Senior Erica Perry dropped 22 points in the semifinal game against Eastern Washington
Cheney, Wash. (March 12, 2010) - Sixth-seed Montana State's quest for a first Big Sky Conference women's basketball championship since 1993 continued on Friday night.
The Bobcats stunned No. 1 seed and regular-season champion Eastern Washington 65-57 at Reese Court, setting up Saturday's championship game against No. 5 seed Portland State. The Vikings beat Montana in the first semifinal on Friday.
Saturday will mark the first time that the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds have squared off in the championship. Saturday's title tilt starts at 2 p.m. Pacific and will air live on Altitude. It can also be viewed for free on Big Sky TV.
Senior Erica Perry led the Bobcats (18-13) by posting 22 points, shooting 9-of-16 from the field and 3-of-5 from the free-throw line. Co-Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year Sarah Strand chipped in with 11 points and helped corral league MVP Julie Piper.
At halftime, Eastern Washington (19-11) led 26-25. The game was tight throughout the second half. Strand gave the Bobcats the lead for good 54-51 on a 3-pointer with 3:57 to play. Strand added six more points down the stretch. Montana State made 14-of-25 field goals in the second half.
The Bobcats won the game at the free-throw line, converting on 17-of-23 attempts. EWU made it to the free-throw line 15 times, converting only seven.
Brianne Ryan led a balanced EWU attack with 10 points. Four Eagles, including Piper, finished with eight.
Eastern Washington's season is not over. The Eagles will earn an automatic bid to the WNIT thanks to their regular-season championship. The WNIT field will be announced on Monday night.
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