Thursday, January 1
Greeley, CO
6 p.m.
Montana State University
at
Northern Colorado
Photo by: Ray Bahner
Bobcats Open Big Sky Play at Northern Colorado
12/30/2025 5:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Montana State opens Big Sky Conference play at Northern Colorado, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Greeley. Tip is slated for 6 p.m. at Bank of Colorado Arena.
WHO:......................... Montana State at Northern Colorado
WHEN:....................... Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at 6 p.m.
WHERE:..................... Greeley, Colo. - Bank of Colorado Arena (2,734)
RECORDS:................. MSU - 7-4, 0-0 Big Sky; UNC 9-4, 0-0 Big Sky
SERIES:...................... MSU leads series 25-17; 1st Meeting: 2/22/80
LAST MTG:.................. March 9, 2025 - @ BSCT - MSU 92, UNC 60 (W5)
WHO:......................... Montana State at Northern Arizona
WHEN:....................... Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, at 2 p.m.
WHERE:..................... Flagstaff, Ariz. - Findley Toyota Court (10,000)
RECORDS:................. MSU - 6-2, 0-0 Big Sky; NAU 4-9, 0-0 Big Sky
SERIES:...................... MSU leads series 56-26; 1st Meeting: 1/14/88
LAST MTG:.................. Feb. 2, 2025 - @ MSU 73, NAU 66 - (W2)
VIDEO STREAM:......... ESPN+
AUDIO STREAM:........ KMMS 1450 AM – The Varsity Network
LIVE STATS:................ Click here for live stats
NEXT UP: Montana State opens Big Sky Conference play at Northern Colorado, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Greeley. Tip is slated for 6 p.m. at Bank of Colorado Arena. MSU closes out the weekend at Northern Arizona, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Flagstaff. Tip is slated for 2 p.m., at Findley Toyota Center. Since the inception of women's basketball in the Big Sky during the 1988-89 season, the Bobcats are 22-15 in league openers, while Tricia Binford is 11-9 all-time, including a 59-56 win over Idaho, last winter.
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
• Last year, Montana State ranked 1st in the nation averaging 14.4 steals per game. The Cats have picked up right where it left off this season and are currently first in the Big Sky and fifth in the nation averaging 16.3 steals per contest. Montana State opened the season with twenty steals against Carroll College and posted a season-high 21 steals at Troy on Nov. 24.
• Two Bobcats rank among the nation's top 30 in steals just eight games into 2025-26 season. Sophomore Taylee Chirrick, who is the reigning Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year, is currently averaging 4.00 steals per game, which is tops in the Big Sky and 3rd in the country. Freshman Jamison Philip is averaging 3.00 steals per game, which is second in the Big Sky Conference and 29th in the nation.
• As a team, the Bobcats are currently ranked No. 6 in the nation in turnovers forced per game with an eye-popping 26.64 per outing. MSU turned Carroll College, Portland and Troy over 37, 33, and 31 times, respectively.
• MSU is third in the Big Sky Conference and 60th in the country in offensive rebounds per game at 14.4.
• Montana State is currently ranked No. 13 in the country in turnover margin at +10
• Montana State is currently ranked No. 77 in scoring offense at 73.7 points per game.
• The Bobcat bench is averaging 23.2 points per game, which is third best in the Big Sky and in the nation.
• Sophomore Addison Harris is second the Big Sky Conference and ranks 81st in the nation shooting 50.7% from the field through non-conference season.
• Sophomore Taylee Chirrick is third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 17.5 points per game, which is 62nd best in the nation. Sophomore Addison Harris is sixth in the Big Sky averaging 16.0 points per contest, which is 117th in the country.
• Freshman Jamison Philip is averaging 3.7 assists per game, which is the best total by a first-year player at the NCAA Division I level this season.
• MSU is 7-2 this season when posting more steals than its opponent
• MSU is 7-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points
• MSU is 6-3 on the season when recording fewer turnovers than its opponent
• Montana State sisters Courtney and Heidi Smith and Jamison and Dylan Philip are just two sets of siblings playing on the same team at the NCAA Division I level this year. The other duo is at Green Bay: Kamy and Kallie Peppler and Julianna and Kristina Ouimette
• MSU doesn't have to worry about Senior Night this season. The Bobcat active roster consists of four juniors, three sophomores, and six freshmen. Average age of the team is 19.5.
• Montana State head coach Tricia Binford is one of 20 coaches listed on the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year award watchlist. The award, in its second season, is presented by Her Hoop Stats and named after the legendary former Harvard head coach. Richmond's Aaron Rousell was named the award's second winner in 2025. This year's watchlist includes coaches from 13 conferences.
• MSU's 30 wins last winter were the most in Montana State and Big Sky women's basketball history.
• For the first time in its history, Montana State led the Big Sky in attendance averaging 2,349 fans per game in Worthington Arena, last season. The Bobcats are currently averaging 2,790 fans per game, which includes 4,877 for its annual School Day game on Nov. 10.
• Last season, Montana State was 29-0 when leading after the third quarter.
• Montana State was 29-0 last season when holding its opponents under 70 points.
• MSU's 30 wins during the 2024-25 campaign were the most in Montana State and Big Sky women's basketball history.
• Taylee Chirrick became the second Bobcat in history to record a triple-double with 17 points, ten rebounds and a career-high ten assists in MSU's win over North Dakota on Dec. 6. It marked MSU's first triple double since Sheila Hutchison in 2004.
• Over the years, Montana State women's basketball has thrived on its Montana Class C high school standouts, and this year is no different as Taylee Chirrick and Teagan Erickson both played in Montana's smallest high school classification. Erickson, Saco, had five kids in her graduating class, while Chirrick had 12 at Roberts High School.
WHEN:....................... Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at 6 p.m.
WHERE:..................... Greeley, Colo. - Bank of Colorado Arena (2,734)
RECORDS:................. MSU - 7-4, 0-0 Big Sky; UNC 9-4, 0-0 Big Sky
SERIES:...................... MSU leads series 25-17; 1st Meeting: 2/22/80
LAST MTG:.................. March 9, 2025 - @ BSCT - MSU 92, UNC 60 (W5)
WHO:......................... Montana State at Northern Arizona
WHEN:....................... Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, at 2 p.m.
WHERE:..................... Flagstaff, Ariz. - Findley Toyota Court (10,000)
RECORDS:................. MSU - 6-2, 0-0 Big Sky; NAU 4-9, 0-0 Big Sky
SERIES:...................... MSU leads series 56-26; 1st Meeting: 1/14/88
LAST MTG:.................. Feb. 2, 2025 - @ MSU 73, NAU 66 - (W2)
VIDEO STREAM:......... ESPN+
AUDIO STREAM:........ KMMS 1450 AM – The Varsity Network
LIVE STATS:................ Click here for live stats
NEXT UP: Montana State opens Big Sky Conference play at Northern Colorado, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Greeley. Tip is slated for 6 p.m. at Bank of Colorado Arena. MSU closes out the weekend at Northern Arizona, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Flagstaff. Tip is slated for 2 p.m., at Findley Toyota Center. Since the inception of women's basketball in the Big Sky during the 1988-89 season, the Bobcats are 22-15 in league openers, while Tricia Binford is 11-9 all-time, including a 59-56 win over Idaho, last winter.
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
• Last year, Montana State ranked 1st in the nation averaging 14.4 steals per game. The Cats have picked up right where it left off this season and are currently first in the Big Sky and fifth in the nation averaging 16.3 steals per contest. Montana State opened the season with twenty steals against Carroll College and posted a season-high 21 steals at Troy on Nov. 24.
• Two Bobcats rank among the nation's top 30 in steals just eight games into 2025-26 season. Sophomore Taylee Chirrick, who is the reigning Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year, is currently averaging 4.00 steals per game, which is tops in the Big Sky and 3rd in the country. Freshman Jamison Philip is averaging 3.00 steals per game, which is second in the Big Sky Conference and 29th in the nation.
• As a team, the Bobcats are currently ranked No. 6 in the nation in turnovers forced per game with an eye-popping 26.64 per outing. MSU turned Carroll College, Portland and Troy over 37, 33, and 31 times, respectively.
• MSU is third in the Big Sky Conference and 60th in the country in offensive rebounds per game at 14.4.
• Montana State is currently ranked No. 13 in the country in turnover margin at +10
• Montana State is currently ranked No. 77 in scoring offense at 73.7 points per game.
• The Bobcat bench is averaging 23.2 points per game, which is third best in the Big Sky and in the nation.
• Sophomore Addison Harris is second the Big Sky Conference and ranks 81st in the nation shooting 50.7% from the field through non-conference season.
• Sophomore Taylee Chirrick is third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 17.5 points per game, which is 62nd best in the nation. Sophomore Addison Harris is sixth in the Big Sky averaging 16.0 points per contest, which is 117th in the country.
• Freshman Jamison Philip is averaging 3.7 assists per game, which is the best total by a first-year player at the NCAA Division I level this season.
• MSU is 7-2 this season when posting more steals than its opponent
• MSU is 7-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points
• MSU is 6-3 on the season when recording fewer turnovers than its opponent
• Montana State sisters Courtney and Heidi Smith and Jamison and Dylan Philip are just two sets of siblings playing on the same team at the NCAA Division I level this year. The other duo is at Green Bay: Kamy and Kallie Peppler and Julianna and Kristina Ouimette
• MSU doesn't have to worry about Senior Night this season. The Bobcat active roster consists of four juniors, three sophomores, and six freshmen. Average age of the team is 19.5.
• Montana State head coach Tricia Binford is one of 20 coaches listed on the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year award watchlist. The award, in its second season, is presented by Her Hoop Stats and named after the legendary former Harvard head coach. Richmond's Aaron Rousell was named the award's second winner in 2025. This year's watchlist includes coaches from 13 conferences.
• MSU's 30 wins last winter were the most in Montana State and Big Sky women's basketball history.
• For the first time in its history, Montana State led the Big Sky in attendance averaging 2,349 fans per game in Worthington Arena, last season. The Bobcats are currently averaging 2,790 fans per game, which includes 4,877 for its annual School Day game on Nov. 10.
• Last season, Montana State was 29-0 when leading after the third quarter.
• Montana State was 29-0 last season when holding its opponents under 70 points.
• MSU's 30 wins during the 2024-25 campaign were the most in Montana State and Big Sky women's basketball history.
• Taylee Chirrick became the second Bobcat in history to record a triple-double with 17 points, ten rebounds and a career-high ten assists in MSU's win over North Dakota on Dec. 6. It marked MSU's first triple double since Sheila Hutchison in 2004.
• Over the years, Montana State women's basketball has thrived on its Montana Class C high school standouts, and this year is no different as Taylee Chirrick and Teagan Erickson both played in Montana's smallest high school classification. Erickson, Saco, had five kids in her graduating class, while Chirrick had 12 at Roberts High School.
Players Mentioned
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