Sunday, March 9
Boise, ID
12 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Northern Colorado
Bobcats Enter Big Sky Tournament #1 Seed
3/7/2025 1:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
No. 1 Montana State opens Big Sky Conference Tournament play Sunday, March 9 at 12 p.m., against the winner of #9 Northern Colorado and #10 Portland State at Idaho Central Arena.
NEXT UP: No. 1 Montana State opens Big Sky Conference Tournament play Sunday, March 9 at 12 p.m., against the winner of #9 Northern Colorado and #10 Portland State at Idaho Central Arena. UNC and PSU square off Saturday at 12 p.m. Should MSU advance to the semifinals they would face the winner of #4 Weber State and #5 Idaho State, Tuesday at 12 p.m. The Big Sky Tournament championship game is slated for Wednesday, March 12 at 3 p.m.
ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 27-3 after defeating Idaho 67-54 on Monday night in Moscow. The Bobcats captured the outright Big Sky title posting a 17-1 league mark.
ABOUT THE BEARS: Northern Colorado is 13-16 overall and finished ninth in the Big Sky Conference with a 6-12 league mark. The Bears dropped a pair of games on its home floor, Northern Arizona (80-70), and Weber State (68-67) to conclude league play.
ABOUT THE VIKINGS: Portland State finished the regular season 4-23 overall and 1-17 in Big Sky Conference action. The Vikings went 0-3 in its final week of league play dropping road contests to Montana State (78-49), Montana (74-61), and Sacramento State (69-57).
TAKE NOTE: Esmeralda Morales became the ninth Bobcat in history to be named Big Sky Conference Player of the Year. She joins an elite group of Bobcats that includes Cass Bauer (1993), Blythe Hommes (1997), Tennyson Ballek (1999), Jessica Blake (2002, (Isabel Stubbs (2003), Jasmine Hommes (2016), Peyton Ferris (2017), and Fallyn Freije (2020).
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
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 224 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men or women. This season marks her 20th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 356-252 overall and 224-128 in Big Sky action.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25: For the eleventh consecutive week Montana State is ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major top 25 poll. This week the 'Cats dropped four spots to No. 11 with 474 points. Florida Gulf Coast, who MSU defeated 58-49 in Fort Myers on Dec. 16, moved up to No. 7 (571). Big Sky rival Northern Arizona is up one spot at No. 16 with 302 points. Oral Roberts, who handed MSU one of its three losses (82-80 overtime), is at No. 24 with 81 points. South Dakota State remains No. 1 receiving 775 points. The Bobcats (55) currently have a higher NET ranking than four teams ranked above them in this week's poll, including #2 Grand Canyon (63), #5 Norfolk State (78), #7 FGCU (62) and #10 Portland (80).
ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Montana State is 27-3 after defeating Idaho 67-54 on Monday night in Moscow. The Bobcats captured the outright Big Sky title posting a 17-1 league mark.
ABOUT THE BEARS: Northern Colorado is 13-16 overall and finished ninth in the Big Sky Conference with a 6-12 league mark. The Bears dropped a pair of games on its home floor, Northern Arizona (80-70), and Weber State (68-67) to conclude league play.
ABOUT THE VIKINGS: Portland State finished the regular season 4-23 overall and 1-17 in Big Sky Conference action. The Vikings went 0-3 in its final week of league play dropping road contests to Montana State (78-49), Montana (74-61), and Sacramento State (69-57).
TAKE NOTE: Esmeralda Morales became the ninth Bobcat in history to be named Big Sky Conference Player of the Year. She joins an elite group of Bobcats that includes Cass Bauer (1993), Blythe Hommes (1997), Tennyson Ballek (1999), Jessica Blake (2002, (Isabel Stubbs (2003), Jasmine Hommes (2016), Peyton Ferris (2017), and Fallyn Freije (2020).
BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:
- 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 9.20. The Cats forced 48 turnovers vs. Chadron State and have caused 20 or more turnovers on 21 occasions. Montana State's 23.77 turnovers forced per game ranks 8th in the nation.
- In MSU's 18 Big Sky games, the Bobcats have dished out 254 assists and committed 254 turnovers, while its Big Sky Conference opponents have logged 198 assists & 434 turnovers.
- Taylee Chirrick recorded a rare double-double at Eastern Washington with 12 points and a school record 11 steals. The 11 steals matched the Big Sky single game record, last set in 2016. Chirrick ranks 8th nationally with 95 steals, which is the best mark by a freshman at the NCAA D-1 level. Her 11 steals are second to Erskine's Evangelia Paulk's 13 steals.
- Montana State is 25-0 this season when leading after the third quarter
- Montana State is 25-0 this season when holding its opponents under 70 points.
- Montana State is ranked 20th in the nation in scoring defense allowing only 55.8 ppg.
- Katelynn Martin is the fourth Bobcat in history to go over 200 three-point makes (212) in a career. She trails only Katie Bussey (254) and Hannah Caudill (231).
- For her career, Esme Morales has 1,805 points, 277 3-pt. makes and shoots 87% FT.
- Esme Morales ranks 20th in the country shooting 88.9% (102-115) from the FT line.
- MSU's 27 victories are the most in Bobcat women's basketball history.
- Montana State owns the nation's longest road winning streak at 11 games.
- Montana State's 19-game win streak was the second longest in the nation (and a school record) before being snapped by Sacramento State, 73-69, March 1.
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 224 victories. Binford is MSU's winningest coach - men or women. This season marks her 20th with the Bobcat program. She is currently 356-252 overall and 224-128 in Big Sky action.
COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25: For the eleventh consecutive week Montana State is ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major top 25 poll. This week the 'Cats dropped four spots to No. 11 with 474 points. Florida Gulf Coast, who MSU defeated 58-49 in Fort Myers on Dec. 16, moved up to No. 7 (571). Big Sky rival Northern Arizona is up one spot at No. 16 with 302 points. Oral Roberts, who handed MSU one of its three losses (82-80 overtime), is at No. 24 with 81 points. South Dakota State remains No. 1 receiving 775 points. The Bobcats (55) currently have a higher NET ranking than four teams ranked above them in this week's poll, including #2 Grand Canyon (63), #5 Norfolk State (78), #7 FGCU (62) and #10 Portland (80).
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballBobcat Insider TV Show
Wednesday, January 26
vs. Seattle (Live Stream Video)
Saturday, December 18
Inside The Brick (Lexi Deden)
Thursday, November 04
Inside The Brick (Leia Beattie)
Tuesday, November 02
