Bobcats Standouts White and Martell Named All-Big Sky Conference

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State women's basketball standouts Darian White and Tori Martell have been named All-Big Sky Conference, the league office announced on Sunday afternoon.

White, a sophomore from Boise, Idaho, who was a preseason all-conference selection, lived up to her expectations, earning first-team recognition for her play. Martell, a product of Somerset, Wis., was named to the league's second-team.

In addition, White, who led the league in steals was voted as the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year by the league coaches.

White notched 64 steals on the season, averaging 2.91 per contest. Both marks led the Big Sky and rank 11^th and 14^th in the nation, respectively. White also led the Bobcats under the glass, averaging 5.1 rebounds a game.

Over the course of 22 games, White averaged a team-best 14.5 points per game; led the team in assists with 85 and was tops on the squad with 94 free throw makes.

"We're thrilled for Darian to be recognized by the conference for her dynamic impact in nearly every facet of the game," said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. "She is an incredible playmaker, explosive scorer, and creates numerous extra possessions for our team whether it's offensive/defensive rebounds or steals on the defensive end.

"This young lady plays her heart out every second of the game," Binford added. "There is not a play Darian takes off. Defensively, she is disruptive and has really elevated our team's defense with her contagious energy. She is truly special and so deserving of the wonderful recognition."

White was an honorable-mention Big Sky pick last winter.

Martell, who was the 2019-20 Big Sky Top Reserve, finished the regular season averaging 13 points per game. The Big Sky's top long-distance threat connected of 64 three-pointers, which currently ranks ninth on MSU's single-season list. Martell's 64 triples are 16^th best in the nation, while her 2.91 3-pointers per game are 18^th best in the country. Martell established a school-record when she connected on eight three-pointers against North Dakota in the season-opener.

Martell's career 37% three-point field-goal shooting ranks seventh all-time at MSU, while her 206 career triples is third. She became only the third player in Bobcat history to go over the 200 3-point milestone, when she converted 7 of 12 attempts at Sacramento State on Friday afternoon.

"We're very proud of Tori and the recognition by our conference for the impact she has on the game," Binford said. "Tori has elevated her game every season and has been able to shoot and score at such an elite and national level. She has evolved into a tremendous leader on consistency and ability to step up in big moments. Tori had done this while completing a nursing degree.

"Both Tori and Darian are tremendous examples of our core values," Binford added. "They raise the standard in our program on a daily basis."

2020-21 Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference Team

First Team
Name                            Pos.           School                           Year
Alisha Davis                           F                      Northern Colorado            Sophomore
Beyonce Bea                         G/F                 Idaho                                      Sophomore
Darian White                        G                     Montana State                    Sophomore
Dora Goles                            G                     Idaho State                           Senior
Gabi Harrington                  F                      Idaho                                      Grad Transfer

Second Team
Gina Marxen                         G                     Idaho                                      Junior
Liz Graves                              G                     Southern Utah                     Grad Transfer
Diaba Konate                       G                     Idaho State                           Sophomore
Regan Schenck                    G                     Northern Arizona                Junior
Tori Martell                           G                     Montana State                    Senior

Third Team
Carmen Gfeller                    F                      Montana                               Sophomore
Khiarica Rasheed                F                      Northern Arizona                Senior
Desirae Hansen                   G                     Portland State                      Junior
Abby Anderson                    F                      Montana                               Junior
Kylie Jimenez                        G                     Portland State                      Senior

Honorable Mention
Jacqulynn Nakai                  G                     Northern Arizona                Senior
Maisie Burnham                 W                    Eastern Washington          Freshman
Summer Menke                  G                     Sacramento State               Junior
Cherita Daugherty              G                     Southern Utah                     Junior
Daryn Hickok                        F                      Weber State                         Sophomore

Individual Award Winners:
Most Valuable Player:                             Alisha Davis                           Northern Colorado
Defensive Player of the Year:               Darian White                        Montana State
Freshman of the Year:                             Maisie Burnham                 Eastern Washington
Newcomer of the Year:                           Jacqulynn Nakai                  Northern Arizona
Top Reserve:                                                Hailey Christopher             Idaho

Schedule

Bobcats Standouts White and Martell Named All-Big Sky Conference

Players Mentioned

Tori Martell

Darian White

Footer

Upcoming Events