Game Recap

Martell strokes MSU record eight triples, propels Bobcats past UND

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Tori Martell and the Montana Stae Bobcats had quick triggers in their first game of the season on Sunday afternoon.

And who can blame them? The reigning Big Sky Conference champions haven’t played a game in 270 days.

During the last nine months, Montana State has had to stew on how last season abruptly ended while the Bobcats were in the midst of a historic run. On March 11, 2020, MSU earned a 76-71 win over Northern Arizona in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference women’s basketball tournament in Boise.

The victory was Montana State’s 21st against a league opponent, adding to the Big Sky record 19 conference wins MSU strung together during the regular-season. The triumph over NAU also helped MSU tie its school record with 25 victories.

The Bobcats were set to face Idaho, the second seed in the tournament and the only team to beat Montana State during league play. Instead, the Big Sky Tournament, the NCAA Tournament and all spring sports across NCAA Division I athletics were swiftly cancelled in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Sunday, Montana State took the court on a 17-game winning streak dating back to January 9 when the Bobcats lost 69-68 to Idaho in Bozeman. Visiting North Dakota found themselves on the wrong end of Montana State’s eager sharp shooting as the Bobcats picked up where they left off last season.

Martell knocked down a total of eight 3-pointers, breaking a school record on the way to 26 points. MSU hit 10 3-pointers in the first half and 14 overall on the way to an 84-72 victory over UND in an almost empty Brick Breedin Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon.

Montana State senior guard Tori Martell (12) shoots a three point shot vs North Dakota/by Brooks Nuanez

“This felt so good,” Martell, MSU’s lone senior, said after surpassing her previous career-high scoring total by nine points. “All the hard work these last however many months, in and out of the court, in and out of the gym, in and out of quarantine, getting to play that first game is so special. It was a good day. And we got the win.”

Montana State 16th-year head coach Tricia Binford said “every team in the country has a different story about how difficult the last nine months have been”, adding her team has had an array of “quarantine situations” that have impeded their collective preparation.

After the Nov. 25 opener against South Dakota School of Mines was cancelled, Montana State finally opened up the 2020-21 season Sunday in front of a smattering of media and an otherwise empty Worthington Arena.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Binford said. “This from a mental standpoint was huge to get this game under our belts period. And I’m really proud of them from an effort standpoint.

“We’ve seen a lot of tears and we’ve had a lot of quarantines. First game got cancelled, season started two weeks later…there were multiple factors, season started as late as it did, the way last season ended, this has been hard. But there’s been a lot of growth. I already know this team is resilient.

“The gratitude of getting through tip today, it’s just a victory to see these kids out there in uniform.”

Montana State graduated five stellar seniors from last year’s squad, including Big Sky Player of the Year Fallyn Freije and All-Big Sky combo guard Oliana Squires. MSU returned Martell, the only junior in last season’s rotation, along with Darian White, the reigning Freshman of the Year and a preseason All-Big Sky selection.

Montana State sophomore guard Darian White (2) finishes in traffic vs North Dakota/by Brooks Nuanez

The rest of the Bobcat rotation includes a collection of either unproven sophomores (at least in starting roles) in post Kola Bad Bear and forward Madison Jackson, starting true freshman KJ Limardo or her classmates Ava Ranson, Lexi Deden, Taylor Janssen and Leia Beattie.

Part of Montana State’s early casting from beyond the arc was the unfamiliarity of the Bobcats, both with each other and in some cases, with the college game in general.

But MSU jolted out to a 23-16 lead after the first quarter by drilling seven 3-pointers in 13 attempts, including a pair of triples, one each from White and Martell that came in transition as UND struggled throughout the game with White’s ability to push the pace.

MSU’s first 13 shots came from beyond the arc. MSU did not make a 2-point field goal until White’s lay-up with less than four minutes remained in the first half. MSU only made three 2s in the first half.

“North Dakota is a saggy defensive team,” White said. “Coach Bin mentioned how many 3s we were taking but that’s just what they were giving us. It wasn’t like we were taking bad shots or forcing it. They were good shots, especially since we were making them.”

By halftime, Martell was 5-of-6 from deep and the Bobcats were 10-of-25 from distance. Montana State cooled off after halftime, missing 11 of its 15 tries from beyond the arc. But Martell just kept shooting it.

“This year, I’m just going to shoot it,” Martell said. “I really don’t have a brain for it I miss it. I’m just shooting my shot and taking all the open looks I can get.”

Montana State senior guard Tori Martell (12) passes in traffic vs North Dakota/by Brooks Nuanez

“She gets us going and it’s so exciting because she is so hard to stop,” added White, who scored 22 points to go along with six assists. “When she gets it going, and our guards can get into the key, the defenders have to make a choice: if they are going to let us go or guard Tori. A lot of times, they don’t want the lay-up so we just kick it out to here and trust it.

“If she doesn’t shoot it, I’m going to be mad.”

The 5-foot-8 lefty from Somerset, Wisconsin hit her sixth 3 to give MSU a 56-35 lead with 5:51 left in the third quarter, marking the largest lead for the hosts. She hit her seventh 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter and keep MSU up 16, 65-49.

UND cut that lead from 16 to seven over the next six minutes, capped by Clarie Orth’s layup with three minutes left to cut the gap to 74-67. The next two possessions, Montana State executed perfectly to earn open 3-point looks, including one by Janssen, who hit a pair of 3s and finished her college debut with 10 points.

The other came when Martell banged home her eighth triple with 2:07 left to keep the lead in double digits, 80-67.

“I didn’t even realize I broke it until there was like 30 seconds left when (freshman) Ava (Ranson) was like, ‘Congrats, dude.’ And I was like, ‘we haven’t won yet.’ And she was like, ‘You broke the school record for shooting!’” Martell said with a giggle. “I didn’t even realize it until the end of the game.

“I’d never really thought about the record so it’s a new thing to think about but I guess it’s pretty cool.”

Martell’s eight made 3-pointers breaks a record shared by Amy Meckling (Air Force in 2003), Brandi Lewis (Idaho State, 2003) and Hannah Caudill (Eastern Washington, 2017).

READ MORE HERE: Bobcats take air out of Eagles

The outburst marks the 26th time a Big Sky player has hit eight or more 3-pointers in a game. The single-game league record is nine, held by eight different players. Idaho’s Taylor Pierce hit nine 3-pointers in a single game three different times in her career.

“For somebody like Tori Martell, there’s not a shot I’m going to make her pass up,” Binford said. “You have to go with your experience. Last year, we had all that post presence and that was a lot of our touches. With this kid starting for us and being a senior and all her experience, the more 3s we can find for her, the better.”

MSU finished 14-of-40 from deep (35 percent) and shot just 38.6 percent from the floor overall. MSU missed nine free throws in 25 attempts and lost the battle of the boards 52-39. Yet the Bobcats extended their winning streak to 18 straight and have not lost a game in 340 days.

“I told the team afterward, did you realize you shot 40 3s today?” Binford said with a laugh. “It felt like NBA basketball for awhile (laughs).

Montana State sophomore guard Darian White (2) shoots a three vs North Dakota/by Brooks Nuanez

“This team can really shoot it. That’s a huge strength for this team. We knew they were going to clog the paint. But we do need to get better with balance. We are not going to be able to live and die by the 3-point shot.”

UND, which got 18 points from Juliet Gordon off the bench and 16 more from Julia Fleecs, shot just 37 percent from the floor. North Dakota’s 2-of-16 mark from beyond the arc proved to be the difference. The Fighting Hawks play Monday at Montana. Tip-off from Dahlberg Arena is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Montana State plays at BYU on Thursday and at Utah on Friday.

“Now we have something to look at to know what we need to work on and today was a really good start,” White said.

Photos by Brooks Nuanez or Montana State Sports Information. All Rights Reserved.

Montana State freshman forward Taylor Janssen (24) shoots a jumper vs. North Dakota/by Brooks Nuanez
Montana State freshman forward Katelynn Limardo (11) kicks on the drive vs. North Dakota/by Brooks Nuanez
Montana State sophomore guard Madison Jackson drives through contact vs. North Dakota/by Brooks Nuanez
Montana State sophomore guard Darian White (2) finishes on the break vs. North Dakota/by Brooks Nuanez

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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