Short-Handed Cats Fall at South Dakota State

Saturday, January 6

Brookings, SD

1 p.m. (MT)

Montana State University

8-7,2-0Big Sky

South Dakota State

9-5,1-0Summit League

Montana St.

South Dakota St.

Marah Dykstra drives to the basket at South Dakota State on Saturday afternoon.

Photo by: courtesy of SDSU Athletics

1/6/2024 4:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

MSU used a 10-2 run midway through the fourth quarter, pulling within 54-51 on a Natalie Picton triple with 5 minutes, 14 seconds remaining, but SDSU’s Ellie Colbeck countered with a three-pointer of her own 20 seconds later and the Bobcats would get no closer.

By: Tom Schulz

Despite playing even with South Dakota State for three of four quarters, Montana State was unable to overcome an early nine-point deficit as the Jackrabbits posted a 61-53 win over the Bobcats in MSU's second game of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge, Saturday afternoon at Frost Arena.

South Dakota State (9-5) used a late 8-2 run to close out the opening stanza taking a 24-15 advantage. The Jackrabbits held a nine-point cushion at intermission. Montana State (8-7) shot 38.5% in the first half as Marah Dykstra and Brooke Berry guided the Cats with eight and seven points, respectively. MSU was playing without starting senior guard and leading scorer Katelynn Limardo.

"We had a lot of turnovers in the first half," said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. "When you have a lot of turnovers you put yourself in a lot of transition defenses and give your opponents a lot of opportunities and credit South Dakota State for capitalizing. The other part was giving up too many second chance opportunities which just really crushed us."

SDSU built its largest lead at 38-26 with 7 minutes, 53 seconds left in the third quarter following a three-pointer by Madison Mathiowetz. The Jackrabbits held an eight-point lead heading into the final frame.

MSU used a 10-2 run midway through the fourth quarter, pulling within 54-51 on a Natalie Picton triple with 5 minutes, 14 seconds remaining, but SDSU's Ellie Colbeck countered with a three-pointer of her own 20 seconds later and the Bobcats would get no closer.

"I thought Brooke Berry came in and was a huge spark for us," Binford said. "And Ella Johnson continues to get some big minutes, and Malea Egan came in and fought with some great ball pressure and really got us to the rim. We're taking some strides with our bench. We're certainly limited with numbers right now and we'll need to go deep into the bench.

"We've got hit by just about every injury thing this year," she added. "But the one thing you can't take away is how they are responding like champions. And that's the part I'm most proud of, they shouldn't hang their heads, they got it down to a one possession game against a very talented team on the road."

MSU was paced by Dykstra with 14 points, while Taylor Jannsen and Madison Hall added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Berry, a redshirt-freshman came off the bench to add nine points and three rebounds. The Bobcats were outrebounded 36-30. Dykstra led MSU with four boards.

Mathiowetz led South Dakota State with 14 points, including three 3-pointers. SDSU outscored MSU 12-3 on second chance opportunities.

Montana State plays at Northern Arizona, Thursday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. in Flagstaff.