Lady ‘Cats Prepared to Defend Conference Title
By Danny Waldo
Coming off one of the most decorated seasons in program history, the Montana State Bobcat women’s basketball team will be trying to keep the title of Big Sky Conference champions in Bozeman for a third consecutive season.
However, unlike the men’s team which returns its entire starting five, coach Tricia Binford and her staff have the unenviable position of trying to replace the league’s MVP in Peyton Ferris, as well All-Conference performer Riley Nordgaard. The two league standouts led MSU to a 25-7 record, including 15-3 in league play, while guiding MSU to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1993. And while the Lady ‘Cats would fall in the first round the University of Washington Huskies, MSU’s dynamic duo didn’t go unnoticed. Ferris finished her Bobcat career by dropping in 33 points on the 12th ranked Huskies, while Nordgaard put solid numbers across the board, finishing with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. The pair was rewarded for their outstanding play by receiving opportunities to continue their careers overseas. In addition to losing Ferris and Nordgaard, MSU also lost junior-to-be Annika Lai who decided to transfer to a school closer to her home in Boulder, CO. Lai played in all 32 games last season and was 5th on the team in scoring at just under seven points per game.
The Lady ‘Cats will try to build their attack around a pair of senior starters in Hannah Caudill and Delaney Junkermier and a slew of returners, such as talented sophomore guard Oliana Squires and junior post Blaire Braxton. Caudill was third on the team in scoring a season ago, averaging just under 10 points per game, and Junkermier was next, dropping in 7.5 points per game, while Squires contributed 6.5 points per game.
Losing Ferris and Nordgaard has cooled expectations for Binford and Co. in the eyes of the league coaches and media, as MSU was picked third by the media and fourth in the coaches’ poll. “It’s no secret that Northern Colorado should be the league favorite with all of their returning fire power,” said MSU head coach Tricia Binford. “The Big Sky Conference has a lot of depth and talent returning and many things can happen from October to March. For us, it’s about focusing on the process and getting better every day.”
MSU kicks off its season with a pair of exhibition matchups versus Montana Tech (Nov. 1) and South Dakota Mines (Nov. 3) before opening regular season play at PAC-12 member USC on November 10th. MSU’s 2017-18 regular season home-opener is scheduled for November 15th when the Lady ‘Cats host Providence (Formerly University of Great Falls) at The Brick.
For a complete schedule of all Montana State Bobcat athletics, log on to www.msubobcats.com.
