Thursday, December 2
BOZEMAN
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Northern Colorado
Sophomore Leia Beattie
Photo by: Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez
Bobcats Open Big Sky Season at Home
12/1/2021 2:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Montana State opens its Big Sky Conference schedule this week starting on Thursday, Dec. 2 when it hosts Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena. MSU closes out the weekend against Sacramento State on Saturday at 7 p.m.
WHO: Northern Colorado at Montana State
WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena
RECORDS: Montana State 2-5, 0-0; No. Colorado 2-3, 0-0
SERIES: Montana State leads all-time series 17-15 (1980)
LAST MTG: Jan. 9, 2021 - No. Colorado 57, @ MSU 49
WHO: Sacramento State at Montana State
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena
RECORDS: Montana State 2-5, 0-0; Sacramento St. 3-4, 0-0
SERIES: Montana State leads all-time series 39-12 (1997)
LAST MTG: March 9, 2021 - MSU 66, Sac St. 55 - at BSCT
RADIO: MSU vs. No. Colo. airs on 103.5 KZMY FM & Saturday vs. Sac St. on 1450 KMMS AM - Mark Martello - at 6:45 p.m.
VIDEO: Montana State's games vs. No. Colorado and Sacramento State can be seen on ESPN+ (subscription needed).
BIG SKY OPENER: Montana State opens its Big Sky Conference schedule this week starting on Thursday, Dec. 2 when it hosts Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena. MSU closes out the weekend against Sacramento State on Saturday at 7 p.m. Please note time change on the Sacramento State game which was moved from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. to accommodate Bobcat football fans attending MSU women's basketball. Since the inception of women's basketball in the Big Sky during the 1988-89 season, the Bobcats are 19-14 in league openers, while Tricia Binford is 8-8 all-time. MSU has won its last six Big Sky openers, including a 54-46 win over Northern Colorado, last January. Montana State's last loss (82-74) in a league opener came at North Dakota on Jan. 1, 2015.
BOBCAT BITES: Darian White scored 19 points and Katelynn Limardo 14, including four triples, helping the Bobcats end its five-game losing streak with a 67-55 win at Cal Poly.
ABOUT NORTHERN COLORADO: Northern Colorado is 2-3 overall after defeating Samford 64-49 last Friday in Bank of Colorado Arena. Under first year head coach Kristen Mattio - a former Montana State assistant (2003-05) - the Bears have been led by Hannah Simental, a 5-8 sophomore guard from Pueblo, Colo., who averages 13 points, while shooting 43% from the field and 39.3% from long distance. She also has connected on a team-best 11 three-pointers. Under the glass, Northern Colorado is paced by Kurstyn Harden and Micayla Isenbart, who average 5.6 and 5.2 rebounds per game, respectively.
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE: Mark Campbell became the sixth head women's basketball coach in Sacramento State's Div. I era in April. Prior to joining the Hornets, Campbell spent seven seasons at Oregon. Campbell was responsible for recruiting Sabrina Ionescu, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Overall, the Hornets are 3-4 overall with victories over San Jose State, Sonoma State, and Illinois State. Lianna Tillman, a 5-9 graduate student guard transfer from Pacific is averaging a team-best 19.7 points per game, while Isnelle Natabou hauls down 10.6 rebounds per outing.
I DARE YA: Darian White, a preseason All-Big Sky Conference selection, leads the Bobcats in scoring (14.1 ppg), three-pointers assists (32), steals (19), and free throws made (16). She has been in double figure scoring in all seven games, including a season-best 19 points in MSU's win over Cal Poly last Saturday. The reigning Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year pulled down a season-high eight rebounds against the Zags. Last weekend, the Boise, Idaho product averaged 17.5 points, 8.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game, while shooting 40% from the field and 80% from beyond the arc against North Texas and Cal Poly. At North Dakota on Nov. 20, White recorded a career-high seven steals. She is now 30 steals shy of breaking into MSU's all-time steals chart. She is currently averaging 2.7 steals per game, which is tops in the Big Sky and her 4.6 assists per outing ranks third in the league.
KUDOS TO KOLA: Junior Kola Bad Bear has played in all seven games, including five starts. On the season, the 6-2 forward is averaging 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest. Bad Bear had a breakout weekend for the Bobcats at the Holiday Beach Classic in San Luis Obispo averaging 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting 61.1% from the field. Bad Bear notched a career-high 18 points in MSU's loss to North Texas and pulled down a career-best 10 rebounds as the Bobcats knocked off Cal Poly.
OUT ON A LIMB: Sophomore Katelynn Limardo has started the last six games for the Bobcats, after opening the season with 16 points and seven rebounds against Carroll College coming off the bench. The product of Silver City, N.M. (a town where lawman Harvey Whitehall was the first to arrest Billy the Kid, known at the time under the alias Henry Antrim in 1875), is averaging 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per outing. In addition, Limardo is shooting 48.6% from the field. Last weekend, she averaged 13 points and 2.5 rebounds. In addition, Limardo shot 61.5% from the field and was seven-of-12 from long distance. Her three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter against Cal Poly lifted MSU to the win. Last winter, she started in all 24 games and averaged 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds. Limardo had her best game of the 2020-21 season at Eastern Washington on Feb. 13, scoring a team-high 17 points. Against EWU, she connected on 6-6 from the field and was 5-5 from long distance.
DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS: Leia Beattie has played in all seven games for the Bobcats, including five starts. She currently is averaging 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest. Beattie had her best outing of the season against North Texas on Friday afternoon, posting a career-high 15 points. Against the Mean Green, Beattie went four-of-nine from long distance and added three rebounds, two assists and a steal. On the weekend, she averaged 11 points and three boards per game. Beattie comes to Montana State with a familiar Treasure State pedigree. Her mother, Kelly (Pilcher) was a two-time All-Big Sky selection at Montana and is sixth all-time in assists. In addition, her 15 assists versus Boise State and Northern Arizona still rank first in single-game history. Beattie's aunt/coach at Midland Christian Academy, Carla (Beattie) Cunneen, is also a former Lady Griz and was the 1996 Big Sky Sixth Player of the Year. Last season, Beattie played in 23-of-24 games and averaged 3.7 points per game.
KEEP FEEDIN' DEDEN: Lexi Deden, a 6-1 sophomore forward from Missoula, leads the Bobcats in rebounding averaging 5.1 boards per game. In addition, she is third on the squad averaging 7.4 points per contest. Deden had her best outing of the season at North Dakota on Nov. 20. Against the Fighting Hawks, she recorded her first collegiate double-double with 17 points and a career-best ten rebounds. For the game, she went four-of-nine from the field and was nine-of-ten at the charity stripe. Last weekend, Deden averaged 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds at the Cal Poly Holiday Beach Classic. The Deden name is also familiar in Montana basketball circles. Deden's mother Dawn (Silliker) played at Montana from 1984-88. At UM, Silliker was a 1,000-point scorer and was an all-Mountain West pick. In addition, Lexi's aunt and former head coach at Sentinel High, Karen Deden, was a standout at Washington and is in the Husky Hall of Fame. Last season, Deden recorded a career-high 22 points in MSU's win over Northern Arizona on Jan. 23 when she connected on 10-14 from the field.
ASHLEY'S ACCOLADES: Senior Ashley Van Sickle has played in all seven games this season and is averaging 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. The Arvada, Colo., product posted a season-best eight points in MSU's season-opening victory over Carroll College. She also recorded three rebounds, an assist and steal against the Saints.
ALL JACKED UP: Junior Madison Jackson has played in five games, including starting the two contests in the Dakotas. Jackson had her best performance against North Dakota recording six points. She also had two steals, and an offensive board. Last season, the native of Parma, Idaho had her best game as the Bobcats defeated Idaho State in Worthington Arena. Against the Bengals, Jackson notched a career-high 20 points, including 13 in the first half. For the game, she connected on 6-of-9 from the field, including three 3-pointers.
MENTIONING MIA: Freshman Mia Hughes has played in seven games, including three starts. The product of Woodinville, Wash., is averaging 3.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest. She had her best outing of the season at North Dakota with seven points and six rebounds- all points came at the free throw line where she went seven-of-eight. Hughes is currently hitting at a 92.3% (12-13) clip from the line.
RANSON NOTE: Sophomore Ava Ranson has played in all seven games and is averaging 3.0 points per contest. The 5-10 product of Boise, Idaho had her best game against at South Dakota State. Against the Jackrabbits, Ranson recorded eight points on three-on-nine from the field, including a pair of three-pointers.
RARE AIR: Freshman Lindsey Hein is the tallest (6-6) player to ever wear the Blue and Gold. The Forsyth, Mont., native has played in all seven games, including two starts. In the season-opener against Carroll College, she came off the bench to score a game-high 16 points, while pulling down seven rebounds. Hein is first on the team shooting 57.1% from the field. She is averaging 4.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.
THE PRIDE OF ROSEMOUNT: Sophomore Taylor Janssen has played in all seven games and is averaging 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds per outing. Last weekend, the 6-3 product of Rosemount, Minn., averaged 5 points and 3 boards per game.
WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena
RECORDS: Montana State 2-5, 0-0; No. Colorado 2-3, 0-0
SERIES: Montana State leads all-time series 17-15 (1980)
LAST MTG: Jan. 9, 2021 - No. Colorado 57, @ MSU 49
WHO: Sacramento State at Montana State
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena
RECORDS: Montana State 2-5, 0-0; Sacramento St. 3-4, 0-0
SERIES: Montana State leads all-time series 39-12 (1997)
LAST MTG: March 9, 2021 - MSU 66, Sac St. 55 - at BSCT
RADIO: MSU vs. No. Colo. airs on 103.5 KZMY FM & Saturday vs. Sac St. on 1450 KMMS AM - Mark Martello - at 6:45 p.m.
VIDEO: Montana State's games vs. No. Colorado and Sacramento State can be seen on ESPN+ (subscription needed).
BIG SKY OPENER: Montana State opens its Big Sky Conference schedule this week starting on Thursday, Dec. 2 when it hosts Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. in Worthington Arena. MSU closes out the weekend against Sacramento State on Saturday at 7 p.m. Please note time change on the Sacramento State game which was moved from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. to accommodate Bobcat football fans attending MSU women's basketball. Since the inception of women's basketball in the Big Sky during the 1988-89 season, the Bobcats are 19-14 in league openers, while Tricia Binford is 8-8 all-time. MSU has won its last six Big Sky openers, including a 54-46 win over Northern Colorado, last January. Montana State's last loss (82-74) in a league opener came at North Dakota on Jan. 1, 2015.
BOBCAT BITES: Darian White scored 19 points and Katelynn Limardo 14, including four triples, helping the Bobcats end its five-game losing streak with a 67-55 win at Cal Poly.
ABOUT NORTHERN COLORADO: Northern Colorado is 2-3 overall after defeating Samford 64-49 last Friday in Bank of Colorado Arena. Under first year head coach Kristen Mattio - a former Montana State assistant (2003-05) - the Bears have been led by Hannah Simental, a 5-8 sophomore guard from Pueblo, Colo., who averages 13 points, while shooting 43% from the field and 39.3% from long distance. She also has connected on a team-best 11 three-pointers. Under the glass, Northern Colorado is paced by Kurstyn Harden and Micayla Isenbart, who average 5.6 and 5.2 rebounds per game, respectively.
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE: Mark Campbell became the sixth head women's basketball coach in Sacramento State's Div. I era in April. Prior to joining the Hornets, Campbell spent seven seasons at Oregon. Campbell was responsible for recruiting Sabrina Ionescu, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Overall, the Hornets are 3-4 overall with victories over San Jose State, Sonoma State, and Illinois State. Lianna Tillman, a 5-9 graduate student guard transfer from Pacific is averaging a team-best 19.7 points per game, while Isnelle Natabou hauls down 10.6 rebounds per outing.
I DARE YA: Darian White, a preseason All-Big Sky Conference selection, leads the Bobcats in scoring (14.1 ppg), three-pointers assists (32), steals (19), and free throws made (16). She has been in double figure scoring in all seven games, including a season-best 19 points in MSU's win over Cal Poly last Saturday. The reigning Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year pulled down a season-high eight rebounds against the Zags. Last weekend, the Boise, Idaho product averaged 17.5 points, 8.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game, while shooting 40% from the field and 80% from beyond the arc against North Texas and Cal Poly. At North Dakota on Nov. 20, White recorded a career-high seven steals. She is now 30 steals shy of breaking into MSU's all-time steals chart. She is currently averaging 2.7 steals per game, which is tops in the Big Sky and her 4.6 assists per outing ranks third in the league.
KUDOS TO KOLA: Junior Kola Bad Bear has played in all seven games, including five starts. On the season, the 6-2 forward is averaging 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest. Bad Bear had a breakout weekend for the Bobcats at the Holiday Beach Classic in San Luis Obispo averaging 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting 61.1% from the field. Bad Bear notched a career-high 18 points in MSU's loss to North Texas and pulled down a career-best 10 rebounds as the Bobcats knocked off Cal Poly.
OUT ON A LIMB: Sophomore Katelynn Limardo has started the last six games for the Bobcats, after opening the season with 16 points and seven rebounds against Carroll College coming off the bench. The product of Silver City, N.M. (a town where lawman Harvey Whitehall was the first to arrest Billy the Kid, known at the time under the alias Henry Antrim in 1875), is averaging 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per outing. In addition, Limardo is shooting 48.6% from the field. Last weekend, she averaged 13 points and 2.5 rebounds. In addition, Limardo shot 61.5% from the field and was seven-of-12 from long distance. Her three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter against Cal Poly lifted MSU to the win. Last winter, she started in all 24 games and averaged 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds. Limardo had her best game of the 2020-21 season at Eastern Washington on Feb. 13, scoring a team-high 17 points. Against EWU, she connected on 6-6 from the field and was 5-5 from long distance.
DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS: Leia Beattie has played in all seven games for the Bobcats, including five starts. She currently is averaging 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest. Beattie had her best outing of the season against North Texas on Friday afternoon, posting a career-high 15 points. Against the Mean Green, Beattie went four-of-nine from long distance and added three rebounds, two assists and a steal. On the weekend, she averaged 11 points and three boards per game. Beattie comes to Montana State with a familiar Treasure State pedigree. Her mother, Kelly (Pilcher) was a two-time All-Big Sky selection at Montana and is sixth all-time in assists. In addition, her 15 assists versus Boise State and Northern Arizona still rank first in single-game history. Beattie's aunt/coach at Midland Christian Academy, Carla (Beattie) Cunneen, is also a former Lady Griz and was the 1996 Big Sky Sixth Player of the Year. Last season, Beattie played in 23-of-24 games and averaged 3.7 points per game.
KEEP FEEDIN' DEDEN: Lexi Deden, a 6-1 sophomore forward from Missoula, leads the Bobcats in rebounding averaging 5.1 boards per game. In addition, she is third on the squad averaging 7.4 points per contest. Deden had her best outing of the season at North Dakota on Nov. 20. Against the Fighting Hawks, she recorded her first collegiate double-double with 17 points and a career-best ten rebounds. For the game, she went four-of-nine from the field and was nine-of-ten at the charity stripe. Last weekend, Deden averaged 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds at the Cal Poly Holiday Beach Classic. The Deden name is also familiar in Montana basketball circles. Deden's mother Dawn (Silliker) played at Montana from 1984-88. At UM, Silliker was a 1,000-point scorer and was an all-Mountain West pick. In addition, Lexi's aunt and former head coach at Sentinel High, Karen Deden, was a standout at Washington and is in the Husky Hall of Fame. Last season, Deden recorded a career-high 22 points in MSU's win over Northern Arizona on Jan. 23 when she connected on 10-14 from the field.
ASHLEY'S ACCOLADES: Senior Ashley Van Sickle has played in all seven games this season and is averaging 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. The Arvada, Colo., product posted a season-best eight points in MSU's season-opening victory over Carroll College. She also recorded three rebounds, an assist and steal against the Saints.
ALL JACKED UP: Junior Madison Jackson has played in five games, including starting the two contests in the Dakotas. Jackson had her best performance against North Dakota recording six points. She also had two steals, and an offensive board. Last season, the native of Parma, Idaho had her best game as the Bobcats defeated Idaho State in Worthington Arena. Against the Bengals, Jackson notched a career-high 20 points, including 13 in the first half. For the game, she connected on 6-of-9 from the field, including three 3-pointers.
MENTIONING MIA: Freshman Mia Hughes has played in seven games, including three starts. The product of Woodinville, Wash., is averaging 3.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest. She had her best outing of the season at North Dakota with seven points and six rebounds- all points came at the free throw line where she went seven-of-eight. Hughes is currently hitting at a 92.3% (12-13) clip from the line.
RANSON NOTE: Sophomore Ava Ranson has played in all seven games and is averaging 3.0 points per contest. The 5-10 product of Boise, Idaho had her best game against at South Dakota State. Against the Jackrabbits, Ranson recorded eight points on three-on-nine from the field, including a pair of three-pointers.
RARE AIR: Freshman Lindsey Hein is the tallest (6-6) player to ever wear the Blue and Gold. The Forsyth, Mont., native has played in all seven games, including two starts. In the season-opener against Carroll College, she came off the bench to score a game-high 16 points, while pulling down seven rebounds. Hein is first on the team shooting 57.1% from the field. She is averaging 4.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.
THE PRIDE OF ROSEMOUNT: Sophomore Taylor Janssen has played in all seven games and is averaging 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds per outing. Last weekend, the 6-3 product of Rosemount, Minn., averaged 5 points and 3 boards per game.
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/ Women's BasketballBobcat Insider TV Show
Wednesday, January 26
vs. Seattle (Live Stream Video)
Saturday, December 18
Inside The Brick (Lexi Deden)
Thursday, November 04
Inside The Brick (Leia Beattie)
Tuesday, November 02
