Cats Quell the Herd

Sunday, November 30

Boulder, CO

1 p.m.

Montana State University

5-1,0-0Big Sky

Colorado

5-3,0-0Big 12

Montana St.

Colorado

Montana State celebrates its 71-70 victory at Colorado on Sunday afternoon.

Photo by: Ray Bahner

11/30/2025 5:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

“This team showed championship toughness and grittiness in the second half,” said MSU head coach and Colorado native Tricia Binford. “They fought and clawed their way back against a very good team. I’m very proud of everyone’s effort.”

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State's Taylee Chirrick took a pass on the right wing from teammate Addison Harris with 5.7 seconds remaining then quickly turned the corner on Colorado's 6-3 senior forward Jade Masogayo, before gently laying the ball in with her right hand to give MSU a 71-70 advantage with 1.7 seconds left, securing the Bobcats' second road win of the season.

"This team showed championship toughness and grittiness in the second half," said MSU head coach and Colorado native Tricia Binford. "They fought and clawed their way back against a very good team. I'm very proud of everyone's effort."

Montana State (5-1) trailed 61-49 just seconds into the fourth quarter before the Bobcats ramped up its defensive pressure and rattled off a 15-0 run over the course of six minutes and five seconds. MSU held a 64-61 lead following a driving layup by redshirt freshman Heid Smith with 3:19 left.

Harris kept the Bobcats in front as the sophomore forward from Cames, Wash., hit a short turnaround jumper with 1:05 remaining to maintain MSU's three-point cushion. Colorado (5-3) closed the margin to one-point before Smith converted the back end of two free throws giving MSU a 69-67 lead with 20 seconds remaining.

The Buffaloes' Desiree Wooten answered with an old-fashion three-point play with nine seconds left giving CU a70-69 lead and setting up Chirrick's end game heroics.

"We were running the ball through Taylee and Addy (Harris)," Binford said. "Taylee's speed on both ends is hard to match. She impacts the game in every category. Our kids did a tremendous job executing with no time outs remaining."

Chirrick finished with a game-high 21 points, which included a seven-of-seven effort from the free throw line. Harris posted 17 points on six-of-12 from the field, while Smith and Issy Bunyan added ten points, apiece. Chirrick registered nine points in the final frame, while Smith scored eight.

"We got some big-time minutes from Heidi down the stretch," Binford added.

Chirrick stuffed the stat sheet adding six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Harris also pulled down a team-best six boards, despite CU's 35-31 advantage under the glass.

For the game, MSU shot 41% from the field and connected on 21-of-28 from the line. Colorado shot 49% from the field but hit just 31.8% in the second half. The Bobcats outscored the Buffaloes 22-11 in the fourth quarter. CU held its largest lead of the contest a 52-39 at the 4:10 mark of the third quarter.

Chirrick and Bunyan led MSU in the opening half with 12 and eight points, respectively. CU held a 43-34 lead at halftime.

"It was a total group effort," Binford said. "We were in some foul trouble, but everyone gave us their best effort which allowed us to be in a good position in the final minutes."

Freshman Jamison Philip and Bunyan fouled out of the contest.

Masogayo led four CU players in double digits with 16 points.

Montana State plays at North Dakota State, Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. (MT) in Fargo.