Bunyan Guides Bobcats in Exhibition Opener

Monday, October 27

BOZEMAN

7 p.m.

Montana State University

Northwest Nazarene (exhibition)

Issy Bunyan had a game-high 23 points to pace MSU past Northwest Nazarene 93-41 on Monday night.

Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services

10/27/2025 10:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Montana State picked up where it left off last March on the defensive end, forcing 41 turnovers and recording 28 steals.

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State junior Issy Bunyan scored a game-high 23 points, connecting on eight-of-12 from the field, including a five-of-nine effort from long distance as the Bobcats defeated Northwest Nazarene 93-41 on Monday night in Worthington Arena.

Montana State picked up where it left off last March on the defensive end, forcing 41 turnovers and recording 28 steals. The Bobcats outscored the Nighthawks 44-8 in points off turnovers. All eleven players tallied at least one steal, led by Jamison Philip and Brianne Bailey with four apiece.

"I'm really proud of the defensive intensity," said MSU head coach Tricia Binford, who enters her 21^st season at the helm of the Montana State program. "I thought that was a big step forward from what we saw last week in the Blue-Gold scrimmage. I thought we really settled in.

"Northwest Nazarene is a very dangerous team, and we knew they do a great job in their defense, which is very similar to ours," Binford added. "So, the fact that we had more assist to turnovers for our first game, I'm very proud of that."

Also reaching double-digits for the Bobcats were Taylee Chirrick and Addison Harris with 17 and 16 points, respectively. For the game, MSU shot 44.2% from the field and converted 8-of-28 from beyond the arc.

MSU held a 47-42 advantage under the boards. Chirrick pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

Binford was also pleased with the effort from the Bobcat bench. MSU non-starters outscored the Nighthawks 31-12, paced by Bailey and Grace Hintz with nine points, apiece. Hintz, who is part of the Hommes women's basketball legacy at MSU, saw her first playing time in over 550 days, after sitting out two seasons of high school play due to injury.

"Our bench came in and gave us 18 of our 28 steals," Binford said. "The bench had great production. I thought everybody was balanced and gave us great minutes."

MSU hosts Bushnell University, a NAIA program out of Eugene, Ore., in exhibition play on Thursday, 7 p.m., in Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.