Monday, December 16
Fort Myers, Florida
4 p.m. (MT)
Montana State University
at
Florida Gulf Coast
Sophomore Ella Johnson goes high against South Dakota on Dec. 4 in Worthington Arena.
Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services
Cats Play Three in Five Days in Final Non-Conference Action
12/12/2024 1:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Montana State heads south to complete the non-conference portion of its 2024-25 schedule beginning at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla., Monday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. (MT) in Alico Arena.
NEXT UP: Montana State heads south to complete the non-conference portion of its 2024-25 schedule beginning at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla., Monday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. (MT) in Alico Arena. Following the contest, the Bobcats fly to San Juan, Puerto Rico to compete in the Puerto Rico Classico, Dec. 19-20. MSU faces Presbyterian, Thursday, and Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Friday. Both games tip at 8:30 a.m. (MT) at the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 7-2 overall after dropping an 82-80 overtime decision at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla., on Dec. 7 as part of the Big Sky Conference/Summit League Challenge. The Bobcats won its first contest of the challenge with a 77-46 victory over South Dakota on Dec. 4 in Bozeman. MSU sophomore Dylan Philip paced the Bobcats in its win over the Coyotes with a career-high 22 points, which included five 3-pointers.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EAGLES: Florida Gulf Coast University is 7-2 overall after defeating Ave Maria 82-43 at Alico Arena on Dec. 8. The Eagles have won 37 consecutive games on its home court- the second-longest active home streak in the nation. Its last loss in Alico Arena came against Duke on Dec. 11, 2022. Head coach Chelsea Lyles is in her first season at the helm of the FGCU squad but has been associated with the program as a player and assistant the past 16 years. The Eagles were the preseason favorite in both the ASUN coaches and media polls. Emani Jefferson (12.8 ppg/4.0 rpg) was a unanimous preseason selection.
THE MORE YOU KNOW: Montana State has won the Big Sky Conference regular season or tournament title – or both – in six of the last nine seasons. The Bobcats have posted five of the program's eight 20-win seasons in the last nine years, as well. MSU's last appearance in a NCAA Tournament game was at #1 Stanford on March 18, 2022. The Cardinal defeated MSU 78-37. Taylor Janssen had a team-high 12 points in the loss, while Stanford was led by Hannah Jump with 15. On March 18, 2017, the Bobcats suffered a 91-63 setback at Washington in the NCAAs. Peyton Ferris led MSU with 33 points and seven rebounds, while the Huskies were paced by Kelsey Plum with 29 points.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Over the past 10 seasons the Bobcats have thrived in the warm confines of Worthington Arena. Since the 2014-15 season, Montana State has gone an impressive 106-27 (79.7%) overall and 74-18 (80.4%) in Big Sky Conference play on its home court. 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 20 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 176-76 (69.8%) overall and 116-51 (69.5%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.
SO MUCH WINNING: In the last five seasons, no Big Sky Conference team has won more league games than the Bobcats. Montana State has racked up 69 Big Sky wins since the 2019-20 campaign. They are followed in the top five by Northern Arizona (60), Idaho (57), Idaho State (56), and Montana (56).
300 CLUB: 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 207 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men/women. This season marks Binford's 19th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 336-251 overall and 207-127 in Big Sky Conference play.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25: This week, Montana State received 93 votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25 poll, which ranks No. 26- just outside the top 25. South Dakota State ranks No. 1 with 760 votes. Future Bobcat opponent Florida Gulf Coast is No. 5 (557), while Big Sky rival Northern Arizona is No. 13 (411). Oral Roberts made its first appearance in the poll this week at No. 23 (131).
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 7-2 overall after dropping an 82-80 overtime decision at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla., on Dec. 7 as part of the Big Sky Conference/Summit League Challenge. The Bobcats won its first contest of the challenge with a 77-46 victory over South Dakota on Dec. 4 in Bozeman. MSU sophomore Dylan Philip paced the Bobcats in its win over the Coyotes with a career-high 22 points, which included five 3-pointers.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EAGLES: Florida Gulf Coast University is 7-2 overall after defeating Ave Maria 82-43 at Alico Arena on Dec. 8. The Eagles have won 37 consecutive games on its home court- the second-longest active home streak in the nation. Its last loss in Alico Arena came against Duke on Dec. 11, 2022. Head coach Chelsea Lyles is in her first season at the helm of the FGCU squad but has been associated with the program as a player and assistant the past 16 years. The Eagles were the preseason favorite in both the ASUN coaches and media polls. Emani Jefferson (12.8 ppg/4.0 rpg) was a unanimous preseason selection.
THE MORE YOU KNOW: Montana State has won the Big Sky Conference regular season or tournament title – or both – in six of the last nine seasons. The Bobcats have posted five of the program's eight 20-win seasons in the last nine years, as well. MSU's last appearance in a NCAA Tournament game was at #1 Stanford on March 18, 2022. The Cardinal defeated MSU 78-37. Taylor Janssen had a team-high 12 points in the loss, while Stanford was led by Hannah Jump with 15. On March 18, 2017, the Bobcats suffered a 91-63 setback at Washington in the NCAAs. Peyton Ferris led MSU with 33 points and seven rebounds, while the Huskies were paced by Kelsey Plum with 29 points.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Over the past 10 seasons the Bobcats have thrived in the warm confines of Worthington Arena. Since the 2014-15 season, Montana State has gone an impressive 106-27 (79.7%) overall and 74-18 (80.4%) in Big Sky Conference play on its home court. 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 20 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 176-76 (69.8%) overall and 116-51 (69.5%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.
SO MUCH WINNING: In the last five seasons, no Big Sky Conference team has won more league games than the Bobcats. Montana State has racked up 69 Big Sky wins since the 2019-20 campaign. They are followed in the top five by Northern Arizona (60), Idaho (57), Idaho State (56), and Montana (56).
300 CLUB: 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 207 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men/women. This season marks Binford's 19th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 336-251 overall and 207-127 in Big Sky Conference play.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25: This week, Montana State received 93 votes in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25 poll, which ranks No. 26- just outside the top 25. South Dakota State ranks No. 1 with 760 votes. Future Bobcat opponent Florida Gulf Coast is No. 5 (557), while Big Sky rival Northern Arizona is No. 13 (411). Oral Roberts made its first appearance in the poll this week at No. 23 (131).
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
- Montana State ranks 10th in the nation in turnover margin at 9.22. The Bobcats forced 48 turnovers against Chadron State and have caused 20 or more miscues in games against Troy (22), Cal Poly (26), UC Davis (21), and East Carolina (29). The 9.22 stat is also tops in the Big Sky Conference.
- Montana State ranks 12th in the nation averaging 13.4 steals per game. The Bobcats posted a season-high 26 steals in its season opening win over Chadron State on Nov. 4. The mark was two shy of the all-time MSU mark of 28 steals against Montana Tech on Dec. 16, 2000. Currently, Col. of Charleston leads the nation averaging 17.7 per game.
- Montana State shot a season-best 49% (24-49) from the field in its 62-56 win over ECU.
- Montana State's 11 triples against Chadron State, UCF and USD are MSU's season high.
- Marah Dykstra leads the Big Sky Conference with a +2.80 assist/turnover margin. That mark ranks 28th in the nation overall.
- Marah Dykstra is second in the Big Sky shooting 53.5% (46-86) from the field.
- Katelynn (Limardo) Martin scored her 1,000th career point on a three-pointer at the 1:22 mark of the first quarter in MSU's win over UCF (76-68) at the UNLV Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 29. Martin became just the 27th Bobcat in history to reach the milestone.
- Katelynn (Limardo) Martin will make her 129th career start at Florida Gulf Coast University on Monday afternoon. The 5th-year senior has played in 128 games at Montana State, which is the second most at MSU - second to Madison (Jackson) Hall's 132 games played.
- Katelynn (Limardo) Martin moved into 18th on MSU's all-time rebounding list after pulling down five rebounds against UCF. Martin has 578 career boards and now has her sight on No. 17 on the chart - Jackie Elliott (589) - who played for the Bobcats from 2011-15.
- Sophomore Ella Johnson is second in the Big Sky averaging 1.44 blocks per game. That average also ranks 83rd in the nation. Johnson's 13 total blocks is second best in the league and ranks 84th at the NCAA Division I level.
- Esmeralda Morales' 23 three-point makes is second best in the Big Sky and ranks 72nd in the country. In addition, her 2.26 three-pointers per game is also second best in the league and 56th in the nation. Morales has made 234 career 3-pointers- shooting 34.8%.
- Esmeralda Morales has recorded nine consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer. Her longest consecutive streak - 30 games - stretched from Feb. 18, 2023, to Feb. 8, 2024.
- Esmeralda Morales needs five points at FGCU to hit the 1,500-career point milestone.
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