Bobcats Comeback Falls Short at Troy

Monday, November 24

Troy, AL

5 p.m. (MT)

Montana State University

4-1,0-0Big Sky

Troy

5-1,0-0Sun Belt

Montana St.

Troy

Jamison Philip drives on a Troy defender, Monday night.

Photo by: Davis Photography

11/25/2025 12:13:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Trailing 57-44 with just under nine minutes remaining, MSU rattled off a 12-0 run over the next three ½ minutes to pull to within one with 5:38 remaining. Taylee Chirrick sparked the run with six points, including a three-pointer, a steal, and an assist on Brianne Bailey’s triple in the span of ten seconds.

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State came close to overcoming a slow start and poor three-point shooting but were never able to climb out of an 18-point deficit, suffering its first loss of the season in a 74-60 setback to Troy on Monday night in Trojan Arena.

Troy (5-1) entered the game ranked No. 10 in this week's Collegeinsider.com Mid Major Top 25 poll. The Trojans jumped out to an early 16-5 lead and held a 38-26 advantage at intermission, as the Bobcats struggled shooting the ball. MSU shot 17.6% (3-17) from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes.

"This was the first game where we didn't set the tone in the first quarter," said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. "I thought Troy did an excellent job of establishing pace. They really put us on skates in the first quarter, and we really settled for a lot of outside shots. We've got to be more intentional of what we're trying to get on the offensive end. I thought we were very reactive."

Troy built its largest lead at 44-26 at the 7:29 mark of the third quarter. Montana State (4-1) chipped away at the margin and closed to within eleven heading into the final stanza.

The Bobcats ramped up its defensive intensity in the final frame. Trailing 57-44 with just under nine minutes remaining, MSU rattled off a 12-0 run over the next three ½ minutes to pull to within one with 5:38 remaining. Taylee Chirrick sparked the run with six points, including a three-pointer, a steal, and an assist on Brianne Bailey's triple in the span of ten seconds.

Troy quickly grabbed the momentum back with a 6-0 run and MSU would get no closer than four points down the stretch.

"Our defense was fantastic," Binford said. "Taylee had an incredible game. We're playing another mid-major opponent that is a really good ball club with a lot of experience. They had a lot of seniors out there.

"And when you're on the road you've got to be really, really sharp and know it's going to take all four quarters," Binford added. "But I'm really proud of our fight in the fourth. It just wasn't enough. I felt we were incomplete on the offensive end."

Chirrick finished with a team-high 21 points, while pulling down nine rebounds and adding six steals and four assists. Bailey also reached double figures with 10 points.
For the game, MSU shot 31.9% from the field, including an 18.2% effort from long distance. The Bobcats registered 21 steals as Troy turned the ball over 31 times. MSU held a 34-19 advantage in points scored off turnovers.
Fortuna Ngnawo recorded 19 points to lead four Trojans in double digits.
Montana State plays at Colorado, Sunday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m., in Boulder.