OGDEN, Utah (December 29, 2016) – The Montana State Bobcats and Weber State Wildcats have flipped the scripts they began the season with.
The Bobcats started off with struggles, while the Wildcats started hot. However, entering a Big Sky opener Thursday in Ogden, it was the Bobcats who entered on a six-game winning streak, while Weber State was on a four-game losing streak. Neither of those streaks ended as #BigSkyWBB play kicked off, as
the Bobcats earned an 83-68 win over the Wildcats.
The Wildcats led 23-17 after the first period, before Montana State responded with a 20-11 run in the second quarter, taking a 37-34 lead into halftime. A 56-54 MSU lead heading into the final period, the Bobcats ran away with the game in the fourth, going on a 27-14 run to earn the win.
Montana State guard Hannah Caudill led the Bobcats, finishing with 20 points. Caudill made 4-of-7 three-point shots, and finished 6-of-6 at the free throw line. MSU forward Riley Nordgaard finished with 16 points.
Weber State guard Emily Drake led all scorers, finishing with 23 points.
North Dakota 65, Portland State 61 – The North Dakota Fighting Hawks kept a recent stretch of strong play going forward, edging past an improving Portland State squad.
The Fighting Hawks had a strong second quarter, outlasting Portland State 17-10 in the period. That edge allowed North Dakota to outlast the Vikings, who edged UND in every other quarter.
A slow offensive start hurt the Vikings, as they shot just 32 percent (8-of-25) in the first half. Free throws were also a decided advantage for the Fighting Hawks, as they made 11-of-17 free throw attempts, while Portland State made just 5-of-9.
Even in a loss, Portland State’s Sidney Reilly had the performance of the night in the Big Sky, finishing with 27 points, on 12-of-21 shooting. North Dakota’s Makailah Dyer led the Fighting Hawks, finishing with 18 points. Fallyn Freije chipped in 13 points for UND.
Turnovers hurt the Vikings, as they committed 21 turnovers, compared to North Dakota’s 11.
Northern Colorado 95, Sacramento State 88 – The Northern Colorado Bears extended their momentum from the non-conference play, picking up a win over the Big Sky’s highest scoring program.
The Sacramento State Hornets are known for their hot-shooting and up-tempo style, but Northern Colorado forward Courtney Smith set the new mark for efficiency in the scoring game, with a 10-of-11 shooting performance, to finish with a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds. Six Bears finished in double-figures, as Northern Colorado outscored Sacramento State in the second half, 55-39.
Sacramento State held a 49-40 halftime lead, after making seven three-point shots in the first half. However, in the second half, the Bears held the Hornets to 2-of-15 shooting from distance, while UNC made 6-of-12 three-point shots. In the first half, it was Northern Colorado who struggled at the three-point line, making just 2-of-9.
Maranne Johnson led the Hornets, scoring 14 points. Johnson hit 4-of-10 three-point shots.
Idaho State 61, Montana 43 – The Idaho State Bengals opened conference play with a win over the historically marquee Montana Lady Griz, a program searching for answers this season.
The Bengals held the Lady Griz to 43 points on 32 percent shooting (16-of-50), with only Montana’s Taylor Goligowski scoring in double-digits (14 points). Montana scored just 17 points in the first half, as the Bengals held the Lady Griz to 7-of-26 shooting in the opening period.
Another impressive defensive statistic came from Montana’s performance at the three-point line, as the Bengals limited the Lady Griz to a 0-for-10 performance from distance. Conversely, Idaho State made 8-of-17 shots from behind the arch.
Idaho State’s Saylair Gordon finished with 15 points, on 4-of-8 shooting. Grace Kenyon finished with 10 points.