With Big Sky Conference play on the horizon, Montana State proved it still knows how to finish at home.
The defending Big Sky champion Bobcats closed its non-conference schedule with a lackluster start but a strong stretch run to enter league play on a six-game winning streak. Montana State saw a trio of fresh faces close the first half with a flurry, then turned to its senior captains to close out the Mustangs in resounding fashion.
The Montana State women closed the game on a 25-2 run that included shutting Cal Poly for the first nine minutes, 45 seconds of the 10-minute final quarter en route to a 71-52 win in front of 1,243 on Tuesday night in Bozeman.
“I love how we responded,” Montana State 12th-year head coach Tricia Binford said after her team rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit. “I’d like to have a better defensive effort in the first half and I’d like to see two halves of that second half defensive performance but we are definitely growing up in the right way.”
Montana State freshman Oliana Squires/ by Brooks Nuanez
Dynn Leaupepe hit a jump shot in the lane as she and her twin sister Lynn continued to put on a show for the first 13 minutes of the game. On the defensive end, Dynn swatted Delany Junkermier’s layup attempt into the stands, the third such block by the twins early on. The sisters combined for 22 of Cal Poly’s first 30 points a as Cal Poly led the hosts 32-19 midway through the second quarter.
A Bobcat squad trying to defend its league title from a year ago without program fixtures Jasmine Hommes and Lindsay Stockton looked overmatched. Then the hosts turned to a few fresh faces for a lift before halftime.
Annika Lai, a talented sophomore who played 13 minutes a game as a true freshman, scored six points during Montana State’s 15-6 run to close the first half. Freshmen Madeline Smith and Oliana Squires scored four each and the trio combined for all but one of MSU’s point during the run to enter halftime down 36-32. Montana State got 26 points from its bench Tuesday, including nine from Squires in just 13 minutes.
“The second quarter timeout, our conversation was about being in unchartered territory (down double digits in the first half) and we had a great opportunity to see how we responded to it with composure,” Binford said. “I want to credit our bench. That lineup that tightened it up had not one starter on the floor. It shows the depth in this team and the confidence in each other.”
Montana State head coach Tricia Binford/ by Brooks Nuanez
After halftime, the Bobcats turned to the all-conference caliber senior duo of Riley Nordgaard and Peyton Ferris. Nordgaard set the tone defensively with a pair of steals to start the third and tenacious play throughout as MSU held Cal Poly to two fourth quarter points and just 16 after halftime. Ferris gave the Bobcats a lift offensively to take the lead early in the fourth as the hosts finished off the Mustangs to move to 7-3 with Big Sky Conference play nine days away.
“Closing out games is what good teams do,” Nordgaard said. “We are trying to get better every day and if we keep closing out games like this, we will be a pretty good team.”
The win gives MSU 28 wins in its last 41 games dating back to last season. The home victory is Montana State’s fourth in a row this season and its 17th in its last 18 at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.
“This was our biggest test at home so far and getting this win going into break, having momentum coming into conference…everything at the end was firing on all cylinders so we have momentum now,” said Ferris, the preseason Big Sky Player of the Year, after scoring 14 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out all three of her assists in the fourth quarter. The Twin Bridges product scored 12 points after halftime.
“We knew we weren’t playing our best game in the first half and we knew we had to step up our defense. That was an adjustment. We can’t just glide through and get in those situations. Our defense in the fourth quarter was really key.”
Montana State senior Riley Nordgaard, No. 15, leads her teammates after a timeout/ by Brooks Nuanez
Cal Poly missed 13 of its last 15 field goal attempts of the second quarter and the trend continued into the second half. The Mustangs shot 4-of-14 in the third frame and Montana State went on a 9-0 run that included six Ferris points. But the Bobcats missed their last six shots of the quarter as the visitors answered with 7-0 run to close the third up 50-48.
Ferris sparked the Bobcats in the final quarter, getting two offensive rebounds on the first possession, including one she put in for a layup through contact to tie the game at 50. Her rip through, double-pump right hand off the glass put MSU up two on the next possession. Her assists out of the post to Nordgaard for a 3-pointer gave MSU a five-point lead. The Bobcats would not trail again.
“The seniors, that’s where your experience definitely shows,” Binford said. “Riley was all over the place on both ends. Everything starts with our defense. When we get stops, we can get out and run and that’s where Peyton got some opportunities in the open court to get us going.”
Cal Poly did not score in the fourth quarter, missing all 16 of its field goal attempts. Senior Margreet Barhoum’s 3-pointer with 4:30 left pushed the MSU run to 14-0 and the lead to 62-50. Nordgaard hit a layup in the lane and drilled her third 3-pointer to push her to 17 points before she took a seat. His 3-pointer gave MSU a 69-50 advantage. Squires’ jump shot pushed MSU’s run to 25 straight points before Cal Poly Junior Gabby Grupalo’s layup broke CP’s cold streak with 15 seconds left.
“Early on, we were going one-on-one defensively, putting our teammates on islands and in the second half, we made a really big adjustment to really help in and collapse and stunt and give recovery and play more team ball,” Nordgaard said.
Tricia Binford coaches Hannah Caudill, No. 23, and Peyton Ferris/ by Brooks Nuanez
The Mustangs built a double-digit lead that swelled to as many as 13 points early in the second quarter thanks to the inspired play of the Leaupepe twins. Dynn scored 16 points and blocked two shots, Lynn scored 10 points and blocked two shots and the burly duo gave MSU fits before halftime. After halftime, the identical juniors managed just two combine shots.
Binford said her goals for her team in their 10th and final non-conference contest was to commit less than 14 turnovers and earn a 10-rebound advantage on the glass. Montana State committed 11 turnovers and won the battle o the boards 52-42 behind 10 rebounds from Smith and nine more for Nordgaard.
Now Binford’s squad turns its attention to defending its league title. The Bobcats open at Weber State on December 29.
“Doing those two things we focused on says a lot about this group,” Binford said. “I think we are ready (for conference play). Everybody has to be.”
All photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
