The Bobcat Nation

This game has been a long time coming. SUU is 9-3 in conference but Covid postponements have benefitted them so far. They played um for the first time on Monday and lost 64-69. They have only played ISU once and lost 60-80. They split with UI winning the first game 87-65 and losing the second 63-82. This is SUU's best year in a long time.

I haven't watched any of the SUU games so I don't really know what to expect. The only real issue the Cats have had lately is defending the 3 against UI. Jon Newlee has made a lot of hay over the years with UI's 3 pt game against MSU. I don' expect SUU to be able to replicate that.

Go Cats!

rivercat wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 1:45 pm

This game has been a long time coming. SUU is 9-3 in conference but Covid postponements have benefitted them so far. They played um for the first time on Monday and lost 64-69. They have only played ISU once and lost 60-80. They split with UI winning the first game 87-65 and losing the second 63-82. This is SUU's best year in a long time.

I haven't watched any of the SUU games so I don't really know what to expect. The only real issue the Cats have had lately is defending the 3 against UI. Jon Newlee has made a lot of hay over the years with UI's 3 pt game against MSU. I don' expect SUU to be able to replicate that.

Go Cats!

Play primarily an 8 person rotation with none of the 8 averaging over 30 minutes per game. 5 ladies average in double figures….well balanced offense. Does that sound familiar?

As a team shoot about 33% from arc. One lady, Johnston #34, has put up over 106 shots from the arc and making 36%. #30, Otkhmezuri has taken 58 shots from the arc making 41%.

#15 Williamson is 6’5” and averages 8 rebounds as does #40 Dotson at 6’1”. Williamson shoots over 50% from the field obviously from under the bucket.

On paper looks like we would match up well. They do turnover the ball more than the Cats. Can Kola and Gabbi control the paint and avoid foul trouble. Can we stop the 3 ball? Can Kola “outspeed/outmaneuver” Williamson when working for buckets inside? How do we stop the feeds inside to the big lady? Can Darian, Leia, Lexi and KJ help increase the SUU turnover average? We will see in an hour or so.

Not great hoops, but in the lead at the half! I love these announcers…… I wonder if they’re students. Let’s pick it up and get a W!

We lose this game in OT....I wasn’t happy with the Officiating but that didn’t cost us the Game. We are too one dimensional without someone with Darian doing it all but I’m sure that will get corrected as this team is way too good in talent. I’m hoping a few players realize they need to step it up to make this team feeling good.....Go Cats!!!

Yeah defense played scared in key parts because of foul trouble. Lost to a really good team in SUU in some unique circumstances! Not too worried overall. Go win out!

Tough one tonight, I'm sure they will respond!

If you haven't seen the end of the UM/NAU women's game, make sure to check that out! ESPN still has the final score listed as the incorrect result...

MSU01 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:35 pm

Tough one tonight, I'm sure they will respond!

If you haven't seen the end of the UM/NAU women's game, make sure to check that out! ESPN still has the final score listed as the incorrect result...

Not going to win many with White 1-13. We have survived a few like that but we won't many times. Didn't seem like we went as deep into second half as we have. Athletic guards really bother us and we could not stop penetration at the end. And a lot of contact by both teams under baskets was let go. SUU had 1 foul in fourth and first half of OT

I was trying to watch on my phone at the men's game. Saw two possessions where it looked like we scored but were waived off-White on a layup and Janssen on a turn around jumper. Maybe offensive foul or shot clock? Either of those would have got us the win in regulation. Looks like maybe we're out of gas. Their schedule is ridiculously brutal. Plenty more games to be played. SUU will eventually have to play a road game, right?

Likewise, I was at the men's game and kept checking the score. What was so disappointing, without knowing what actually happened, is we led throughout the game. I checked and the score was 39-27 MSU so I was optimistic. Then later on I think I saw a score of 50-41. Next thing I know it is in OT and we lose by 10.

So after beating Idaho 28-7 in the 4th quarter, we lose the 4th quarter tonight 9-21, THEN we lose the OT 2-12. Given our depth I really was surprised at this kind of finish. During the pregame I believe I heard the announcer say that SUU did not have the depth we had. Hopefully the ladies will get back in the groove in a hurry.

I watched the game in ESPN+. #1. They looked tired. They had already traveled to Portland before they got rerouted to Cedar City. With homework and all, it’s not easy to play so many on the road. They were not sharp from the get-go. Trouble was on the horizon. If you are used to watching them the passes lacked zip, a few loose turnovers, and a ton of missed shots. We struggled to maintain our 8-10 point lead, when normally we’d have pushed it to 20. #2. Our depth, without Lindsey, is 9 players. Trish tried 11. Lindsey would have been useful. Their 6’5” center is thin and slow on the court — her best skill is being tall. #3. They exposed Darian’s weakness for going left and shooting the teardrop from pretty much the same place. They just put some long arms there and pretty much stopped her. I think Darian might have ended her string of double-digit games with something like 9 points on 1-14 shooting. #4. SUU started clutching, grabbing, and holding when they got behind. To say the calls were uneven is to say the Alps are pretty hills. Even the rather-biased announcers kept saying “makeup call”, as well as saying repeatedly that we are from Billings. The play under the baskets ended up looking like an octopus fight.

Taylor was our best player, and she didn’t have her full shooting touch. Ashley was pretty good. Kola played no more than 10 minutes because of instant foul trouble. Their center was so unpredictable in her movements that you could get called for a foul just standing still. The two game killers were Kola’s foul trouble and Darian being stopped on offense. Hope this helps for those of you who could not watch the game.

Catlady wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 8:17 pm

Not great hoops, but in the lead at the half! I love these announcers…… I wonder if they’re students. Let’s pick it up and get a W!

If they were students, then they were old and very old students. How many times did they say we were from Billings, along with other miscues.

BelgradeBobcat wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:17 pm

I was trying to watch on my phone at the men's game. Saw two possessions where it looked like we scored but were waived off-White on a layup and Janssen on a turn around jumper. Maybe offensive foul or shot clock? Either of those would have got us the win in regulation. Looks like maybe we're out of gas. Their schedule is ridiculously brutal. Plenty more games to be played. SUU will eventually have to play a road game, right?

I don’t remember the White play, but Janssen’s wave-off was a shot clock violation, correctly called.

Bobcat4Ever wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 11, 2022 5:00 am

BelgradeBobcat wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:17 pm

I was trying to watch on my phone at the men's game. Saw two possessions where it looked like we scored but were waived off-White on a layup and Janssen on a turn around jumper. Maybe offensive foul or shot clock? Either of those would have got us the win in regulation. Looks like maybe we're out of gas. Their schedule is ridiculously brutal. Plenty more games to be played. SUU will eventually have to play a road game, right?

I don’t remember the White play, but Janssen’s wave-off was a shot clock violation, correctly called.

Moving screen on Kola. Also the correct call.

aucat wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:43 pm

Likewise, I was at the men's game and kept checking the score. What was so disappointing, without knowing what actually happened, is we led throughout the game. I checked and the score was 39-27 MSU so I was optimistic. Then later on I think I saw a score of 50-41. Next thing I know it is in OT and we lose by 10.

So after beating Idaho 28-7 in the 4th quarter, we lose the 4th quarter tonight 9-21, THEN we lose the OT 2-12. Given our depth I really was surprised at this kind of finish. During the pregame I believe I heard the announcer say that SUU did not have the depth we had. Hopefully the ladies will get back in the groove in a hurry.

I guess I can agree with the announcer that “SUU did not have the depth we had” but their depth is not insignificant….their 6 through 8 ladies have been averaging 20 ppg which isn’t exactly chump change. But last night SUU looked like they wanted it more and certainly had more gas at the end. It will be interesting to see how we respond next Saturday at home! Hoping this makes the lady Cats just a bit upset and we clean house on senior night.

Did the extra travel have an effect on the Ladycats?

I thought I read the Ladies were already in Portland when the PSU game was postponed/cancelled. This meant they had another travel day. I wonder how much this may have worn on them and did not have the normal energy they would have otherwise had in the 4th and OT.

I'll chalk this game up to being tired. They've played a lot of games in the last 3 weeks and making the trip to SUU via a detour to Portland had to take a toll. SUU is a good team but the Cats are better under normal circumstances. Poor rebounding, fouls resulting from being a step late, poor shooting, etc can be a result of being a bit worn and that's what I saw.

wapiti wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:19 am

Did the extra travel have an effect on the Ladycats?

I thought I read the Ladies were already in Portland when the PSU game was postponed/cancelled. This meant they had another travel day. I wonder how much this may have worn on them and did not have the normal energy they would have otherwise had in the 4th and OT.

Yes they were. My guess is they traveled straight to Portland after their game at Idaho on Monday.

SUU did 3 things that we noticed that helped them get this come from behind W
1. Rotated defenders on Darian all night. Mostly Daughtery guarded Darian, but they also used Eaton and Ballena to constantly rotate fresh defenders on her.
2. 21 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS!!!!
3. Spaced the floor and allowed Daughtery and Ballena to iso after a switch or just go at MSU defenders in the 4th quarter. Daughtery and Ballena are arguably the best backcourt in the conference. 2 times, in particular, that stand out are the 2 blow-by layups that Darian gave up in the 4th.

Best backcourt in Big Sky?? Any combination of ISU’s guards. Without a doubt. One of them will be BSC MVP, probably Ors.