BOZEMAN – Injuries and adversity have been the mark of this season for the Montana State women’s basketball team, but none have been as scary and emotional as the one suffered by Kaitlyn Limardo in the waning seconds of MSU’s 64-55 win over in-state rival Montana.
Limardo laid on the Grizzlies’ baseline for about 20 minutes before being taken off the floor with a backboard and gurney, and MSU clinging to a 58-55 lead with 14 seconds to play. Teammate Madison Jackson-Hall converted the foul shots and was fouled again, and once again made both.
“It’s really tough to see one of our key players go down,” said Jackson-Hall, who paced MSU with a game-high 18 points. “Especially KJ, because we’re all united as one. Just gotta keep moving on to the next game.”
Despite being short-handed, Montana State still found a way, rallying from an early 19-5 deficit to lock down the Lady Griz with physical, tough defense. And the effort, spearheaded by seniors Hall and Limardo, showed that Montana State — a team that has won 20 games each of the last three seasons and has won three regular-season Big Sky Conference titles in the last four years — still have hearts of champions.
The rivalry win is the 10th straight in Bozeman by MSU over Montana and the 13th victory by the Bobcats in the last 15 games against the Lady Griz overall.
“This team is very resilient as you see,” MSU head coach Trish Binford said. “I don’t know if I’ve had a closer team, and they continue to battle. There’s nothing more as a coach you can ask for from your kids. They trust and believe in each other.”
Injuries hampered the Bobcats before the season even started. MSU lost sophomore Dylan Philip, who was slated to take over the point guard spot vacated by all-time MSU great Darian White. That meant the Bobcats would go with true freshman Natalie Picton.
Picton rattled down a pair of three-pointers in the fourth quarter to spark the Bobcats on this day. She finished with 10 points and three assists. The team was plus-9 with the Ontario, Canada native on the floor, which matched the game-high.
“It started with our starting point guard, who’s started every single game for us this year,” Binford said of Picton. “Dylan was unavailable, and Natalie Picton is fearless and she’s going to do everything in her power for her teammates. She hit some big shots and she continues to grow.”
The Bobcats lost perhaps their best player in forward Lexi Deden just a few weeks into the season, then lost backup center Lindsey Hein just a couple weeks ago. Deden’s backup Marah Dykstra scored 12 points and grab five rebounds against Montana after returning from an injury herself.
Perhaps more importantly, Dykstra’s aggression to the hoop got UM All-Big Sky super senior forward Carmen Gfeller, who was averaging 13.3 points per game, into foul trouble. The Bobcats trailed 19-5 early but with Gfeller in-and-out all game they would outscore the Grizzlies 59-36 from late in the first quarter to the end of the game.
Through all that the Bobcats stand at 3-2 in the Big Sky and 9-9 overall. The game was a statement win based on the postgame thoughts from head coach Trish Binford, Hall and Dykstra.
“I was telling coach, ‘I gotta be back for this game’,” Dykstra said. “Whatever it’s a time I gotta push. I was pushing myself. This is a really big game, not only a number on a stat sheet but this is an emotional win for us. I wanted to show out on my first game back that no team can step into the “Brick” and beat us.”
The win moves Montana State to 3-2 in league play, even with the Lady Griz in the Big Sky Conference standings, and 9-9 overall. Montana had won eight of nine and sat at 11-4 before the rivlary game.
“We got a lot to be proud of for this group from this game and we’re continuing to grow,” said Binford, who in her 19th season at the helm moved to 20-20 overall against Montana. “These kids are getting thrown in against an All-Big Sky post (Gfeller) and Natalie Picton going up against two starting point guards (Mack Konig is the UM’s starter, while Gina Marxen started at Idaho before transferring to UM).”
Montana State hopes to carry the momentum of this win – one that snapped a three-game losing streak – into its Monday road game in Pocatello against Idaho State.
