Bobcats Look to Stay atop Big Sky Standings

Thursday, February 9

BOZEMAN

7 p.m.

Montana State University

Weber State

2/8/2023 1:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball

WBB NOTES

Montana State hosts a pair of Big Sky Conference games within the warm confines of Worthington Arena this week. MSU faces Weber State, Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. (Military Appreciation game).

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State hosts a pair of Big Sky Conference games within the warm confines of Worthington Arena this week. MSU faces Weber State, Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. (Military Appreciation game). The Bobcats will close out the weekend hosting Idaho State on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. (No More Stolen Sisters game). Fans are encouraged to wear red on Saturday to support Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).

WHO:                 Weber State at Montana State
WHEN:               Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 - 7 p.m.
WHERE:             Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena (6,772)
RECORDS:          Montana St. 16-8, 9-3; Weber State 5-18, 1-10
SERIES:               MSU leads series 59-33 - Current Streak - W3
LAST MTG:        Jan. 14, 2023 - Montana St 80, @ Weber St. 65

WHO:                 Idaho State at Montana State
WHEN:               Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023 - 1 p.m.
WHERE:             Bozeman, Mont. - Worthington Arena (6,772)
RECORDS:          Montana St. 16-8, 9-3; Idaho State 9-13, 4-7
SERIES:               MSU leads series 49-39 - Current Streak - W2
LAST MTG:        Jan. 12, 2023 - Montana St. 60, @ Idaho St. 57

RADIO:               MSU's games against WSU & ISU will air on My 103.5 FM, starting 15-minutes prior to tip with Daniel Salle
VIDEO:                MSU's games against WSU & ISU will be streamed live on ESPN+ - subscription to ESPN+ is necessary to view.

THE ONLY ONE IN BIG SKY HISTORY: Montana State senior point-guard Darian White recorded 18 points against Idaho on Jan. 16, giving her 1,500 career points. With that milestone, the product of Boise, Idaho becomes the only player in Big Sky Conference history to record 1,500 points (1,576), 500 rebounds (572), 400 assists (427) and 200 steals (252) in her career. White has played and started in 113 games at MSU.

THE SCOUTING REPORT: Weber State is 5-18 overall and 1-10 in Big Sky Conference action after dropping a 73-60 decision to Northern Colorado on Monday night in Ogden. Daryn Hickok paced the Wildcats with 14 points and seven rebounds. On the season, Hickok is averaging 16.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Jadyn Matthews is chipping in 13.3 points and as team-high 7.7 boards per contest. In the first meeting between MSU and WSU this season, the Bobcats won an 80-65 decision as Leia Beattie paced Montana State with 26 points. Hickok guided the Wildcats with 24 points and ten rebounds. Idaho State is 9-13 overall and 4-7 in Big Sky play after losing to Northern Arizona 64-54 on Monday night in Pocatello. MSU defeated ISU in Pocatello 60-57 on Jan. 12 as Lexi Deden posted 16 points. Callie Bourne led ISU with 17 points and eight rebounds. On the season, Bourne averages 13.8 points and 7.1 rebounds.

DARIAN DOING DARIAN THINGS: Darian White, the preseason All-Big Sky Conference MVP selection, leads the Bobcats in scoring (12.6 ppg), rebounding (5.6), assists (89), and free throws made (86). She has been in double-figure scoring in 13 games, including a season-high matching 25 points in MSU's win at Northern Colorado, last Saturday afternoon. Against the Bears, White connected on 12-19 from the field, and in typical Darian fashion, added eight rebounds and six assists. On the season, she is shooting 41% from the field. White has also connected for six 3-pointers and is shooting 74.1% from the line. Last winter, White notched a career-high 32 points on the last day of the regular season at Northern Colorado. She had a streak of 33 consecutive games in double-digit scoring snapped in MSU's NCAA first-round tournament game at No. 2 Stanford. The reigning two-time Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds against Montana State Billings on Dec. 9, 2021. White pulled down a season-best 11 rebounds against Idaho Jan. 16. Looking at the MSU Record Book, White has broken into several career MSU Top 10 statistical categories, including No. 3 in free throws made (448). She joins Kathleen McLaughlin Howard and Cass Bauer Bilodeau as the only MSU players to record over 400 free throw makes in a career. White is also listed No. 3 in steals (252), No. 4 in points (1,576), No. 5 in assists (427) and No. 18 in rebounding with 572 boards. In MSU's two contests last weekend, White averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, while shooting 53.6% from the field.

KUDOS TO KOLA: Senior Kola Bad Bear has played and started in 20 games for the Cats this season. The Billings product missed four games in November due to injury. On the season, she is averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 46.9% from the field. Last weekend, she averaged 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 35.7% from the field. Bad Bear had her best game of the week at Northern Colorado recording 14 points on 5-9 shooting and adding five rebounds. On Thursday night, Bad Bear will make her 75th start as a Bobcat. Last winter, Bad Bear, who was a 2022 All-Big Sky Third Team pick, had a breakout performance at the Big Sky tournament, averaging 17 points, while shooting 61.3% from the field, en route to being name to the all-tournament team. Bad Bear notched a career-best 21 points against Weber State at last year's league tournament on March 8. She pulled down a career-high 17 boards against MSU Billings on Dec. 9, 2021, in Worthington Arena.

OUT ON A LIMB: Junior Katelynn Limardo has started all 24 games for the Bobcats and is averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 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 34.2% from the field and 84.8% (28-33) from the line. Limardo is second on the team with 31 3-pointers. She is shooting 39.2% (31-79) from long distance.

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS: Leia Beattie, a product of Midland, Texas, is second on the Bobcat squad averaging 10.0 points per game. Beattie notched a career-high 27 points earlier this season at San Jose State, connecting on 10-of-19 from the field, including four 3-pointers. The 5-9 junior has started 13-of-24 games and has come off the bench in the last 11 outings for the Bobcats. Beattie is shooting 43.7% from the field, 38.5% (42-109) from beyond the arc, and 87.1% (27-31) at the line. Beattie pulled down a season-high seven rebounds against Arizona State of Nov. 15. 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 UM history. Beattie's aunt/coach at Midland Christian, Carla (Beattie) Cunneen, is also a former Lady Griz and was the 1996 Big Sky Sixth Player of the Year. Last weekend, Beattie averaged 7.5 points, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

KEEP FEEDIN' DEDEN: Lexi Deden, a 6-1 junior from Missoula, is averaging 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Deden made her 15th start of the season against Northern Colorado on Saturday and posted 10 points and five rebounds. Deden notched a season-best 17 points in MSU's win over South Dakota State on Nov. 30. The Deden name is also familiar in Montana basketball circles. Her 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. As a freshman, Deden had a career-high 22 points vs. NAU.

ALL JACKED UP: Madison Jackson has played in 23 games, including ten starts. She has tallied a season-best 12 points on two occasions, the last coming against Northern Colorado on Jan. 5. Against the Bears, Jackson connected on 5-6 from the field, with two triples. She is averaging 5.1 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, Jackson had a career-high 20 points against Idaho State. Last weekend, Jackson averaged 4.0 points per game.

OH CANADA: Marah Dykstra has started 10-of-24 games this season. The native of Vancouver, B.C., Canada is averaging 3.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest, while shooting 38.5% from the field and 80% (28-35) from the free throw line. Dykstra had her best outing of the season at Wyoming on Dec. 2, recording 16 points on 6-8 shooting. Against the Cowgirls, she also went 2-2 from long distance and 2-2 at the line. Dykstra notched a career-high eight boards in MSU's win over North Dakota. Last summer, she competed in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina leading Team Canada to the silver medal. For the championship, she averaged a tournament-best 11 rebounds per game, which included 15 against Brazil. In all, she hauled down 44 boards in four games. Team Canada captured Group A with wins over Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. The Canadians advanced to the title game, dropping an 82-77 decision to the United State. Against the USA, she had 11 points, pulled down five rebounds and dished out four assists. For the tournament, she averaged 8.5 points, 11 rebounds and 2.75 assists per contest.

THE PRIDE OF ROSEMOUNT: Taylor Janssen has played in all 24 games and is averaging 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per outing. Janssen notched a season-high 11 points against Northern Arizona on Jan. 7. 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. Last winter, the 6-3 product of Rosemount, Minn., connected on 20 straight free throws before finally 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.

AMAZING GRACE: Grace Beasley, a senior transfer from Washington, has found a home in Bozeman. The native of Melbourne, Australia is averaging 7.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Beasley had a season-best 17 points in MSU's over Providence (MT). She was named to the Maui Jim Maui Classic All-Tournament team in December after averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists per game. Against LSU, currently ranked No.3 in the nation, Beasley posted 15 points, including a three-of-four effort from long distance. Beasley also added four rebounds, three assists and two steals against the Tigers. Beasely played two seasons at Midland (TX) College, before heading to Seattle. Last weekend, she averaged 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game off the bench.

A FEW MORE NOTES:
*Well, another head-scratching week with the 2022-23 CollegeInsider.Com Mid Major poll. Last week, MSU received 12 votes in the poll. Yes, the Bobcats went 1-1 on the road which included a loss at Northern Arizona (NET-135). Despite the setback, MSU holds a one-game lead atop the Big Sky standings and are two games ahead of Sacramento State- the only Big Sky school to receive votes (2) this week. And let's not forget MSU has posted arguably the best win in the Big Sky, defeating South Dakota State, who this week is #1 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major top 25. Go figure...

*Over the past seven seasons, the Bobcats have claimed three Big Sky regular season titles 2016, 2017, 2020; two Big Sky Conference Tournament titles 2017, 2022; made two NCAA appearances 2017, 2022; and one WNIT appearance 2016.

*In the last four seasons, no Big Sky Conference team has won more league games than the Bobcats. Montana State has racked up 55 victories in Big Sky play since the 2019-20 season. Idaho State (49) and Idaho (45) follow the Bobcats.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Over the past 10 seasons the Bobcats have thrived in the warm confines of Worthington Arena. Since the 2012-13 season, Montana State has gone an impressive 111-32 (77.6%) overall and 77-23 (77.0%) in Big Sky Conference play on its home court. During that span - from the start of the 2015-16 Big Sky season to the beginning of the 2017-18 league play- MSU rattled off a 19-game home court win streak in Big Sky action. In her 18 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 159-72 (68.8%) overall and 106-48 (68.8%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.

WIN 300: With MSU's 92-84 victory at Eastern Washington on Dec. 31, 2022, head coach Tricia Binford became just the third coach in Big Sky Conference history to record 300 wins- all coming as a member of the league. Binford joined Montana's Robin Selvig (865, 38 years) and Weber State's Carla Taylor (308, 23 years) atop the list. In Big Sky play, she ranks second all-time to Selvig (358) with 193 victories. Binford is also MSU's winningest coach in either men's or women's basketball history. The 2022-23 season marks Binford's 18th with the Bobcat program. Binford is currently 308-230 overall and 193-117 in Big Sky Conference action.