Cats Host NDSU in Big Sky/Summit League Challenge

Wednesday, January 3

BOZEMAN

5:30 p.m.

Montana State University

North Dakota State

Natalie Picton (2) delivers a pass on Friday night in MSU's win over Idaho State.

Photo by: Garrett Becker

1/2/2024 4:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball

WBB NOTES

Montana State finishes its five-game homestand hosting North Dakota State as part of the Big Sky Conference/Summit League Challenge.

By: Tom Schulz

NEXT UP: Montana State finishes its five-game homestand hosting North Dakota State as part of the Big Sky Conference/Summit League Challenge. The game is slated for Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 5: 30 p.m. in Worthington Arena. The Bobcat men host Oral Roberts immediately following the women's game. The Bobcats travel to South Dakota State, Saturday, Jan. 6 for a 1 p.m. tip with the Jackrabbits in Brookings, S.D.

A LITTLE ABOUT MONTANA STATE: The Bobcats opened Big Sky Conference play with a pair of victories in Worthington Arena. MSU held on for a 58-56 win over Idaho State on Thursday as Madison Hall poured in a season-high 17 points. Also, in double-figures were Katelynn Limardo 15, and Taylor Janssen 10. Montana State finished the weekend with a 57-43 victory over Weber State. Hall led four Bobcats in double digits with 13 points, followed by Limardo 12, Marah Dykstra 10, and Natalie Picton 10.

THE SCOUTING REPORT: North Dakota State is 6-6 overall and 1-0 in Summit League play after dispatching South Dakota 84-69 on Friday in Vermillion, S.D. The Bison were led in the win by Heaven Hamling with 24 points, which included a four-of-eight outing from beyond the arc. Hamling, a 5-8 senior guard, leads NDSU averaging 13.8 points per game. The sharp-shooter from Grand Rapids, Minn., has totaled 229 three-pointers in her four-year career and sits second all-time at NDSU. So far this season, she has knocked down 30-76 from long range. Also, averaging double figures for NDSU is Elle Evans at 12.3 points per game. The 6-3 soph., guard has hit 23-66 three-pointers.

ALL JACKED UP: Madison Hall has started in all 13 games and is averaging 8.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Against Idaho State on Friday night, Hall posted a season-high 17 points, hauled down four rebounds and registered four steals. She followed that performance with 13 points in MSU's win over Weber State. On the weekend, Hall averaged 15 points and 3.5 rebounds, while shooting 61.1% from the field and 80% at the line. Last season, Hall (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 23-of-42 games as a Bobcat and is currently averaging 8.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per outing, while dishing out a team-best 3.2 assists per game. Dykstra, who has started in all 13 games this season, has been in double-figures on four occasions. In MSU's last outing against Weber State, Dykstra posted ten points and three rebounds, while adding two assists. 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 the last 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 notched 10 points in MSU's win over Idaho State on Friday night. She also dished out a career-high five assists against the Bengals. On the season, the product of Rosemount, Minn., is averaging 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 42.7% from the field. Janssen played in all 30 games and averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per outing last season. She notched a season-high 11 points against Northern Arizona on Jan. 7, 2023. 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 13 games for the Bobcats and will make her 103rd start at MSU on Wednesday against North Dakota State. Limardo is averaging a team-best 13.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest. She has been in double-digits on 11 occasions, including a career-high 25 points against North Texas on Dec. 21, connecting on seven-of-11 from the field, five-of-nine from long distance and six-of-seven from the line. Limardo also added six rebounds, three steals and two assists against the Mean Green. For her efforts, she was named Big Sky Player of the Week. At Portland on Dec. 2, she notched her first ever double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. She had her second double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Weber State on Sunday. 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, 2022, Limardo registered a career-high seven triples- which 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 35.2% from the field and 77.5% from the line. Limardo is first on the team with 24 3-pointers.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Freshman Natalie Picton, a 5-5 guard from Welland, Ontario, Canada has played and started in all 13 games at following the injury to sophomore Dylan Philip. The freshman has filled the role admirably, averaging 6.7 points and 2.2 assists per game. Picton has reached double-figures in five games, including a season-high 12 points against San Jose State and North Dakota.

MADE IN MONTANA: Sophomore Lindsey Hein (Forsyth) and redshirt freshman Brooke Berry (Billings) have both come off the bench to make big contributions. The duo had their best outings against Wyoming. Hein finished with 11 points, which included a five-of-six effort from the free throw line. She also recorded three rebounds and a blocked shot. Berry, who prepped at Skyview, scored eight points to spark MSU in the opening quarter against the Cowgirls. She finished the game with 10 points on four-of-eight shooting. Berry is the daughter of former MSU men's player Gale Berry, who was part of the Bobcat program from 1988-90.

THE WONDER FROM WALES: Freshman Issy Bunyan has made an impact in her short time at MSU. The 6-0 guard from Tonyrefail, Wales, is averaging 6.2 points per game. She has been in double figures scoring on four occasions, including a season-best 15 against BYU in the season opener.

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 119-33 (78.3%) overall and 82-23 (78.1%) 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 2017-18 in league play- MSU rattled off a 19-game home court win streak. In her 19 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 167-73 (69.6%) overall and 111-48 (69.8%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.

WIN 300: With its 75-60 win over Weber State on Feb. 9, 2023, MSU head coach Tricia Binford notched her 309th career win, moving her past former Weber State bench boss Carla Taylor (308 -23 years). With MSU's 92-84 victory at Eastern Washington on Dec. 31, 2022, Binford became just the third coach in Big Sky history to record 300 wins- all coming as a member of the league. Binford is second to Montana's Robin Selvig (865, 38 years). In Big Sky play, Binford is second to Selvig (358) with 199 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men/women. This season marks Binford's 19th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 319-239 overall and 199-119 in BSC play.