The Bobcat Nation

I didn't see a discussion on this yet:

Thursday 3/11:

#6 MSU vs. #3 Sac State

#5 PSU vs. #4 ISU


Friday 3/12:

#1 EWU vs. Lowest-remaining seed

#2 UM vs. Highest-remaining seed

Saturday 3/13:

Championship 3:00 PM Pacific (4:00 Mtn)


For the first time in many years, the Women's tournament is about as wide-open as you'd ever want. Quite literally, all 6 teams have a legitimate shot at winning the thing. Look out for ISU who has won 6 straight games, although they struggle away from home. Eastern has protected their home court very well this year (12-2) so they have to be considered the favorite. Sac State is also playing very well lately, and they are over .500 on the road.

It should be very interesting.

You are right, GinW, that the women's tournament is as close as it has been in a long time. I agree that each team has a shot, and here's a little bit why.

#1 Eastern Washington: They had a spectacular year, and have played well all season. They're really strong at home, and they could be slightly favored to win it. It wasn't a bad year for them after being picked to finish eighth.

#2 Montana: The Griz are the Griz...they have some players who have been to the Dance before, and a coach who knows what he's doing in the Big Sky tournament. This is the first time that the tournament has been away from Missoula for a while, and we'll have to see how the Lady Griz do away from home, which hasn't been their strong point this year.

#3 Sacramento State (MSU's first round opponent): They have developed into a pretty good program, and they can score lots of points. They put up 100 on the Lady Griz earlier this season; no one has ever done that. However, they were swept by the Cats in the regular season, and the ladies scored into the 80s and 90s to win those games. This match will keep Eastern's scoreboard operator very busy.

#4 Idaho State: They've won 6 in a row, and have some solid players in Chelsea Pickering and Onna Iacovita. They don't play as well away from home, but they're on quite a roll.

#5 Portland State: There were some lofty expectations in Portland this year, and they didn't quite pan out as well. Claire Faucher is a dangerous player, and they have the talent to win.

#6 Montana State: The Cats come in on a roll. They finished the second half of the conference season at 6-2, with a 5-1 road record. They seem to play better away from home, and they can score a ton of points. This is Erica Perry's swansong at MSU, and she'll want to lead this team to great things. They match up well with their first round opponent, Sacramento State. I'm not so sure after that, as they were swept by Eastern Washington (the semifinal opponent if the Cats win) in the regular season. They have a win against all other tournament teams.

If you ask me, this thing is wide open. I see Portland State as the least likely to win the tournament, but all five other teams have a great shot. I'd imagine Eastern Washington would be the slight favorite, but after that, it's anybody's guess.

Good post, Boz.

Thank you for getting this started. I will throw my two cents in later tonight in a blog post on our blog http://bozeman-www2.bozemandailychronic ... bcat-blog/ and post the link here with additional thoughts

Let's see...PSU beat Montana both home and away this year. They split with Sac. State, Idaho State, MSU and Eastern Washington. Yet they are alleged to be the team that has a snowball's chance in hell to win the tournament. I wonder what they have been smoking in Bozeman. Whatever it is, it must be illegal.

chrisweeks wrote:Let's see...PSU beat Montana both home and away this year. They split with Sac. State, Idaho State, MSU and Eastern Washington. Yet they are alleged to be the team that has a snowball's chance in hell to win the tournament. I wonder what they have been smoking in Bozeman. Whatever it is, it must be illegal.

i'm curious what your take is on them then. they are awful away from home (4-8), they are 3-5 in their last 8, and they just squeaked into the tourney. i would assume that the expectations of them winning the big sky are not that great. but seeing as you have a way different view than i do, care to make a wager? i'm not smoking anything, however i don't see how anyone can look at msu or psu and not think they are extreme long shots.

chrisweeks wrote:Let's see...PSU beat Montana both home and away this year. They split with Sac. State, Idaho State, MSU and Eastern Washington. Yet they are alleged to be the team that has a snowball's chance in hell to win the tournament. I wonder what they have been smoking in Bozeman. Whatever it is, it must be illegal.

Ummm....what?

So far I see a post saying that all 6 teams can win. And another that says, "Claire Faucher is a dangerous player, and they have the talent to win".

Can you please direct me to a post -- any post -- in which someone says PSU doesn't have a shot in hell to win the tournament? I'll wait over here....

It will be interesting to see how our women's team plays against Sac State. I thought that their games against Sac State and Montana were probably the best ball they played all season, but then just a little letdown against N. Colorado and they lose a game they should have won.

This tournament is so wide open. The Cats have an equal shot of losing the first game or winning the whole thing. Rebounding and defense will be key with so many wide open offenses.

There are now 2...whitetrashgirl and bobbozcat. PSU has a 3-1 record against the top 2 seeds and Montana State, who has the toughest draw in the tourney, is a more talented team than Montana.

chrisweeks wrote:There are now 2...whitetrashgirl and bobbozcat. PSU has a 3-1 record against the top 2 seeds and Montana State, who has the toughest draw in the tourney, is a more talented team than Montana.

what on earth are you talking about? first you claim that anyone who doesn't like psu's chances of winning the big sky tourney must be smoking. then, you really get us by calling me a girl and changing screen names. ouch...really got me. who said they didn't have a snowballs chance in hell to win? you did. no one said that. bozbobcat said that he thinks they are the least likell to win. i said i think them and the cats are probably the least likely. that's great you have a good record against the top seeds. doesn't change the fact that you rarely win away from home, and you've lost 5 of your last 8 games. our mens team hadn't lost to the psu men either and look where that got us. listen, if you think you are a lock to win the sky more power to you. i simply said i think it's obvious they have a tough hill to climb. feel free to continue your little juvenile name calling and drug referencing. frankly, i don't care enough about womens hoops to get in a pissing match with some kid. but when you are the lowest seed coming into the tourney losing 5/8 games, you'll have to excuse people for not being high on your team winning it all. guess we're all just smoking....

Going to be out there with the entire family in our Bobcat Blue cheering the ladies on. There are a lot of us Bobcat faithful here in Spokane and also the fact that there are several Washington kids on the team I think there will be a nice crowd. So come on over if the roads are not to bad and cheer on the ladies EWU has a great facility to watch the games in. GO CATS GO

Here's hoping that the Cats will be playing in Saturday's championship game. I'll be in the Spokane area this weekend, but will not be getting to town until late Friday night and wouldn't be able to make either of those games. Regardless, I'll be wearing my Bobcat gear all around town, so I'll be on the lookout for other Cat fans. Go CATS! Best of luck this weekend!

White Trash:
Are you for real? I realize you may be off your lithium and the trailer park may be sold to make way for a landfill, but ranting about phrases such as " what have you been smoking" is getting a little manic. It is a light hearted comment and anyone who has spent any time online knows that. Methinks that you protest too much.

In addition, PSU is not the lowest seeded team. MSU is although MSU is a more talented team than Montana. Having seen all of the PSU/Montana/Montana State teams, it appears that this is not the Montana of old. The loss of Rogers and Morales has seriously weakened the team as their record shows.

I am not a member of the PSU team. When you make reference to "you" rarely win away from home, it makes little sense. PSU, on the other hand, has the same road record as Montana and the games are not away games for 5 of the teams but are played on a neutral court. Both teams, in effect, are "away".

The proof will be in the pudding.

chrisweeks wrote:White Trash:
Are you for real? I realize you may be off your lithium and the trailer park may be sold to make way for a landfill, but ranting about phrases such as " what have you been smoking" is getting a little manic. It is a light hearted comment and anyone who has spent any time online knows that. Methinks that you protest too much.

In addition, PSU is not the lowest seeded team. MSU is although MSU is a more talented team than Montana. Having seen all of the PSU/Montana/Montana State teams, it appears that this is not the Montana of old. The loss of Rogers and Morales has seriously weakened the team as their record shows.

I am not a member of the PSU team. When you make reference to "you" rarely win away from home, it makes little sense. PSU, on the other hand, has the same road record as Montana and the games are not away games for 5 of the teams but are played on a neutral court. Both teams, in effect, are "away".

The proof will be in the pudding.

so playing on a neutral court is not playing away from home? and what is psu womens record away from home?
i don't get why you keep calling me out with the personal attacks. my first post asked you what your take was on things. i said from the beginning that the teams with the hardest road to climb would be PSU and MSU. i bet a great number of people would agree with that. i also don't like psu mens teams chance over weber tonight either. care to get all upset about that? the fact is, when you are a 5 or 6 seed that has proven time and time again that you can't win on the road, i don't know why you feel psu wonem deserve more respect than they are getting. and notice i haven't suggested who the winnier would be. i just said it seems realistic that msu and psu may be the least likely to win. you don't have to like it. flame away my friend.

The loss of Rogers and Morales has seriously weakened the team

Ya think??



What a moron....

GrizinWashington wrote:

The loss of Rogers and Morales has seriously weakened the team

Ya think??



What a moron....

and in related news it is expected that kentucky may not be as good next season after wall, cousins, bledsoe, and patterson bolt for the nba.

Let me clarify something: I said that I thought Portland State was the least likely team to win the tournament. I certainly didn't say they weren't going to win, or that they had no chance. PSU had a great first half of the conference season, going 6-2. They didn't have such a great second half except for the win in Missoula. Their other two wins were against the 8th and 9th place teams (Weber and NAU). They were 3-5 in the second half to finish at 9-7 overall. MSU was the opposite: they had a tough first half of the conference season, going 3-5, and a strong second half, going 6-2. Five of those six wins in the second half came on the road. The first round opponents are interesting as well: MSU plays Sacramento State, which they beat twice in the regular season. Sac State is playing good ball right now. PSU is playing Idaho State, which has won 6 in a row before the tournament. Momentum is a factor in determining which team would have a better chance of advancing. To me, MSU has the better chance. Of course, it's all talk right now...that's why they play the game!

here's the blog post for the upcoming game. http://bozeman-www2.bozemandailychronic ... og/?p=3140 My thoughts/picks aren't in there, oops. If I had to pick, I'd think MSU gets past CSUS, then falls to EWU. IMO.

Coach Binford just mentioned that Lyndi Seidensticker broke her thumb and won't be playing. That will hurt a lot, because she was so steady and a deadly 3 point shooter.

Man you hate to ever see anyone get injured, but especially this time of year.