Thursday, February 27
BOZEMAN
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Portland State
Photo by: Brian Morse
Cats Close Out Home Season
2/26/2025 3:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Montana State completes its 2024-25 home season hosting a pair of Big Sky Conference games this week.
NEXT UP: Montana State completes its 2024-25 home season hosting a pair of Big Sky Conference games this week. MSU hosts Portland State, Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., and will celebrate its four seniors against Sacramento State, Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m. in Worthington Arena.
ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 25-2 overall and 15-0 in Big Sky play after dismantling Montana 98-66 last Saturday in front of 4,127 fans in Worthington Arena.
ABOUT THE VIKINGS: Portland State is 4-20 overall and 1-14 in Big Sky action after dropping a pair of home games to Idaho State, 89-80 2ot, and Weber State, 71-56, last week.
ABOUT THE HORNETS: Sacramento State is 12-16 overall and 5-10 in Big Sky action after splitting home games last week. The Hornets defeated Weber State, 56-45, on Thursday night, before dropping a 50-41 decision to Idaho State on Saturday in The Nest.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Over the past 10 seasons the Bobcats have thrived in the warm confines of Worthington Arena. Since the 2014-15 season, Montana State has gone an impressive 113-27 (80.7%) overall and 81-18 (81.8%) in Big Sky Conference play on its home court. From the start of the 2015-16 Big Sky season to the beginning of 2017-18 in league play- MSU rattled off a 19-game home court win streak. In her 20 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 183-76 (70.7%) overall and 123-51 (70.7%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.
SO MUCH WINNING: In the last five seasons, no Big Sky Conference team has won more league games than the Bobcats. Montana State has racked up 82 Big Sky wins since the 2019-20 campaign. They are followed in the top five by Northern Arizona (74), Idaho (66), Montana (62), and Idaho State (62).
300 CLUB: With MSU's 75-60 win over Weber State on Feb. 9, 2023, Tricia Binford notched her 309th career win moving her past former Weber State coach Carla Taylor (308 -23 years). With MSU's 92-84 victory at E. Wash. on Dec. 31, 2022, Binford became the third coach in Big Sky history to record 300 wins. Binford is second all-time to Montana's Robin Selvig (865, 38 years). In Big Sky play, Binford is second to Selvig (358) with 222 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men or women. This season marks her 20th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 354-251 overall and 222-127 in Big Sky action.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25: For the tenth consecutive week Montana State is ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major top 25 poll. This week the 'Cats moved up three spots to No. 7 with 553 points. Florida Gulf Coast, who MSU defeated 58-49 in Fort Myers on Dec. 16, remains at No. 8 (547). Big Sky rival Northern Arizona is down one spot at No. 17 with 245 points. Oral Roberts, who handed MSU one of its two losses (82-80 overtime), is at No. 21 with 117 points. South Dakota State remains No. 1 receiving 775 points. The Bobcats (53) currently have a higher NET ranking than two teams listed above them, including #2 Grand Canyon (63), and #8 Norfolk State (77).
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 25-2 overall and 15-0 in Big Sky play after dismantling Montana 98-66 last Saturday in front of 4,127 fans in Worthington Arena.
ABOUT THE VIKINGS: Portland State is 4-20 overall and 1-14 in Big Sky action after dropping a pair of home games to Idaho State, 89-80 2ot, and Weber State, 71-56, last week.
ABOUT THE HORNETS: Sacramento State is 12-16 overall and 5-10 in Big Sky action after splitting home games last week. The Hornets defeated Weber State, 56-45, on Thursday night, before dropping a 50-41 decision to Idaho State on Saturday in The Nest.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Over the past 10 seasons the Bobcats have thrived in the warm confines of Worthington Arena. Since the 2014-15 season, Montana State has gone an impressive 113-27 (80.7%) overall and 81-18 (81.8%) in Big Sky Conference play on its home court. From the start of the 2015-16 Big Sky season to the beginning of 2017-18 in league play- MSU rattled off a 19-game home court win streak. In her 20 seasons at Montana State, Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford is 183-76 (70.7%) overall and 123-51 (70.7%) in Big Sky play in Worthington Arena.
SO MUCH WINNING: In the last five seasons, no Big Sky Conference team has won more league games than the Bobcats. Montana State has racked up 82 Big Sky wins since the 2019-20 campaign. They are followed in the top five by Northern Arizona (74), Idaho (66), Montana (62), and Idaho State (62).
300 CLUB: With MSU's 75-60 win over Weber State on Feb. 9, 2023, Tricia Binford notched her 309th career win moving her past former Weber State coach Carla Taylor (308 -23 years). With MSU's 92-84 victory at E. Wash. on Dec. 31, 2022, Binford became the third coach in Big Sky history to record 300 wins. Binford is second all-time to Montana's Robin Selvig (865, 38 years). In Big Sky play, Binford is second to Selvig (358) with 222 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men or women. This season marks her 20th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 354-251 overall and 222-127 in Big Sky action.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25: For the tenth consecutive week Montana State is ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major top 25 poll. This week the 'Cats moved up three spots to No. 7 with 553 points. Florida Gulf Coast, who MSU defeated 58-49 in Fort Myers on Dec. 16, remains at No. 8 (547). Big Sky rival Northern Arizona is down one spot at No. 17 with 245 points. Oral Roberts, who handed MSU one of its two losses (82-80 overtime), is at No. 21 with 117 points. South Dakota State remains No. 1 receiving 775 points. The Bobcats (53) currently have a higher NET ranking than two teams listed above them, including #2 Grand Canyon (63), and #8 Norfolk State (77).
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
- Montana State's 18-game win streak is the second longest in the nation behind Grand Canyon (23). The Bobcats have won 12 straight games in Worthington Arena.
- Montana State ranks 1st in the nation averaging 14.6 steals per game. The Cats posted a season-high 26 steals in its season opening win over Chadron State on Nov. 4. The mark was two shy of the all-time MSU mark of 28 steals against Montana Tech, Dec. 16, 2000.
- Montana State ranks 3rd in the nation in turnover margin at 9.70. The Cats forced 48 turnovers vs. Chadron State and have caused 20 or more turnovers on 18 occasions. Montana State's 24.07 turnovers forced per game ranks 7th in the nation.
- In MSU's 15 Big Sky games, the Bobcats have a positive assist/turnover ratio - 217 assists/205 turnovers-, while their Big Sky opponents have 167 assists/371 turnovers.
- Taylee Chirrick recorded a rare double-double at Eastern Washington on Jan. 20 with 12 points and a school record 11 steals. The 11 steals also matched the Big Sky single-season record, last set in 2016. Chirrick ranks 9th in the country with 86 steals, which is also the best mark by a freshman at the NCAA Division-1 level. Her 11 steals are second to Erskine's Evangelia Paulk's 13 steals set on Jan. 2.
- Montana State is 24-0 this season when leading after the third quarter
- Montana State is 24-0 this season when holding its opponents under 70 points.
- Montana State is ranked 17th in the nation in scoring defense allowing only 55.4 ppg.
- Katelynn Martin is the fourth Bobcat in history to go over 200 three-point makes (211) in a career. She trails only Katie Bussey (254) and Hannah Caudill (231).
- For her career, Esme Morales has 1,773 points, 272 3-pt. makes and shoots 86.9% FT.
- Esme Morales ranks 22nd in the country shooting 88.6% (101-114) from the FT line.
- MSU's 25 victories matches a school record with the 2016-17 and 2019-20 Bobcats.
Players Mentioned
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