Cats Pound Lady Griz in Record Setting Fashion

Saturday, February 22

BOZEMAN

2 p.m.

Montana State University

25-2,15-0Big Sky

Montana

10-16,6-9Big Sky

Montana

Montana St.

Senior Lexi Deden scored 10 points and added three rebounds and three steals as the Cats cruised by the Lady Griz 98-66 on Saturday afternoon in Worthtington Arena.

Photo by: Brian Morse

2/22/2025 7:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

The offensive totals added up to a historic win. Montana State’s 98 points was its most ever against the Lady Griz, and the 32-point margin of victory was its largest ever.

By: Bill Lamberty

Montana State scored the game's first six points, jumped out to a 26-12 lead, and never looked back in decimating Montana 98-66 in a gold-splashed Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.

"Great start, super disciplined start," Bobcat coach Tricia Binford said after a win that raised her record to 22-21 against UM. "I thought we really focused on (UM's) corner threes, the rhythm threes, and I wouldn't say that we did that for a complete game since they hit 12 of them. Defensively we knew we took a few too many risks the first time, so we wanted to be more disciplined with our risks because they do stretch the floor, and they expose you so quickly. I loved that end (of the floor)."

While the Bobcats' defense was stifling Montana's offense, MSU started the game at a blistering pace on offense. The Cats hit five of their first six field goal attempts and converted a pair of free throws in that stretch, eventually shooting 62 percent in the first half and 52 percent for the game. "I feel offensively we just let the game come to us and really played through each other and found quality shots," Binford said.

The offensive totals added up to a historic win. Montana State's 98 points was its most ever against the Lady Griz, and the 32-point margin of victory was its largest ever. MSU's 52.4 percent field goal shooting was the team's highest of 2024-25, and the seven three-pointers in the second quarter was the most in one period this season. The Cats achieved individual milestones as well. Esmeralda scored 28 points, and her 8-8 effort from the free throw line extends her school-record streak to 35 consecutive makes.

Morales said MSU's strong offensive afternoon boiled down to its mindset. "It's just the mentality of (starting every possession like the score is) 0-0, and it's adjustments," she said. "It's 0-0, how can we continue to push the pedal, how can we be good, how can we attack, how can we be consistent? But the mindset's just 0-0."

Montana State's defensive numbers were also gaudy. The Cats held Montana 40.4 percent shooting, came up with 21 steals – the fourth time this season with more than 20 – and for the 18^th time in 2024-25 forced at least 20 opponent turnovers (28). Guard Natalie Picton's four steals led all players, but Katelynn Martin, Morales, Chirrick and Lexi Deden each logged three.

The Bobcats carried a 26-14 lead into the second quarter, and the pressure applied to UM remained constant. Picton hit a three-pointer on the first possession, then a basket by Deden extended MSU's lead to 31-14. Morales hit a step-back three-pointer, and Montana State led by 20. The lead was 54-30 after Morales' triple with 22 seconds remaining in the first half, then a steal led to a runout by Martin. Rather than race the clock to the paint she gathered herself inside the center-court line and calmly drained a three-pointer to give the Bobcats a 57-30 lead heading into intermission.

"That was obviously a really smart decision," Binford said.

The downside to MSU's knockout-punch of a first half came on the injury front. Starters Marah Dykstra and Dylan Phillip each left the game with lower extremity injuries, and didn't return. "You never want to see injuries happen on either side," Binford said, "and our thoughts are out to both of them. At the same time, we do have a team that's going to step up. The thing I'm most proud of is how they stepped up when it's really emotional and can go either way."

Morales said compartmentalizing the loss of two players so important to the team's success was key. "It sucks to see that, but as a leader, as a point guard, I have to continue. I have to praise them and say, 'Hey, we can't have those emotions right now, especially with this type of environment and type of game. Just continue to lead them, and we're doing it for them."

But that was the only bad news for the Bobcats and the gold-splashed crowd that reached several crescendos throughout the afternoon. The gathering of 4,127 marked the largest for a Cat-Griz women's game in the past 15 years. "I came here, that was one of the reasons, the support, the community," Morales said. "I'm so happy we're having the season we're having, and it shows the community is behind us."

For all the numbers compiled on a celebratory afternoon in Worthington Arena, the most important was 18. That is Montana State's current win streak, the longest in school history in a single season. "The energy, you can sense it," Morales said of her first home Cat-Griz game. "It shows how much we work every single day, how much we're committed, and we just have to continue to grow and continue to have that 1-0 mindset."

The Bobcats now stand 25-2 on the season, 15-0 in Big Sky play, while Montana falls to 10-16, 6-9. "This is one of our four rings, one of our goals, to have both these wins at the end of the season," Chirrick said. "We just did that, so that's obviously going to be super exciting for this team."

#GoCatsGo