Saturday, January 25
Missoula, Mont.
2 p.m.
Montana State University
at
Montana
Taylee Chirrick
Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services
Cat-Lady Griz, Round 1
1/23/2025 3:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Montana State faces Montana for the 119th time in the history of the storied rivalry, Saturday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. on Robin Selvig Court in Dahlberg Arena.
NEXT UP: Montana State faces Montana for the 119th time in the history of the storied rivalry, Saturday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. on Robin Selvig Court in Dahlberg Arena. Both MSU and UM are coming off three games in five days, which concluded on Monday as the Bobcats defeated Eastern Washington (58-56), while the Lady Griz dropped a 70-57 decision at Idaho. Montana State is currently in the middle of a four-game road stretch, which also sees them play at Sacramento State, Jan. 30, and Portland State, Feb.1.
ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 17-2 overall and 7-0 in Big Sky play after defeating Eastern Washington 58-56 in Cheney on Monday night. The win was the 10th consecutive for the Bobcats and marked the eighth straight victory for MSU on Reese Court. Esmeralda Morales notched a team-high 15 points, while freshman Taylee Chirrick added 12 points and a school record 11 steals. Katelynn Martin was also in double digits with 10.
ABOUT THE LADY GRIZ: The Lady Griz are 7-11 overall and 3-4 in Big Sky action after dropping a 70-57 decision at Idaho, Monday afternoon. Mack Konig paced UM with 10 points, while Avery Waddington and Dani Bartsch pulled down ten and nine rebounds, respectively. Montana shot 28.2% from the field and was 7-of-29 (24%) from long distance.
WE'VE GOT HISTORY: Montana holds a one game win streak in the series after beating the Bobcats 72-50 last February in Dahlberg Arena. In the last 10 meetings between the rivals, Montana State holds an 8-2 advantage. MSU is 3-2 in its last five outings in Dahlberg Arena. MSU Head Coach Tricia Binford in 20-21 all-time against UM and is 8-12 in Missoula.
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 76 Big Sky wins since the 2019-20 campaign. They are followed in the top five by Northern Arizona (65), Idaho (62), 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 214 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men/women. This season marks Binford's 20th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 346-251 overall and 214-127 in Big Sky action.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25: For the fifth consecutive week, Montana State is ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major top 25 coaches' poll. This week the Bobcats moved up one spot to No. 13 with 391 points. Florida Gulf Coast, who MSU defeated 58-49 in Fort Myers on Dec. 16, jumped two spots this week to No. 9 (489). Big Sky rival Northern Arizona is listed at No. 18 with 221 points. Oral Roberts, who handed the Bobcats one of its two losses (82-80 overtime) as part of the Big Sky/Summit League Challenge in Tulsa, Okla., is listed in 'others receiving votes' (31), as is former Montana State opponent, Troy (5), who the Bobcats handled 73-63 in Bozeman on Nov. 7. South Dakota State remains at No. 1 receiving 773 points (29 first-place votes).
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 17-2 overall and 7-0 in Big Sky play after defeating Eastern Washington 58-56 in Cheney on Monday night. The win was the 10th consecutive for the Bobcats and marked the eighth straight victory for MSU on Reese Court. Esmeralda Morales notched a team-high 15 points, while freshman Taylee Chirrick added 12 points and a school record 11 steals. Katelynn Martin was also in double digits with 10.
ABOUT THE LADY GRIZ: The Lady Griz are 7-11 overall and 3-4 in Big Sky action after dropping a 70-57 decision at Idaho, Monday afternoon. Mack Konig paced UM with 10 points, while Avery Waddington and Dani Bartsch pulled down ten and nine rebounds, respectively. Montana shot 28.2% from the field and was 7-of-29 (24%) from long distance.
WE'VE GOT HISTORY: Montana holds a one game win streak in the series after beating the Bobcats 72-50 last February in Dahlberg Arena. In the last 10 meetings between the rivals, Montana State holds an 8-2 advantage. MSU is 3-2 in its last five outings in Dahlberg Arena. MSU Head Coach Tricia Binford in 20-21 all-time against UM and is 8-12 in Missoula.
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 76 Big Sky wins since the 2019-20 campaign. They are followed in the top five by Northern Arizona (65), Idaho (62), 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 214 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men/women. This season marks Binford's 20th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 346-251 overall and 214-127 in Big Sky action.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25: For the fifth consecutive week, Montana State is ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major top 25 coaches' poll. This week the Bobcats moved up one spot to No. 13 with 391 points. Florida Gulf Coast, who MSU defeated 58-49 in Fort Myers on Dec. 16, jumped two spots this week to No. 9 (489). Big Sky rival Northern Arizona is listed at No. 18 with 221 points. Oral Roberts, who handed the Bobcats one of its two losses (82-80 overtime) as part of the Big Sky/Summit League Challenge in Tulsa, Okla., is listed in 'others receiving votes' (31), as is former Montana State opponent, Troy (5), who the Bobcats handled 73-63 in Bozeman on Nov. 7. South Dakota State remains at No. 1 receiving 773 points (29 first-place votes).
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
- Montana State ranks 3rd in the nation averaging 14.2 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 per game.
- Montana State ranks 8th in the nation in turnover margin at 9.21. The Cats forced 48 turnovers vs. Chadron State and have caused 20 or more turnovers on 11 occasions, including 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), WSU (32), and EWU (32). Montana State's 23.89 turnovers forced per game ranks 12th in the nation.
- In MSU's seven Big Sky Conference games, the Bobcats have a positive assist/turnover ratio - 99 assists/96 turnovers-, while their Big Sky opponents have 77 assists/175 turnovers.
- On Monday night, Taylee Chirrick recorded a rare double-double with 12 points and a school record 11 steals. The 11 steals also matched the Big Sky single-season record, last set in 2016. Chirrick ranks ninth in the country with 57 steals, which is also the best mark by a freshman at the NCAA Division-1 level. Her 11 steals are second to Erskine's Evangelia Paulk's 13 steals set on Jan. 2.
- 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 138th career game at Eastern Washington on Monday. Martin is the all-time iron woman for games played at Montana State.
- Sophomore Ella Johnson is second in the Big Sky averaging 1.31 blocks per game. That average also ranks 104th in the nation.
Players Mentioned
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