Wbb loses to msu-b

[wbtfg]

Ouch.

[CARDIAC_CATS]

That definitely stings. That is the beauty of hoops though any team can be beaten on a given night. Props to MSU-B for hanging in and getting a big win. hopefully this is a wake up call for the Lady Cats going into conference play.

Anyone go to the game? MSUB get hot shooting or was it turnovers/cold shooting for the Lady Cats?

[aucat]

Well, I was at the game and either MSU-B belongs in the Big Sky or the Bobcats are definitely a lower tier BSC team this year. I hope it is the former. No question about it, MSU-B was the better team. If they played 10 games, MSU-B would win 7 of them. Why? They have better players. They are big, fast, strong and can flat out shoot. They had a bunch of treys. We had, what 1 or 2?

They also out-hustled the Cats down the stretch. Toward the end of the game MSU-B played like they expected to win. They were very confident in taking their shots and they made them. The Cats played like they were totally frustrated. That was because of MSU-B's outstanding defense.

Kind of makes you wonder why we did not recruit a bunch of the girls on the MSU-B team. I would assume that any of those girls would've preferred to play
D-1 hoops if given the chance.

[bozbobcat]

I think this game was a combination of things. Both teams had very cold stretches shooting, but the Bobcats couldn't make a shot in the last few minutes of the game. MSU-B had a couple of sharp shooters that did quite a bit of damage from outside. They're a solid, well-coached, and good shooting team. They should do well in their conference race. I think there has to be some motivation for those girls to come in and play against a school that may have overlooked them. Their main shooter, Bobbi Knudsen from Malta, was very good today and I think she could have made a great Bobcat, along with a few other girls on that team. I think they did more to win than the Bobcats did to lose.

As for the Bobcats, it wasn't that long ago that they looked like the best team in the Big Sky. I think they miss Kalli Durham in the lineup; without her, they really don't have much of a outside shooting presence. That hurt last week against Sacramento State. I know that they have a great inside game, but players like Rachel Semansky look very tired at the end of games. I think we need to open up a long shooting game to avoid wearing out the inside players. Looking forward, I think this game will be a wake up call for the team...they'll have to play tough every night in the Big Sky to win. Durham's return is going to help, but the Cats aren't a bottom level Big Sky team. They should contend for the top third of the conference. Unlike the men's side, the women's conference race will be very tough. We could very well see MSU, UM, UNC, ISU, UND, EWU, or PSU come away with the top spot. It's going to be a fun race, and I think the Bobcats have a chance to go very far.

And the other crazy thing, I've posted on here 2,000 times. I feel like quoting Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons, "BEST TIME SPENT POSTING ON THE INTERNET EVER!"

[CARDIAC_CATS]

Thanks for the game info. Yeah of Durham was out I agree we lose a big part of our inside outside punch. Hopefully she can make it back soon. I saw a small clip on the news and MSUB did look like a good and physical team. They should do very well this year!

[kcatz]

The other issue (besides missing Durham) was that MSU-B came to play and played like they had nothing to lose. Their D was very aggressive and they were a very scrappy team. Our girls took their foot off the gas twice with an 11 point lead in the game. The last time gave the game away.

[CatBlitz]

Whatever hope I had this season for basketball lied with the women's team. Looks like I'm looking forward to Spring practice already...

[bpcats20]

First off, Congrats to MSU-Billings they deserved to win today and did by hitting the 3 ball on a consistent basis and then timely baskets down the stretch.

As far as the Lady Bobcats go, they will be fine but there will be nights like this especially considering how deep the bench is, the amount of new inexperienced players getting time etc. However tonight's loss had a lot to do with the lack of a 3 point shooter to take pressure off of our post players and open up the court.

I have seen a lot of growth in players like Stockton, Dawkins, Hommes considering they are true freshman in the last few weeks. However, Kalli Durham simply knows how to play the game and put herself in position to make plays...also she is our lone (consistent) 3 point shooter.

Without Durham, it has forced a lot of position switches among the guard rotations and MSU offense isn't quite the same.

To do anything in the Big Sky and be a really dangerous team we will need Durham back. However, if she doesn't come back, the Cats will still be a team to be reckoned with the depth and development of the young players.

[Helcat72]

MSUB packed the defense inside and we didn't even try 3 point shots until late. In fact Lindsey Stockton had the only made three pointer I believe and she was 1-1 until the last minute. We kept trying to lob passes into Rachel and they kept triple teaming her. when she got the ball she made things happen occasionally but everyone else seemed afraid to shoot from outside...not that they missed a lot they just tried to pound it inside and MSUB defended very well. tish adams didn't shoot very much like she did against NAU...and Jackie Elliot made a couple shots when she took them...but everyone seemed to want to get the ball to Rachel or Ashley and they were engulfed by BEES! To me it was a game of nothing to lose (MSUB) against young MSU players with not quite enough confidence to take their own shot. Late in the first half MSUB got a little worn down by our depth and we went on a spurt and took a 10 point lead looking relaxed....but we got tentative in the second half, tried not to lose, and got tighter as the game wound down. The youth showed...they doubled Ashley and Rachel and no one else stepped up...or knew that they needed to! We also needed a shooter to loosen the inside up. MSUB figured that if we weren't going to shoot outside they would double down until we did...and we never did. We need to shoot from outside....create some plays for Lindsey Stockton Tish Adams and Jackie Elliot.

[aucat]

One last comment and I'll let this one die. I completely agree with Helcat that several of the Lady Cats appear "scared" to take a shot. Why is that? Have they been told not to shoot? Several times Rachel (#24) has had wide open shots at the 3 point line and she doesn't even look to take the shot. Now, I'm sorry, but if you have a guard on a D-1 team who can't shoot, then why is she even on the floor??

The reason Kalli Durham is such a 3 point threat is not only because she is a good shooter, but she has a very fast release, like Kati Bussey (it was good to see her at the game).

To me this game was another "eye-opener." The Sac State game was an eye opener. We lost to them, then UM beats them by almost 30. At this point of the season, I have really lowered my expectations for this team. In fact, I don't think they will fare as well in the BSC as they did last year.

I'm close to also looking forward to spring practice.

In women's hoops, if you can't shoot the ball effectively from the 3 point line and from the FT line, you are doomed. In this day and age of girls hoops with so many excellent shooters, there is simply no excuse to only have ONE good shooter on the team! Lindsey is a good shooter, but she is short and has to "wind it up" so to speak, so a good defender can pretty much take away her shot.

[Helcat72]

I don't think Lindsey is any shorter than other shooters in the league...she just has to take the shot as a result of the offense.....if the inside players are doubled.... kick it out to her as well as Durham.

[TrueCat]

I am just posing this question, not looking to cause a huge debate, but why do people seem ok with this loss? If the men's team suffered a similar setback, evveryone would be calling for Huse to be fired immediately.

Just wondering

[ilovethecats]

I am just posing this question, not looking to cause a huge debate, but why do people seem ok with this loss? If the men's team suffered a similar setback, evveryone would be calling for Huse to be fired immediately.

Just wondering

because huse has already had "this" loss. he has lost countless games we should have won. we have been blown out in games where we should have been competitive in. while every mens season except fpr one under huse has been a disappointment....this can't be said for the women. if anything, they have over-achieved quite often since binford has been at the helm.

add this to the fact that womens hoops will almost always play second fiddle to mens hoops....right or wrong. so even when the women team performs well, there is still more talk about what the mens team is or isn't doing well. so it goes both ways. if people don't talk about the women when they are playing great....they're not going to be up and arms after one loss. but i would assume if these losses start happening at the same rate as the men....you'll start to hear a little more griping.

the simple fact is people don't care about womens sports as they do mens sports.

[TrueCat]

How have the women overacheived? I thought Trish has done a good job recruiting since she got here and I would expect them to compete for championships each year and if I remember correctly, she has yet to win a BSC championship much like Huse.

I am not sure, but I remember reading that their winning % as head coaches were not that far off.

[Hawks86]

She didn't get a raise just for the hell of it. Multiple schools wanted Binford.

[TrueCat]

I am just curious regarding the perception of the 2 programs, when they are actually not that different

[Hawks86]

I am just curious regarding the perception of the 2 programs, when they are actually not that different

WBB will be in contention for a BSC championship. MBB would be in contention for a frontier conf. championship.

[ilovethecats]

I am just curious regarding the perception of the 2 programs, when they are actually not that different

when binford took over the womens program was a wreck! the only program similar was our football program with all of their turmoil. allegations of player abuse. lawsuits. not to mention piss-poor performance on the court. many didn't realize because as i alluded to earlier....people don't seem to care about womens sports. but binford inherited a program completely in shambles. since then, she has made the conference tourney 6 years in a row. made the championship twice. is the winningest womens coach ever. and unprecedented success in the classroom. not to mention the stability of the program and the fact that we have had little to no turnover with our womens players. in other words they commit, they actually come here, they stay here, they excel in the classroom, they excel on the court, and they graduate.

how is this remotely close to what huse has done during his tenure with the mens program?

[TrueCat]

Huse has played for one conference championship and from what I have read recently, the men's basketball team has the highest team GPA it has had in a long time. Trish has the most wins as a coach, but she also has the most losses as well.

[ilovethecats]

Huse has played for one conference championship and from what I have read recently, the men's basketball team has the highest team GPA it has had in a long time. Trish has the most wins as a coach, but she also has the most losses as well.

i'm not suggesting huse doesn't do ANYTHING good for his program. but unless you are just trying to argue i don't know how any rational person could say the two programs are the same. why do binfords assistants stick around so long while huse's are gone every year. more importantly, why do binfords players stick around while huse's are transferring every year? binford has more wins. she's been to more conference tourneys. she's been in more conference chapionships. her players gpa's are still higher than the mens although i admit i too herad the guys have improved here. she got a raise while huse didn't. my guess is womens attendance has to be as close to the mens than it ever has before. huse is basically coaching for his life here while binford isn't going anywhere for a while.