Saturday, January 4
BOZEMAN
2 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Southern Utah
Bobcats Host Thunderbirds in Saturday Matinee'
1/3/2020 5:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Montana State will host Southern Utah on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Worthington Arena.
WHO: Southern Utah at Montana State
WHEN: Saturday, January 4, 2020 @ 2 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena (6,772)
RECORDS: MSU: 7-5, 3-0, Southern Utah 7-4, 1-1
SERIES: Montana State leads 19-5
LAST MTG: March 4, 2019 - MSU 70, @SUU 55
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 Southern Utah available on Pluto TV (Channel 538) and at WatchBigSky.com
ON A ROLL: Montana State will host Southern Utah on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Worthington Arena. On Thursday night, the Bobcats cruised past Northern Colorado 91-58 as five Bobcats reached double-digits led by Fallyn Freije and Martha Kuderer with 17 points, apiece. Southern Utah enters Saturday's contest 7-4 overall and 1-1 in Big Sky action, after dropping an 81-74 decision to Montana in Missoula on Thursday night. The Thunderbirds were led against the Lady Griz by Harley Hansen and Rebecca Cardenas with 18 points, each. The Thunderbirds opened its Big Sky season defeating Portland State 71-58 in Cedar City on Dec. 30.
SERIES NOTE: Montana State leads the all-time series with Southern Utah 19-5, which includes a sweep of the Thunderbirds, last season. The first meeting between the two Big Sky Conference rivals was Nov. 29, 1988 - a 76-52 Bobcat victory in Worthington Arena. MSU is 12-1 all-time against SUU in Worthington Arena. The T-Birds lone victory in Bozeman was an 87-81 decision on Jan. 30, 2014. Montana State has won the last seven consecutive meetings with Southern Utah. As head coach, Tricia Binford is 11-3 vs. SUU.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS: Montana State has done an outstanding job on the defensive end of the court in the early season. The Bobcats lead the Big Sky in rebound margin at +6.5 per contest. MSU is also ranked first in rebounding (41.9), and second in field-goal defense (35.7%), scoring defense (59.3 ppg) and steals (10.9). Montana State boasts four players averaging 4.3 rebound per game or better paced by Fallyn Freije (7.0 rpg) and Madeline Smith (5.8 rpg).
TOUGH SCHEDULE: Currently, MSU has faced three teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this season. The Cats face six teams that posted 20-wins last year, along with two that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, three that finished in the final USA Today/WBCA Coaches Top 25 poll and three that won their conference championship.
THE STREAK: Montana State saw its streak of 203 consecutive games with a three-pointer snapped on Dec. 5 as 18-ranked Gonzaga limited the Bobcats to 0-13 from beyond the arc. The new streak stands at five 3-pointers.
FACTOID OF THE WEEK: Oliana Squires and Fallyn Freije could both hit the 1,000-point milestone on Saturday against Southern Utah.
MORE ON SUU: Southern Utah put together a huge comeback Thursday in Missoula but ended up falling short to the Montana Grizzlies 74-81. The T-Birds were down 14 points at the end of the first quarter and were able to come all the way back to take a one-point lead with 4:03 left in the game, before eventually being downed by the Lady Griz. Rebecca Cardenas and Harley Hansen led all scorers in the game with 18 points each. They both also had five rebounds and three assists each. Madelyn Eaton was the third Thunderbird in double-digits with 15 points. Jessica Chatman led all rebounders with eight boards.
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 pick, is currently averaging 11.7 points per game, second highest on the squad. She is four points away from becoming the 24th member of MSU's 1000-point club. Squires 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. The senior tri-captain is first on the squad in three-point makes (22) and assists (37). 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 ten games. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native poured in a season-high 17 points at Seattle U. Squires registered a career-high four steals vs. Wichita State.
MAD ABOUT YOU: Madeline Smith, who played in all 31 games, including 23 starts for the Bobcats last season, is currently averaging 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds, after posting her second double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds at Sacramento State last 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 12 games, Smith is shooting 60% 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 578 rebounds ranks 17th all-time.
MARTHA'S MOMENTS: Martha Kuderer has started in all 12 games and is averaging 9.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 45.9%. She has been in double-digits on four 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 third on the team in steals and fourth in rebounding.
BOUNDING WITH BLAIRE: Blaire Braxton, who played in all 31 games, including seven starts for the Bobcats, last winter, is currently averaging 2.9 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 14th on MSU's all-time rebounding chart with 597 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 990 points and has amassed 589 rebounds over the course of her collegiate career.
DEEP FREIJE: Senior Fallyn Freije is currently averaging a team-best 12.7 points per game. She is first on the squad pulling down 7.0 rebounds, as well. On the season, Freije has been in double-digit scoring on nine occasions, including a season-high 20 points in Montana State's win at Northern Arizona on Dec. 30. Freije also posted her second double-double of the season hauling down 10 rebounds against the Lumberjacks.
BARDS OF THE BLOCK: Madeline Smith and Blaire Braxton have manned the blocks for the Bobcats the past four seasons. The duo 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, 1,175, 2020; and Kelly Martin/Serena Merrill, 1,034, 2001.
TORI, TORI, TORI: Tori Martell has connected on 17 3-pointers in the early season. She is averaging 6.7 points per game coming off the bench and is shooting 45.2% from the field and 37.8% from long distance. Martell post-ed nine points against Sacramento State on Dec. 28, including two 3-pointers. Against Northern Colorado on Jan. 2, Martell dished out a career-high five assists. 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 12 games and is third on the team averaging 10.8 points game. She has been in double-figure scoring nine times. White matched a season-high with 15 points at Northern Arizona on Dec. 30. 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 Northern Colorado she posted 10 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists. Last winter, she was the Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year.
ALL JACKED UP: Freshman Madison Jackson is averaging 15.3 minutes of action over the first 11 games. The Parma, Idaho native is averaging 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Jackson recorded a season-high 14 points against Northern Colorado on Thursday, connecting on six-of-10 from the field and two-of-three from long distance. 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 2.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game over the first 12 outings. The Billings Senior grad recorded a season-best eight points at Sacramento State on Dec. 28, 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 11.9 minutes per game.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Bobcats held the nation's second longest home court win streak (31) before it was snapped by Portland State on Jan. 11, 2018. Since losing to San Diego on Nov. 11, 2015, MSU has won 46 of 55 games in The Brick. The Bobcats average 3,073 fans. The Cats had a season-high 6,596 in attendance for its annual Bobcat School Day Nov. 11, 2019.
WHEN: Saturday, January 4, 2020 @ 2 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena (6,772)
RECORDS: MSU: 7-5, 3-0, Southern Utah 7-4, 1-1
SERIES: Montana State leads 19-5
LAST MTG: March 4, 2019 - MSU 70, @SUU 55
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 Southern Utah available on Pluto TV (Channel 538) and at WatchBigSky.com
ON A ROLL: Montana State will host Southern Utah on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Worthington Arena. On Thursday night, the Bobcats cruised past Northern Colorado 91-58 as five Bobcats reached double-digits led by Fallyn Freije and Martha Kuderer with 17 points, apiece. Southern Utah enters Saturday's contest 7-4 overall and 1-1 in Big Sky action, after dropping an 81-74 decision to Montana in Missoula on Thursday night. The Thunderbirds were led against the Lady Griz by Harley Hansen and Rebecca Cardenas with 18 points, each. The Thunderbirds opened its Big Sky season defeating Portland State 71-58 in Cedar City on Dec. 30.
SERIES NOTE: Montana State leads the all-time series with Southern Utah 19-5, which includes a sweep of the Thunderbirds, last season. The first meeting between the two Big Sky Conference rivals was Nov. 29, 1988 - a 76-52 Bobcat victory in Worthington Arena. MSU is 12-1 all-time against SUU in Worthington Arena. The T-Birds lone victory in Bozeman was an 87-81 decision on Jan. 30, 2014. Montana State has won the last seven consecutive meetings with Southern Utah. As head coach, Tricia Binford is 11-3 vs. SUU.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS: Montana State has done an outstanding job on the defensive end of the court in the early season. The Bobcats lead the Big Sky in rebound margin at +6.5 per contest. MSU is also ranked first in rebounding (41.9), and second in field-goal defense (35.7%), scoring defense (59.3 ppg) and steals (10.9). Montana State boasts four players averaging 4.3 rebound per game or better paced by Fallyn Freije (7.0 rpg) and Madeline Smith (5.8 rpg).
TOUGH SCHEDULE: Currently, MSU has faced three teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this season. The Cats face six teams that posted 20-wins last year, along with two that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, three that finished in the final USA Today/WBCA Coaches Top 25 poll and three that won their conference championship.
THE STREAK: Montana State saw its streak of 203 consecutive games with a three-pointer snapped on Dec. 5 as 18-ranked Gonzaga limited the Bobcats to 0-13 from beyond the arc. The new streak stands at five 3-pointers.
FACTOID OF THE WEEK: Oliana Squires and Fallyn Freije could both hit the 1,000-point milestone on Saturday against Southern Utah.
MORE ON SUU: Southern Utah put together a huge comeback Thursday in Missoula but ended up falling short to the Montana Grizzlies 74-81. The T-Birds were down 14 points at the end of the first quarter and were able to come all the way back to take a one-point lead with 4:03 left in the game, before eventually being downed by the Lady Griz. Rebecca Cardenas and Harley Hansen led all scorers in the game with 18 points each. They both also had five rebounds and three assists each. Madelyn Eaton was the third Thunderbird in double-digits with 15 points. Jessica Chatman led all rebounders with eight boards.
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 pick, is currently averaging 11.7 points per game, second highest on the squad. She is four points away from becoming the 24th member of MSU's 1000-point club. Squires 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. The senior tri-captain is first on the squad in three-point makes (22) and assists (37). 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 ten games. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native poured in a season-high 17 points at Seattle U. Squires registered a career-high four steals vs. Wichita State.
MAD ABOUT YOU: Madeline Smith, who played in all 31 games, including 23 starts for the Bobcats last season, is currently averaging 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds, after posting her second double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds at Sacramento State last 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 12 games, Smith is shooting 60% 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 578 rebounds ranks 17th all-time.
MARTHA'S MOMENTS: Martha Kuderer has started in all 12 games and is averaging 9.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 45.9%. She has been in double-digits on four 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 third on the team in steals and fourth in rebounding.
BOUNDING WITH BLAIRE: Blaire Braxton, who played in all 31 games, including seven starts for the Bobcats, last winter, is currently averaging 2.9 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 14th on MSU's all-time rebounding chart with 597 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 990 points and has amassed 589 rebounds over the course of her collegiate career.
DEEP FREIJE: Senior Fallyn Freije is currently averaging a team-best 12.7 points per game. She is first on the squad pulling down 7.0 rebounds, as well. On the season, Freije has been in double-digit scoring on nine occasions, including a season-high 20 points in Montana State's win at Northern Arizona on Dec. 30. Freije also posted her second double-double of the season hauling down 10 rebounds against the Lumberjacks.
BARDS OF THE BLOCK: Madeline Smith and Blaire Braxton have manned the blocks for the Bobcats the past four seasons. The duo 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, 1,175, 2020; and Kelly Martin/Serena Merrill, 1,034, 2001.
TORI, TORI, TORI: Tori Martell has connected on 17 3-pointers in the early season. She is averaging 6.7 points per game coming off the bench and is shooting 45.2% from the field and 37.8% from long distance. Martell post-ed nine points against Sacramento State on Dec. 28, including two 3-pointers. Against Northern Colorado on Jan. 2, Martell dished out a career-high five assists. 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 12 games and is third on the team averaging 10.8 points game. She has been in double-figure scoring nine times. White matched a season-high with 15 points at Northern Arizona on Dec. 30. 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 Northern Colorado she posted 10 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists. Last winter, she was the Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year.
ALL JACKED UP: Freshman Madison Jackson is averaging 15.3 minutes of action over the first 11 games. The Parma, Idaho native is averaging 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Jackson recorded a season-high 14 points against Northern Colorado on Thursday, connecting on six-of-10 from the field and two-of-three from long distance. 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 2.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game over the first 12 outings. The Billings Senior grad recorded a season-best eight points at Sacramento State on Dec. 28, 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 11.9 minutes per game.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Bobcats held the nation's second longest home court win streak (31) before it was snapped by Portland State on Jan. 11, 2018. Since losing to San Diego on Nov. 11, 2015, MSU has won 46 of 55 games in The Brick. The Bobcats average 3,073 fans. The Cats had a season-high 6,596 in attendance for its annual Bobcat School Day Nov. 11, 2019.
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