The Bobcat Nation

The "B" team of Northern Arizona will be in town Saturday at the Brick! Former Bobcats Beasley and Beattie will be visiting the brick as opponents versus Bobcats. Looks to be questionable if Grace Beasley will play. She is traveling with the team but had an injury while playing against the Griz in Flagstaff and hasn't played since. Beattie is starting for NAU and tonight against the Griz in Missoula she played 33 minutes, scoring 10 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and getting 2 steals.

It'll be fun watching the Bobcats take on NAU and if they play defense like they did tonight and clean up their turnovers, I think they have a very good chance of upsetting the currently #1 ranked team in the Big Sky. I love how the team is working together, being generous with opportunities and backing each other up. Tough to defend a team that doesn't just try to get the ball to one player.

Big game today! Go cats!

Playing great defense, but still closing eyes and throwing ball at basket! Geez, if you go in for a layup and aren't fouled, you should make the basket! Cripes!
Beattie is killing them. Glancy is a Rachel Semansky clone, and plays like it...and o ly a sophomore.

Helcat72 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 3:23 pm

Playing great defense, but still closing eyes and throwing ball at basket! Geez, if you go in for a layup and aren't fouled, you should make the basket! Cripes!

A lot of uncontested shots for NAU…

Liking that Marah is taking the ball to the hoop and at least drawing contact. KJ can’t seem to buy a layup — or a foul.

Pecos24 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 3:26 pm

Helcat72 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 3:23 pm

Playing great defense, but still closing eyes and throwing ball at basket! Geez, if you go in for a layup and aren't fouled, you should make the basket! Cripes!

A lot of uncontested shots for NAU…

They really move the ball. Well coached.

Helcat72 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 3:50 pm

Pecos24 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 3:26 pm

Helcat72 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 3:23 pm

Playing great defense, but still closing eyes and throwing ball at basket! Geez, if you go in for a layup and aren't fouled, you should make the basket! Cripes!

A lot of uncontested shots for NAU…

They really move the ball. Well coached.

This…and move well w/o the ball. And they are playing great all around defense.

Best team I have seen to date. Beatty hit her first four threes. Well balanced team, quick, efficient and excellent shooters. I predict they will win the Big Sky Championship and tournament.

How were they getting so many wide open lay ups? Was our defense not rotating over to help? Or was their ability to shoot from outside pouring streets on our defense? And I don't understand how they could putreboubd us so badly. They didn't seem that much taller than us.

rfischer94 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 4:59 pm

How were they getting so many wide open lay ups? Was our defense not rotating over to help? Or was their ability to shoot from outside pouring streets on our defense? And I don't understand how they could putreboubd us so badly. They didn't seem that much taller than us.

Our defenders would collapse on the ball handler and then they would dump it to the wide open player in the post. Who, for the most part was #12, 30 points…

And apparently they have more hops, I don’t how many shots our girls had blocked at the basket, but it sure seemed like a lot. Lombardo was like 3 -12, had multiple shots blocked under the basket.

Well maybe I am full of it, ESPN stats show 2 blocks for NAU.

Pecos24 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 5:18 pm

rfischer94 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 4:59 pm

How were they getting so many wide open lay ups? Was our defense not rotating over to help? Or was their ability to shoot from outside pouring streets on our defense? And I don't understand how they could putreboubd us so badly. They didn't seem that much taller than us.

Our defenders would collapse on the ball handler and then they would dump it to the wide open player in the post. Who, for the most part was #12, 30 points…

And apparently they have more hops, I don’t how many shots our girls had blocked at the basket, but it sure seemed like a lot. Lombardo was like 3 -12, had multiple shots blocked under the basket.

That seems about right. Thanks for your perspective. I don't know that much about basketball and I enjoy learning from others.

That's right, they didn't block that many shots! They would go to the rim and must have been closing their eyes because they were missing from 3 ft away!

The younger girls are almost better finishers than Lomardo and Dykstra. Picton and Bunyon at least look for where to shoot the basketball! They need to watch Glancy. When she gets the ball in the low post she puts some arc on the ball and let's it fall into the basket. Lomardo and Dykstra are trying to get fouled more than trying to hit the basket. Their shots are flat and too hard to bank it in or drop it in. Seems to me this should be an easy thing to coach into them because we have the size to score a lot inside if they would learn to "shoot" layups. Hall is the only player that knows what she's doing around the basket. Dykstra had 18 points on 4-10 from the field and 10-13 from the line. Those aren't stats from a post player...they are stats from a wing/slasher, whereas Glancy had 30 points on 4-4 from the line and 13-18 from the field. She is also a So. Dykstra needs to work on her inside game or she will have 2 more years of Glancy eating her lunch! She's another Rachel Semansky!

NAU's center will be player of the year. Best player I've seen this year.

For those who weren't there NAU had a pretty good cheering section and almost all of them were wearing Lea Beattie's number 15. I thought that was kind of strange. What was the point in doing that? Trying to rub it in our faces that Lea left MSU to go play for NAU?

Anyway, at some point int he second half Lea was hurt and down momentarily and when she did get back up our crowd gave her a nice applause. I thought that was very good sportsmanship on our part.

I don't know why Lea left MSU but that was big loss. I've heard some say that it was because she didn't like being taken in and out so much, but that's just hearsay.

aucat wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:22 pm

For those who weren't there NAU had a pretty good cheering section and almost all of them were wearing Lea Beattie's number 15. I thought that was kind of strange. What was the point in doing that? Trying to rub it in our faces that Lea left MSU to go play for NAU?

Anyway, at some point int he second half Lea was hurt and down momentarily and when she did get back up our crowd gave her a nice applause. I thought that was very good sportsmanship on our part.

I don't know why Lea left MSU but that was big loss. I've heard some say that it was because she didn't like being taken in and out so much, but that's just hearsay.

Leia's parents, aunt and uncle and I believe other family members were there. I don't believe in any scenario they were trying to rub it in our faces she left MSU to play for NAU. They attended most of Leia's game here when she played and many of the away games.

And yes there is a lot of speculation why she left; I guess the only way to know would be to ask her directly. As for being a big loss having her go you might want to rethink that as I would suggest having an unhappy player here may be more weight on the program than having her go and replacing her with players who like and enjoy the program.

The Bobcats are playing as a team the best I've ever seen them. They're young in spots but maturing quickly. I would bet with all our injuries and many players out, no one would have predicted we would be ranked 4th at this point in the season. They may just peak at the right time and shock the crap out of you at the tournament.

Seems like as we dribble around and throw a few purposeless passes on the outside, that our offense shrinks. Then we try to force a knee-high pass to the middle or someone goes one-on-one and ends up losing the ball, throwing up a dud, or getting fouled. Our splendid passing game of a few years ago has been left behind, and a lot of dribble-drive has come back but with players (except Hall) who struggle to finish it off. It’s easier to go one-on-one to the basket if the offense expands the floor and leaves some open space. As the offense has been shrinking, any pass or drive inside is defended by two or three defenders who are within a step or two. Let’s go ‘Cats, get that ball moving and get it moving sooner, expand the floor and start shooting nearer to 50% than 30%. Go ‘Cats, Go!

CatRowdy wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:50 pm

aucat wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:22 pm

For those who weren't there NAU had a pretty good cheering section and almost all of them were wearing Lea Beattie's number 15. I thought that was kind of strange. What was the point in doing that? Trying to rub it in our faces that Lea left MSU to go play for NAU?

Anyway, at some point int he second half Lea was hurt and down momentarily and when she did get back up our crowd gave her a nice applause. I thought that was very good sportsmanship on our part.

I don't know why Lea left MSU but that was big loss. I've heard some say that it was because she didn't like being taken in and out so much, but that's just hearsay.

Leia's parents, aunt and uncle and I believe other family members were there. I don't believe in any scenario they were trying to rub it in our faces she left MSU to play for NAU. They attended most of Leia's game here when she played and many of the away games.

And yes there is a lot of speculation why she left; I guess the only way to know would be to ask her directly. As for being a big loss having her go you might want to rethink that as I would suggest having an unhappy player here may be more weight on the program than having her go and replacing her with players who like and enjoy the program.

The Bobcats are playing as a team the best I've ever seen them. They're young in spots but maturing quickly. I would bet with all our injuries and many players out, no one would have predicted we would be ranked 4th at this point in the season. They may just peak at the right time and shock the crap out of you at the tournament.

This. The team chemistry is 1000 percent better than last year. This team is young and certainly struggles on offense many games, but they are getting better each game. I would certainly NAU is the class of the conference this year, but watch out for the Cats over the next several years. We lose Madison next year which will be tough, but add back Lexi and 3 other injured ladies, plus 3 very talented freshman to this group of talented freshman.

Someone on Facebook with a last name of Beattie made a comment about learning the real reason why Beattie left in response to a "traitor" type comment someone made.

So I didn't get the feeling she left because of any sort of being disgruntled.

HelenaCat wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 11, 2024 11:57 am

CatRowdy wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:50 pm

aucat wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:22 pm

For those who weren't there NAU had a pretty good cheering section and almost all of them were wearing Lea Beattie's number 15. I thought that was kind of strange. What was the point in doing that? Trying to rub it in our faces that Lea left MSU to go play for NAU?

Anyway, at some point int he second half Lea was hurt and down momentarily and when she did get back up our crowd gave her a nice applause. I thought that was very good sportsmanship on our part.

I don't know why Lea left MSU but that was big loss. I've heard some say that it was because she didn't like being taken in and out so much, but that's just hearsay.

Leia's parents, aunt and uncle and I believe other family members were there. I don't believe in any scenario they were trying to rub it in our faces she left MSU to play for NAU. They attended most of Leia's game here when she played and many of the away games.

And yes there is a lot of speculation why she left; I guess the only way to know would be to ask her directly. As for being a big loss having her go you might want to rethink that as I would suggest having an unhappy player here may be more weight on the program than having her go and replacing her with players who like and enjoy the program.

The Bobcats are playing as a team the best I've ever seen them. They're young in spots but maturing quickly. I would bet with all our injuries and many players out, no one would have predicted we would be ranked 4th at this point in the season. They may just peak at the right time and shock the crap out of you at the tournament.

This. The team chemistry is 1000 percent better than last year. This team is young and certainly struggles on offense many games, but they are getting better each game. I would certainly NAU is the class of the conference this year, but watch out for the Cats over the next several years. We lose Madison next year which will be tough, but add back Lexi and 3 other injured ladies, plus 3 very talented freshman to this group of talented freshman.

I agree with you about the team chemistry but I'm not sure I share your optimism about next year. I certainly hope that you are right. But we will lose Taylor Janssen, KJ Limardo and Madison Hall. That's huge. Yes, we will have Lexi back and that is a big deal. Hopefully some of the young players will continue to develop and the injured players make a strong contribution. But filling the shoes of those three players will be daunting. Anyway, hopefully we end the season on a good note and make a strong showing in the tournament.