THE MATCHUP
Montana State had its seven-game winning streak against rival Montana snapped on Saturday night in Missoula in a 71-57 loss to the Lady Griz. Sacramento State moved to 10 league wins by snapping a three-game losing streak by defeating Eastern Washington 67-58 in Cheney, Washington on Saturday.
For the first time since 2015, the Hornets are in contention for a first-round bye in the league tournament. Before Wednesday’s game at Sacramento State between the Hornets and the Bobcats, Idaho State lost 73-68 to Southern Utah. ISU sewed up at least a share of the league title Saturday before the loss. Southern Utah moved to 13-6 in league play with the victory and left the door open for MSU to share the league title by dropping ISU to 15-5 in the final regular-season game for the defending league champions.
THE RESULT
Montana State scored the last four points of the first half to take a tight contest to the locker room with a 29-25 lead. The lead grew to 10 three minutes into the third quarter and sat at 43-34 entering the fourth.
Isabelle Natabou hit a pair of free throws to cut it to 45-39 two minutes into the final frame but the Bobcats responded as Leia Beattie and K.J. Limardo hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions. Kola Bad Bear’s put-back with 3:12 left gave MSU a 60-49 advantage, then Darian White hit five of 6 free throws down the stretch to help Montana State earn a 65-52 win.
Montana State is now 14-5 in Big Sky play, 19-11 overall. Sac State fell to 10-9 in league, 14-15 overall. If Montana State can win at Northern Colorado on Friday, the Bobcats will share the league title with Idaho State, marking MSU’s fourth league title in six years.
THE STANDOUTS
In a battle of two of the best posts in the league, Natabou, the 6-foot-5 former junior college transfer brought in by first-year head coach Mark Campbell, and Bad Bear, MSU’s star junior from Billings, battled on the block all night.
Natabou continued pushing her resume as a first-team all-conference player, pouring in 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the loss. Natabou entered the game averaging 15.3 points and 12.9 rebounds per game during Big Sky play.
Bad Bear, who is averaging 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds in league play, finished with 20 points and four rebounds. The point total was her second-best single game total behind her 21-point game against Montana State Billings.
SOCIAL
Idaho State, who clinched at least a share of the #BigSkyWBB championship over the weekend, just lost to Southern Utah.
— Skyline Sports (@SkylineSportsMT) March 3, 2022
So Montana State is still in the mix to share the league title.
MSU playing at Sac State, trailing 14-13 beginning of the second quarter.
Great post battle between Sac State's Izzy Natabou and Kola Bad Bear.
— Skyline Sports (@SkylineSportsMT) March 3, 2022
Natabou has 19 points, nine rebounds while Bad Bear has 17 points, four rebounds.
MSU leads 54-44 with 5:12 left in the fourth quarter #BigSkyWBB
FINAL: Montana State 65, Sacramento State 52. #MSUBobcatsWBB stays alive to share #BigSkyWBB title with Idaho State by moving to 14-5 in league play, 19-11 overall.
— Skyline Sports (@SkylineSportsMT) March 3, 2022
Sac falls to 10-9 in league, a game behind NAU, Idaho and Montana for 4th/5th place in the standings. pic.twitter.com/XV21dMN91L
#BigSkyWBB standings with about 48 hours left in the regular season: pic.twitter.com/xOMLYB8S4D
— Skyline Sports (@SkylineSportsMT) March 3, 2022
WHAT’S NEXT
Montana State plays at Northern Colorado at 6 p.m. Friday night. Sacramento State hosts Montana in a game that tips at 8 p.m. MST and might be for fifth place and the final seed in next year’s league tournament.
