THE MATCHUP
The rivalry game between the Montana and Montana State’s women’s basketball teams played for the 111th time in a rivalry dating back to the 1974-75 season on Monday in Bozeman. The showdown was originally scheduled for January 9 but pandemic protocols caused for the game to be rescheduled.
THE RESULT
Montana won 77 of the first 101 Cat-Griz games in women’s hoops. But over the last seven years, Montana State has turned the tables heavily.
On Monday, the Bobcats turned a two-possession game midway through the third quarter into a runaway thanks in large part to an 11-0 run that bridged the end of the third frame and the beginning of the fourth frame. That spurt helped MSU’s lead swell as big as 69-48 with three minutes left as part of a 73-59 victory over the Lady Griz.
MSU has now won seven straight and 12 of its last 14 against Montana. The Lady Griz have not won at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman since 2014. The overall record between the two programs now sits at 78-34 in favor to the Lady Griz. But Montana State is now 16-19 against the once-mighty Lady Griz under 17th-year head coach Tricia Binford, a three-time and reigning Big Sky Conference coach of the year.
Montana State’s victory also capped a stretch that saw the Bobcats play and win four home games in seven days. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Montana. MSU is now 6-2 in league play, 11-8 overall while Montana is now 5-3 in league, 12-5 overall.
THE STANDOUTS
A balanced Bobcat attack that saw three players finish in double figures scoring and four players score at least nine saw several different players take turns carrying the load. Sophomore Leia Beattie scored seven of her nine points in teh first quarter to help MSU earn a 21-15 lead after the first frame.
Beattie, junior Gabbi Mocchi (seven points) and sophomore Katelynn Limardo (six points) were MSU’s three leading scorers as the hosts took a 34-30 lead into halftime. UM junior Sammy Fatkin scored 10 of her game-high 24 points before halftime.
By the midpoint of the third quarter, MSU held a 50-45 lead. Then sophomore reserve Taylor Janssen caught fire. She hit a 3-pointer directly ahead of a pivotal offensive foul on Lady Griz senior point guard Sophia Stiles. Right after that call, Janssen drilled her second of three third-quarter triples to give MSU its first double-digit lead.
Janssen ripped the net on all four of her 3-point attempts on the way to scoring a team-best and career-high 14 points. That was part of a 9-of-17 effort from beyond the arc. MSU standout point guard Darian White missed all three of her tries from deep but still finished with 13 points, five assists and two steals. Mocchi hit a 3-pointer and finished with 12.
“I thought we shot the ball very well,” Montana State head coach Tricia Binford. “Our third quarter defense really stepped up – took it up a notch – and we made some really good adjustments at halftime. I’m just really proud of this team.”
Fatkin finished with a career-high 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting for the Lady Griz. Junior Abby Anderson had 10 points and six rebounds but the Bobcats held All-Big Sky power forward Carmen Gfeller, UM’s leading scorer, to just five points on 2-of-4 field goal shooting. Sophia Stiles missed all nine of her field goal attempts and all four of her 3-pointers in scoring four points but did lead UM with 10 rebounds and also dished out four assists.
TWO BIG THINGS
- The matchup for the last few years has been touted as one between two of the most tenacious point guards in the Big Sky. Monday at the Brick, Darian White continued to reinforce why she might be the most impactful player in the league and is certainly one of the Big Sky’s most valuable. The MSU junior dominated her matchup with UM senior Sophia Stiles, visibly frustrating the former Montana Gatorade Player of the Year.
With White drawing the primary defensive matchup, Stiles finished 0-of-9 from the floor, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc and committed four turnovers. White was just 4-of-14 from the floor — Stiles, herself a phenomenal on-ball defender, made White work — but the MSU floor general still gutted out 13 points and dished out five assists, including a pair of dimes that led to Taylor Janssen 3-pointers to help Montana State opened up the game.
Stiles’ frustrations were perhaps revealed most harshly when she was called for an offensive foul and the Bobcats promptly drilled a 3-pointer on the other end, giving the hosts their first double-digit lead of the game. Montana State never looked back.
2. Two seasons ago, Montana State had one of the best teams in Big Sky Conference history in terms of record. And that squad was certainly one of the most memorable and successful non-Lady Griz team during the Big Sky era, one that Montana dominated so thoroughly until the retirement of Robin Selvig in the summer of 2016 following his 38th season as the head coach. That MSU team two years ago did not get a chance to punch its ticket to the Big Dance when the Big Sky Tournament was called off with MSU awaiting Idaho in the championship game.
That team featured six seasons. But it was a precocious freshman who turned heads down the stretch of the regular season and in the tournament in her hometown of Boise. Last season, White assumed a much more significant role as a scorer and helped MSU advance to the brink of the championship game again. But with the graduation of sharp-shooter Tori Martell, the Bobcats have relied on White more than ever this season.
MSU was up and down for the non-conference and early conference slate. Then White fell ill and MSU had to take a 16-day break. This was a pivotal week for the Bobcats. And White pulled through, helping the rest of her teammates blossom as MSU won four home games in seven days to reaffirm itself as a true contender this season. During the four-game surge, White has averaged 14.5 points and five assists per game while continuing to play the disruptive defense that makes her the reigning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year.
This week was a breakthrough for Montana State. The Bobcats go as White goes but they’ll need contributions like they got Monday and throughout the week if they want to win a fourth Big Sky title in six seasons.
QUOTABLE
“We were all really super excited to play this game We all brought the energy right away. We all know how big this game is for everyone, and because the game got pushed back (from its originally scheduled date), I think it built up the anticipation even more and we were ready to go.”
Montana State sophomore Taylor Janssen
“You can put one through 13 kids in and they’re going to bring the exact same energy whether they’re starting or not. We have a very consistent team, and all hold each other accountable, and it shows during games.”
Bobcat junior point guard Darian White
“We’re resilient, we are hungry to say the least and we’ve taken some really big steps these last couple of games. It’s really exciting to push each other to get better.”
Bobcat junior point guard Darian White
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WHAT’S NEXT
Montana State’s game at Idaho scheduled for Thursday and Montana State’s game at Idaho scheduled for Saturday have been postponed due to Covid-19 issues within the Vandal program. The Bobcats are slated to play at Eastern Washington on Thursday while the Lady Griz play at EWU on Saturday.
