Saturday, January 31
BOZEMAN
2 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Portland State
Taylee Chirrick
Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services
Bobcats Make History Again in 91-43 Women's Basketball Win Over Portland State
1/31/2026 5:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Taylee Chirrick logs second triple-double of 2026
BOZEMAN, Mont. (Jan. 31, 2026) – Taylee Chirrick recorded Montana State's third-ever triple-double, her second in a month, and the Bobcats finished off a defensive weekend for the ages by beating Portland State 91-43 in Worthington Arena on Saturday.
Chirrick scored 31 points and added 12 rebounds and 11 steals on Saturday to become the fourth player on record in NCAA women's basketball history to record a triple-double with rebounds and steals, and the first to do so in less than 28 minutes. She logged a career high in points and matched the school record in steals, which she held.
"There's not a lot more to say" about Chirrick's routine runs at history, said MSU head coach Tricia Binford, before wondering aloud "what her stat line would have been like if she would have played a full game, because she was not tired."
Chirrick's performance was the topic of conversation at the end of the day, but at the game's start the topic was the start. The Cats dealt their opponent a knockout blow early for the second straight game, scoring the game's first nine points and leading 31-1 after the first quarter. The Vikings' first basket came 11 minutes, 35 seconds into the game.
"I cannot, no," Binford said when asked if she can recall holding a team to one point in a quarter. "We've had some incredibly defensive teams, and this team has been one of the fastest, but I think what they're showing in this last week is their ability (to defend) in the front court. They've been really aggressive in the backcourt, but I feel like we've grown a lot as far as, once it gets in the half court, how do we defend as a group?"
After jumping out to a 13-0 lead and holding Sacramento State to 25 percent shooting in the first quarter on Thursday, MSU limited the Vikings without a field goal in 11 shots on Saturday. The Cats outscored their weekend opponents a combined 57-7 in the first quarter, and MSU's 48-point margin of victory on Saturday was third-largest against a Big Sky foe in school history.
Chirrick said her team's defensive cohesiveness keys the quick starts. "Everybody being on the same page and having that same mental (approach) of stopping them from even really getting in the key," she said. "I'd say just consistent (play) and playing together was super fun and made it hard on them."
The Bobcats forced 29 turnovers on the day, and Binford appreciated the production her team's ability to turn defensive intensity into offensive production. "It's one of the things we emphasize in our practices. We took that to heart, not just this year's team but also last year's, that we were in so many advantaged situations based off turnovers that we needed to put in work to make sure we're converting at a better rate."
After the first quarter, Portland State's offense gained traction. The Vikings shot 35.7 percent in the second quarter then topped 40 percent in both the third and fourth periods. Still, Binford's tribute to her team's defensive growth in the halfcourt remained consistent through the weekend. MSU held Sac State to 1-for-19 shooting from beyond the arc, and limited PSU to 2-for-14.
While Chirrick's play dominated conversation, several Bobcats turned in strong performances. Ella Johnson scored 10 points, her first double-digit effort since the conference opener on New Year's Day, and Brianne Bailey's 13 points gave her back-to-back double-digit scoring games against Division I foes for the first time.
Still, tallying up Chirrick's landmarks remained front-of-mind. Her 12 rebounds marked a career high, and her four three-pointers tied her career best. Entering Saturday's game her four four-by-five games (at least five points, rebounds, assists and steals) was tied for the most in the nation, and she joins TCU's Olivia Miles (who has four) as the only players in the country with multiple triple-doubles this season.
Montana State raised its record to 16-5 overall and 9-1 in Big Sky play with the win, setting up a showdown on Thursday night against Idaho. At 8-1 after Saturday's win against Northern Arizona, the Vandals join MSU as the league's only teams with one conference loss.
PSU falls to 5-16 overall, 1-6 in the league.
#GoCatsGo
Chirrick scored 31 points and added 12 rebounds and 11 steals on Saturday to become the fourth player on record in NCAA women's basketball history to record a triple-double with rebounds and steals, and the first to do so in less than 28 minutes. She logged a career high in points and matched the school record in steals, which she held.
"There's not a lot more to say" about Chirrick's routine runs at history, said MSU head coach Tricia Binford, before wondering aloud "what her stat line would have been like if she would have played a full game, because she was not tired."
Chirrick's performance was the topic of conversation at the end of the day, but at the game's start the topic was the start. The Cats dealt their opponent a knockout blow early for the second straight game, scoring the game's first nine points and leading 31-1 after the first quarter. The Vikings' first basket came 11 minutes, 35 seconds into the game.
"I cannot, no," Binford said when asked if she can recall holding a team to one point in a quarter. "We've had some incredibly defensive teams, and this team has been one of the fastest, but I think what they're showing in this last week is their ability (to defend) in the front court. They've been really aggressive in the backcourt, but I feel like we've grown a lot as far as, once it gets in the half court, how do we defend as a group?"
After jumping out to a 13-0 lead and holding Sacramento State to 25 percent shooting in the first quarter on Thursday, MSU limited the Vikings without a field goal in 11 shots on Saturday. The Cats outscored their weekend opponents a combined 57-7 in the first quarter, and MSU's 48-point margin of victory on Saturday was third-largest against a Big Sky foe in school history.
Chirrick said her team's defensive cohesiveness keys the quick starts. "Everybody being on the same page and having that same mental (approach) of stopping them from even really getting in the key," she said. "I'd say just consistent (play) and playing together was super fun and made it hard on them."
The Bobcats forced 29 turnovers on the day, and Binford appreciated the production her team's ability to turn defensive intensity into offensive production. "It's one of the things we emphasize in our practices. We took that to heart, not just this year's team but also last year's, that we were in so many advantaged situations based off turnovers that we needed to put in work to make sure we're converting at a better rate."
After the first quarter, Portland State's offense gained traction. The Vikings shot 35.7 percent in the second quarter then topped 40 percent in both the third and fourth periods. Still, Binford's tribute to her team's defensive growth in the halfcourt remained consistent through the weekend. MSU held Sac State to 1-for-19 shooting from beyond the arc, and limited PSU to 2-for-14.
While Chirrick's play dominated conversation, several Bobcats turned in strong performances. Ella Johnson scored 10 points, her first double-digit effort since the conference opener on New Year's Day, and Brianne Bailey's 13 points gave her back-to-back double-digit scoring games against Division I foes for the first time.
Still, tallying up Chirrick's landmarks remained front-of-mind. Her 12 rebounds marked a career high, and her four three-pointers tied her career best. Entering Saturday's game her four four-by-five games (at least five points, rebounds, assists and steals) was tied for the most in the nation, and she joins TCU's Olivia Miles (who has four) as the only players in the country with multiple triple-doubles this season.
Montana State raised its record to 16-5 overall and 9-1 in Big Sky play with the win, setting up a showdown on Thursday night against Idaho. At 8-1 after Saturday's win against Northern Arizona, the Vandals join MSU as the league's only teams with one conference loss.
PSU falls to 5-16 overall, 1-6 in the league.
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
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