Esmeralda Morales and the Bobcats face Eastern Washington for the second time this season, Monday night in Cheney.
Photo by: Noah Syverson
Bobcats Play Rare Monday Big Sky Contest at Eastern Washington
1/19/2025 6:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Montana State plays the first of two Monday night games on its Big Sky schedule when it faces Eastern Washington, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. (MT) at Reese Court in Cheney.
NEXT UP: Montana State plays the first of two Monday night games on its Big Sky schedule when it faces Eastern Washington, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. (MT) at Reese Court in Cheney. The game marks the beginning of four consecutive road games for the Bobcats. MSU also plays games at Montana, Jan. 25, at Sacramento State, Jan. 30, and at Portland State, Feb. 1.
ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 16-2 overall and 6-0 in Big Sky play after recording a pair of home wins over Idaho State, 94-52, and Weber State, 75-51, in Worthington Arena. Sophomore guard Natalie Picton came off the bench to spark Montana State in both games, notching a career-high 24 points, five 3-pointers and nine assists in the victory. Also, averaging double digits for the weekend was Dylan Philip, a sophomore guard from Ellensburg, Wash., who averaged 12.5 points, three rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
ABOUT THE EAGLES: Eastern Washington is 6-11 overall and 2-3 in Big Sky Conference action after dropping a 67-57 decision at Idaho on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles had four players in double figures led by Ella Gallatin with 14 points. Freshman Kourtney Grossman added 11 points and 12 rebounds.
FIRST MEETING: Montana State handed Eastern Washington a 66-54 setback on Jan. 4 in Worthington Arena. After a slow first quarter (6-5) for both squads, MSU outscored EWU 22-11 in the second. EWU fought back in the third period (27-13), but MSU turned the table in the fourth (25-11). MSU was led by Katelynn Martin with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Kourtney Grossman paced the Eagles with 13 points and 16 rebounds.
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 110-27 (80.3%) overall and 78-18 (81.3%) 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 180-76 (70.3%) overall and 120-51 (70.2%) 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 75 Big Sky wins since the 2019-20 campaign. They are followed in the top five by Northern Arizona (65), Idaho (61), Montana (59), and Idaho State (57).
300 CLUB: With its 75-60 win over Weber State on Feb. 9, 2023, 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 213 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men/women. This season marks Binford's 20th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 345-251 overall and 213-127 in Big Sky action.
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 16-2 overall and 6-0 in Big Sky play after recording a pair of home wins over Idaho State, 94-52, and Weber State, 75-51, in Worthington Arena. Sophomore guard Natalie Picton came off the bench to spark Montana State in both games, notching a career-high 24 points, five 3-pointers and nine assists in the victory. Also, averaging double digits for the weekend was Dylan Philip, a sophomore guard from Ellensburg, Wash., who averaged 12.5 points, three rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
ABOUT THE EAGLES: Eastern Washington is 6-11 overall and 2-3 in Big Sky Conference action after dropping a 67-57 decision at Idaho on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles had four players in double figures led by Ella Gallatin with 14 points. Freshman Kourtney Grossman added 11 points and 12 rebounds.
FIRST MEETING: Montana State handed Eastern Washington a 66-54 setback on Jan. 4 in Worthington Arena. After a slow first quarter (6-5) for both squads, MSU outscored EWU 22-11 in the second. EWU fought back in the third period (27-13), but MSU turned the table in the fourth (25-11). MSU was led by Katelynn Martin with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Kourtney Grossman paced the Eagles with 13 points and 16 rebounds.
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 110-27 (80.3%) overall and 78-18 (81.3%) 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 180-76 (70.3%) overall and 120-51 (70.2%) 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 75 Big Sky wins since the 2019-20 campaign. They are followed in the top five by Northern Arizona (65), Idaho (61), Montana (59), and Idaho State (57).
300 CLUB: With its 75-60 win over Weber State on Feb. 9, 2023, 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 213 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men/women. This season marks Binford's 20th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 345-251 overall and 213-127 in Big Sky action.
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
- Montana State ranks 5th in the nation averaging 13.8 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, Longwood leads the nation averaging 15.3 per game.
- Montana State ranks 9th in the nation in turnover margin at 9.17. The Cats forced 48 turnovers vs. Chadron State and have caused 20 or more turnovers vs. Troy (22), Cal Poly (26), UC Davis (21), East Carolina (29), Florida Gulf Coast (21), P.R.-Mayaguez (25), Idaho (23), UNC (23), ISU (29), and WSU (32). The 9.17 stat is tops in the Big Sky, as well.
- Marah Dykstra is second the Big Sky shooting 49.5% (91-184) from the field.
- Taylee Chirrick is first in the Big Sky averaging 2.56 steals per game, which ranks No. 44 in the country. Her 46 total steals rank No. 39 overall. Chirrick's total is also fourth best in the nation by a freshman.
- 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 played in her 135th career game at Northern Arizona on Saturday (Jan. 11). Martin is the all-time iron woman for games played at Montana State.
- Sophomore Ella Johnson is second in the Big Sky averaging 1.27 blocks per game. That average also ranks 108th in the nation.
- Esmeralda Morales has recorded 18 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' career point total stands at 1,619 (14.9 ppg) after scoring 18 points in Montana State's wins over Idaho State and Weber State, last week.
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