 in Big Sky Conference action after dispatching Montana 76-68 on Thursday night at Cowan Spectrum. Senior Mikayla Ferenz became UI's all-time leading scorer notching 23 points against UM, giving her 2,148 for her career. Also hitting double-digits was senior Taylor Pierce, who also hit for 23 points, including five 3-pointers. Pierce is one of four players in the history of NCAA Division I women's basketball to record over 400 triples. In the first meeting with the Cats, the 'Splash Sisters' combined for 52 points, including 14 three-pointers.

PRESEASON WNIT: MSU played in the preseason WNIT for the first time in its history. The Cats fell at #19 Marquette 100-52 in Milwaukee on Nov. 9. MSU rebounded to win its consolation pod defeating Delaware 69-60 and Texas State 67-59. Marquette went on to defeat Northern Iowa 102-61, before falling to Miami 63-55 in the semifinals. Iowa State captured the WNIT title with a 75-52 win over Miami.

HOLY MOLY, OLI: Oliana Squires is averaging 10.9 points per game. The Colorado Springs, Colo., product notched a season and career-high 21 points in MSU's win over Northern Arizona on Dec. 31. In the season-opener against No. 19-ranked Marquette, Squires nailed four 3-pointers. She has been in double-digit scoring in 14 of MSU's 22 games. Squires nearly pulled off a triple double at Sacramento State on Jan.5 with 13 points, a career-high ten rebounds and seven assists. In Montana State's win over Montana last Saturday, she had an outstanding performance with a game-high 20 points on eight-of-16 from the field, including a four-of-eight from long distance. Squires notched 13 points, six rebounds and 3 triples at Eastern Washington on Thursday.

KUDERER'S KUDOS: Martha Kuderer, who sat out last season after transferring from Seton Hall, is averaging 10.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. She had her best Big Sky outing recording 19 points and six rebounds in MSU's win at Sacramento State. Her best weekend of the season came against Delaware and Texas State in the WNIT when she averaged 19 points and 7.5 rebounds. Kuderer had a season-high 21 points against Texas State. On the season, she has been in double-digit scoring on ten occasions. After sitting out the last two games under concussion protocol, Kuderer paced MSU in its win at Eastern Washington with a team-high 16 points, which included a seven-of-seven effort from the free throw line. In addition, she recorded two rebounds, two assists and steals against the Eagles.

BOUNDING WITH BLAIRE: Blaire Braxton pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds in Montana State's win over Eastern Washington on Thursday night. The thirteen boards gives Braxton 507 for her career. Against EWU, she became just the 24th member of MSU's 500-rebound club. Her 507 rebounds is currently 22nd all-time at Montana State. Braxton leads the Bobcats in rebounding averaging 6.2 per game. Offensively, she is shooting 58 percent from the field, which is tops on the team. Her 6.6 points per game average is up 2.9 per contest from last winter. Braxton recorded a career-high 18 points in MSU's loss to Idaho on Jan. 10. For the game, she connected on seven-of-11 from the field and was four-of-six from the line. On the season, she has been in double-digit scoring in five games. Against Eastern Washington on Thursday night, Braxton finished with four points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots in 23 minutes of action.

MAD ABOUT YOU: Madeline Smith is currently averaging 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. The product of Snohomish, Wash., registered a season-high 16 points against Northern Colorado on Jan. 14, knocking down seven-of-10 attempts to go along with seven rebounds. Smith has been in double-figure scoring on seven occasions. Against Eastern Washington on Thursday night, she posted eight points and seven boards.

BARDS OF THE BLOCK: Juniors 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 and each average 20 minutes or more per contest. On the season, the duo has combined to shoot an impressive 56.9 percent (123-216) from the floor.

THE WRIGHT STUFF: Freshman Halle Wright received her first start against TCU on Dec. 8. The Aumsville, Ore., product missed the first three games with a leg injury, but has started 15 straight since coming back. She had one of her best games of the season against Eastern Washington on Jan. 19 seeing 36 minutes of action and recording 13 points, including nine points in the overtime period. Wright also added a season-high eight assists and seven rebounds. She is averaging 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in Big Sky play. Wright posted 11 points, five assists and two rebounds against No. Colorado on Monday and had four points and two rebounds in MSU's win over the Eagles on Thursday night in Cheney..

TORI, TORI, TORI: Tori Martell has connected on 30 three-pointers this season. The Somerset, Wis., native connected on 36 three-pointers, including 19 in the last eight games of the season, last winter. She is currently averaging 6.8 points per game in Big Sky play. Martell found her stroke from outside in Montana State's win at Northern Colorado on Jan. 14 scoring a career-high 19 points, which included a 5-of-8 performance from beyond the three-point line. Against Eastern Washington on Thursday night, Martell posted six points on a pair of 3-pointers. She also had two rebounds and two assists.

FEET TO THE FIRE: Freshman Gabby Mocchi has played in all 22 games and is averaging 3.7 ppg in Big Sky play. She tallied a career-high against Northern Colorado on Monday night scoring nine points, all from long distance. Mocchi also pulled down five boards against the Bears. Freshman Kamden Hilborn has dished out 30 assists, while adding 13 steals. The Helena High product is averaging 12.1 minutes per game. Hilborn had a season-best five points at EWU. Brynley Fitzgerald has played in nine games and notched a season-best six points against Northern Colorado last Monday.

THROWING SHAIDE: Madisyn Shaide had a career night against then No. 19 Marquette posting six points on two 3-pointers.

LAUDING LUNDBERG: Seton Hall transfer Claire Lundberg has made an immediate impact. The Anoka High School product is sixth in the Big Sky averaging 17.0 points per game. She is currently third in the Big Sky in free throw percentage (86.8), 3-point field-goal percentage (39.5), points (356) and field-goals made (123), fourth in 3-point field-goals made (51) and 3-point field-goals per game (2.43), fifth in field-goals attempted (284) and field-goal percentage (43.3) and 3-point field-goals attempted (129). Lundberg opened the season hitting her first 22 attempts from the charity stripe, just three shy to the record held by Rebecca Mercer. Lundberg has been in double-digit scoring in 18 of 21 games, including seven games with 20 points or more. She posted a season-high 28 points in MSU's win over Delaware. Lundberg was Big Sky Player of the Week for Nov. 20 after averaging 27 points and six rebounds as MSU beat Delaware and Texas State in WNIT action. The native of Andover, Minn., had a perfect game against Texas State hitting eight-of-eight from the field, four-of-four from long distance and six-of-six from the free throw line. Lundberg registered 13 points against Northern Colorado on Monday night. She is currently sidelined with a knee injury.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Cats 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. MSU has won 41 of its last 46 games in The Brick. The Bobcats are averaging 2,192 fans per game, which includes its sold out crowd of 6,772 against Carroll College on Nov. 6. MSU is ranked 52nd in the nation in attendance.