Sunday, December 17
BOZEMAN
12 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Wyoming
Marah Dykstra (32)
Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services
Sunday Showdown: Bobcats Host Wyoming
12/15/2023 6:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MSU faces long-time non-conference rival Wyoming, Sunday, Dec. 17 at 12 p.m. (noon) in Worthington Arena.
NEXT UP: After playing six consecutive games away from the warm confines of Worthington Arena, the Bobcats are home for two contests prior to the Christmas break. MSU faces long-time non-conference rival Wyoming, Sunday, Dec. 17 at 12 p.m. (noon) in Worthington Arena. Montana State closes out its pre-holiday break hosting North Texas, Thursday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. - both games will stream live on ESPN+ or via the air waves on 1450 KMMS-AM.
A LITTLE ABOUT MONTANA STATE: Montana State went 2-6 on its six-games away from Worthington Arena. After defeating North Dakota and New Mexico, MSU suffered four single-digit losses by an average of 5.8 points, two of which came against mid-major top 25 programs James Madison and Portland. MSU also dropped a 55-50 decision at Washington. The Huskies are undefeated on the season at 10-0 and opened Pac-12 action with a win at #21 Washington State (60-55) in Pullman, last Sunday.
A LITTLE ABOUT WYOMING: Wyoming enters Sunday's game 4-4 overall. The Cowgirls have defeated North Dakota, Denver, Chadron State, and BYU, while dropping decisions to Nebraska, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State and Creighton. In its 73-61 loss to #21 Creighton last Sunday afternoon in Laramie, the Cowgirls were paced by Allyson Fertig, a 6-4 junior forward from Glendo, Wyo., who poured in a career-high 30 points, connecting on 13-of-19 from the field and four-of-six from the free throw line. In addition, she pulled down 12 rebounds.
ALL JACKED UP: Madison Hall has started in all nine games and is averaging 7.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. At Saint Mary's, Hall posted seven points, three rebounds and two steals. This season, she had her best outing with 12 points, three steals, two assists and two rebounds in the season opener against BYU. For the game, she connected on five-of-nine from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers. Last season, Jackson played in 29 games, including 16 starts. Over the summer, she married Brayden Hall, a former MSU men's basketball manager. Last winter, Hall tallied a season-best 12 points on two occasions, the last coming against Northern Colorado. Against the Bears, Jackson connected on 5-6 from the field, with two triples. For the season, she averaged 5.2 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, Hall had a career-high 20 points against Idaho State.
OH CANADA: Marah (MARE-ah) Dykstra has started 19-of-38 games as a Bobcat and is currently averaging 8.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per outing. Dykstra, who has started in all nine games this season, has been in double-figures on three occasions. In MSU's last outing at Saint Mary's, Dykstra posted 10 points, four rebounds and three assists. She leads the Bobcats averaging 3.4 assists per game. This fall, she notched her best game at Arizona State on Nov. 10, pouring in 17 points, while adding six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Last winter, the native of Vancouver, B.C., Canada averaged 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest, while shooting 38.2% from the field and 80.5% (33-41) from the free throw line. Last summer, Dykstra, a 6-2 forward, played for Team Canada at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup in Madrid, Spain, July 15-23. During this year's offseason she navigated a year-long process and survived two rounds of cuts to make the final 12-player roster. Five players returned to the squad from the 2022 U18 Canadian team that competed in the Women's Americas Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, of which Dykstra was a member. Team Canada cruised through pool play, defeating China 83-62, Czech Republic 66-61, Egypt 100-44, and Brazil 89-45. Dykstra averaged seven rebounds per game, the second-best mark of any athlete in opening round action. Dykstra finished World Cup play averaging 23.1 minutes, while chipping in 4.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
THE PRIDE OF ROSEMOUNT: Taylor Janssen notched a season-best 16 points at Portland on Dec. 2, connecting on six-of-10 from the field, including a three-of-four effort from beyond the three-point line. Janssen averaged 7.8 points per game on MSU's recent six-game road adventure. At the Cancun Challenge over Thanksgiving, she came off the bench to averaged 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds as MSU defeated New Mexico, before suffering a three-point setback to James Madison. On the season, the product of Rosemount, Minn., is averaging 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 39.7% from the field. Janssen played in all 30 games and averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per outing last season for the Bobcats. She notched a season-high 11 points against Northern Arizona on Jan. 7, 2023. Against the Lumberjacks, she went 3-of-6 from the field, hit one 3-pointer and was 4-of-4 at the line. Janssen pulled down a season-high seven rebounds against Providence (MT) in the season-opener. As a freshman, she connected on 20 straight free throws before missing a charity toss against Weber State. Janssen came up short of the all-time Bobcat record of 25 set by Rebecca Mercer during the 2007-08 season.
OUT ON A LIMB: Senior Katelynn 'KJ' Limardo has started all nine games for the Bobcats and is averaging a team-best 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest. She has been in double-digits on seven occasions, including a season-best 18 points as MSU fell to Arizona State on Nov. 10. Against the Sun Devils, Limardo went 9-9 from the line, while also adding four rebounds and two assists. At Portland on Dec. 2, she notched her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Against Washington, Limardo registered nine points. At the Cancun Challenge over Thanksgiving, she averaged 12 points and eight rebounds. Last Friday at Saint Mary's, Limardo notched 11 points and seven rebounds. Last year, she played in all 31 games and averaged 5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Against Saint Mary's on Dec. 12, Limardo registered a career-high 21 points, all coming from beyond the three-point line. Her seven triples were the second most in a single game at Montana State, behind Tori Martell's 8 3-pointers against North Dakota on Dec. 6, 2020. 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 shooting 29.3% from the field and 83.7% (41-49) from the line. Limardo is first on the team with 15 3-pointers. She is shooting 28.3% (15-53) from long distance.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Freshman Natalie Picton, a 5-5 guard from Welland, Ontario, Canada has played and started in all nine games as MSU's point-guard following the injury to returning letterwinner Dylan Philip. The freshman has filled the role admirably, averaging 6.9 points and 2.2 assists per game. Picton has reached double-figures in four games, including 12 points against both San Jose State and North Dakota. At the Cancun Challenge, she averaged 9.5 points and 4.5 assists per contest.
LOSING LEXI: Senior standout Lexi Deden has been lost for the season following a knee injury sustained in the fourth quarter of MSU's contest against James Madison at the Hard Rock Hotel Riveria Maya (Mexico) Convention Center, over the Thanksgiving holiday. Deden led Montana State in scoring averaging 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and had just recorded a career-high 23 points and hauled down a career-best 14 rebounds in MSU's 75-57 win over New Mexico. In three quarters against James Madison, she had already put up 14 points and six rebounds. For her efforts she was named Big Sky Player of the Week. Deden indicated she will return to MSU next year.
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Wyoming enters Sunday's game 4-4 overall. The Cowgirls have defeated North Dakota, Denver, Chadron State, and BYU, while dropping decisions to Nebraska, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State and Creighton. In its 73-61 loss to #21 Creighton last Sunday afternoon in Laramie, the Cowgirls were paced by Allyson Fertig, a 6-4 junior forward from Glendo, Wyo., who poured in a career-high 30 points, connecting on 13-of-19 from the field and four-of-six from the free throw line. In addition, she pulled down 12 rebounds. On the season, Fertig leads Wyoming in scoring and rebounding averaging 14.4 points and 6.9 boards per game. Fertig is shooting 59.8% from the field and 81% from the line. Also averaging double-digit points for the Cowgirls is Malene Pedersen. Pedersen, a 5-11 sophomore guard from Aabyhoj, Denmark, transferred to Wyoming after spending the 2021-22 season at Kansas State. On the year, Pedersen is averaging 10.5 points per game, shooting 42.5% from the floor. UW's top outside threat is Tess Barnes, a 6-2 native of Gisborne, Australia, who has connected on 12-of-39 from deep.
A LITTLE ABOUT MONTANA STATE: Montana State went 2-6 on its six-games away from Worthington Arena. After defeating North Dakota and New Mexico, MSU suffered four single-digit losses by an average of 5.8 points, two of which came against mid-major top 25 programs James Madison and Portland. MSU also dropped a 55-50 decision at Washington. The Huskies are undefeated on the season at 10-0 and opened Pac-12 action with a win at #21 Washington State (60-55) in Pullman, last Sunday.
A LITTLE ABOUT WYOMING: Wyoming enters Sunday's game 4-4 overall. The Cowgirls have defeated North Dakota, Denver, Chadron State, and BYU, while dropping decisions to Nebraska, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State and Creighton. In its 73-61 loss to #21 Creighton last Sunday afternoon in Laramie, the Cowgirls were paced by Allyson Fertig, a 6-4 junior forward from Glendo, Wyo., who poured in a career-high 30 points, connecting on 13-of-19 from the field and four-of-six from the free throw line. In addition, she pulled down 12 rebounds.
ALL JACKED UP: Madison Hall has started in all nine games and is averaging 7.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. At Saint Mary's, Hall posted seven points, three rebounds and two steals. This season, she had her best outing with 12 points, three steals, two assists and two rebounds in the season opener against BYU. For the game, she connected on five-of-nine from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers. Last season, Jackson played in 29 games, including 16 starts. Over the summer, she married Brayden Hall, a former MSU men's basketball manager. Last winter, Hall tallied a season-best 12 points on two occasions, the last coming against Northern Colorado. Against the Bears, Jackson connected on 5-6 from the field, with two triples. For the season, she averaged 5.2 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, Hall had a career-high 20 points against Idaho State.
OH CANADA: Marah (MARE-ah) Dykstra has started 19-of-38 games as a Bobcat and is currently averaging 8.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per outing. Dykstra, who has started in all nine games this season, has been in double-figures on three occasions. In MSU's last outing at Saint Mary's, Dykstra posted 10 points, four rebounds and three assists. She leads the Bobcats averaging 3.4 assists per game. This fall, she notched her best game at Arizona State on Nov. 10, pouring in 17 points, while adding six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Last winter, the native of Vancouver, B.C., Canada averaged 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest, while shooting 38.2% from the field and 80.5% (33-41) from the free throw line. Last summer, Dykstra, a 6-2 forward, played for Team Canada at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup in Madrid, Spain, July 15-23. During this year's offseason she navigated a year-long process and survived two rounds of cuts to make the final 12-player roster. Five players returned to the squad from the 2022 U18 Canadian team that competed in the Women's Americas Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, of which Dykstra was a member. Team Canada cruised through pool play, defeating China 83-62, Czech Republic 66-61, Egypt 100-44, and Brazil 89-45. Dykstra averaged seven rebounds per game, the second-best mark of any athlete in opening round action. Dykstra finished World Cup play averaging 23.1 minutes, while chipping in 4.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
THE PRIDE OF ROSEMOUNT: Taylor Janssen notched a season-best 16 points at Portland on Dec. 2, connecting on six-of-10 from the field, including a three-of-four effort from beyond the three-point line. Janssen averaged 7.8 points per game on MSU's recent six-game road adventure. At the Cancun Challenge over Thanksgiving, she came off the bench to averaged 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds as MSU defeated New Mexico, before suffering a three-point setback to James Madison. On the season, the product of Rosemount, Minn., is averaging 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 39.7% from the field. Janssen played in all 30 games and averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per outing last season for the Bobcats. She notched a season-high 11 points against Northern Arizona on Jan. 7, 2023. Against the Lumberjacks, she went 3-of-6 from the field, hit one 3-pointer and was 4-of-4 at the line. Janssen pulled down a season-high seven rebounds against Providence (MT) in the season-opener. As a freshman, she connected on 20 straight free throws before missing a charity toss against Weber State. Janssen came up short of the all-time Bobcat record of 25 set by Rebecca Mercer during the 2007-08 season.
OUT ON A LIMB: Senior Katelynn 'KJ' Limardo has started all nine games for the Bobcats and is averaging a team-best 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest. She has been in double-digits on seven occasions, including a season-best 18 points as MSU fell to Arizona State on Nov. 10. Against the Sun Devils, Limardo went 9-9 from the line, while also adding four rebounds and two assists. At Portland on Dec. 2, she notched her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Against Washington, Limardo registered nine points. At the Cancun Challenge over Thanksgiving, she averaged 12 points and eight rebounds. Last Friday at Saint Mary's, Limardo notched 11 points and seven rebounds. Last year, she played in all 31 games and averaged 5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Against Saint Mary's on Dec. 12, Limardo registered a career-high 21 points, all coming from beyond the three-point line. Her seven triples were the second most in a single game at Montana State, behind Tori Martell's 8 3-pointers against North Dakota on Dec. 6, 2020. 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 shooting 29.3% from the field and 83.7% (41-49) from the line. Limardo is first on the team with 15 3-pointers. She is shooting 28.3% (15-53) from long distance.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Freshman Natalie Picton, a 5-5 guard from Welland, Ontario, Canada has played and started in all nine games as MSU's point-guard following the injury to returning letterwinner Dylan Philip. The freshman has filled the role admirably, averaging 6.9 points and 2.2 assists per game. Picton has reached double-figures in four games, including 12 points against both San Jose State and North Dakota. At the Cancun Challenge, she averaged 9.5 points and 4.5 assists per contest.
LOSING LEXI: Senior standout Lexi Deden has been lost for the season following a knee injury sustained in the fourth quarter of MSU's contest against James Madison at the Hard Rock Hotel Riveria Maya (Mexico) Convention Center, over the Thanksgiving holiday. Deden led Montana State in scoring averaging 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and had just recorded a career-high 23 points and hauled down a career-best 14 rebounds in MSU's 75-57 win over New Mexico. In three quarters against James Madison, she had already put up 14 points and six rebounds. For her efforts she was named Big Sky Player of the Week. Deden indicated she will return to MSU next year.
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Wyoming enters Sunday's game 4-4 overall. The Cowgirls have defeated North Dakota, Denver, Chadron State, and BYU, while dropping decisions to Nebraska, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State and Creighton. In its 73-61 loss to #21 Creighton last Sunday afternoon in Laramie, the Cowgirls were paced by Allyson Fertig, a 6-4 junior forward from Glendo, Wyo., who poured in a career-high 30 points, connecting on 13-of-19 from the field and four-of-six from the free throw line. In addition, she pulled down 12 rebounds. On the season, Fertig leads Wyoming in scoring and rebounding averaging 14.4 points and 6.9 boards per game. Fertig is shooting 59.8% from the field and 81% from the line. Also averaging double-digit points for the Cowgirls is Malene Pedersen. Pedersen, a 5-11 sophomore guard from Aabyhoj, Denmark, transferred to Wyoming after spending the 2021-22 season at Kansas State. On the year, Pedersen is averaging 10.5 points per game, shooting 42.5% from the floor. UW's top outside threat is Tess Barnes, a 6-2 native of Gisborne, Australia, who has connected on 12-of-39 from deep.
Players Mentioned
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