Women to host Montana’s

The Vikings continue their streak of conference matchups this weekend as they host the Montana State Bobcats and the Montana Lady Griz on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. both nights at the Stott Center.

About the Bobcats:
Montana State barely finished above .500 last year, ending the season with a 15–14 record and 8–8 in conference. This season, they seem to be on the same track with an 8–7 overall record and 1–1 in Big Sky meetings.

Picked to finish in third place in preseason polls, the Bobcats opened conference play with an 82–62 win over Weber State, but then lost to Idaho State by four points in overtime.

The trip to the Stott on Friday night will be the first Big Sky game on the road for the Bobcats.

About the Lady Griz:
Last season was an impressive one for the Lady Griz, who boasted a 28–5 overall record and went 15–1 in conference play. With two of their top scorers graduated, Montana is now led in points by the trio that is freshman forward Katie Baker, senior guard/forward Lauren Beck and junior forward Sarah Ena.

This year, Montana sports a 7–7 record, and are 2–0 in Big Sky play. In their conference opener versus Weber State, Baker chalked a season-high 24 points, and Baker, Beck, and Ena shot all but four of Montana’s points.

The Lady Griz went on the win their second conference game against Idaho State, with Baker again leading the scorers. Junior guard Stephanie Stender finished with 12 points, all of which were made by three-pointers.

About the Vikings:
Portland State has won five of its last seven games, and opened conference play last Saturday with a 95–86 road win over the Sacramento State Hornets. They are 7–7 overall, but look to improve during Big Sky action.

Junior guard/forward Kelly Marchant, senior forward Kelli Valentine and senior guard Claire Faucher have consistently been high-point leaders throughout the season. Against Sac State, Marchant led the team with a career-high 31 points, which also places her in a first-place tie for points per game in the Big Sky. Faucher leads the Vikings in points with a 14.6 average.

On the assist side, Faucher set both new Portland State and Big Sky career assist records, with 712. She has improved her average, from 6.7 assists per game last season, to 7.4 this year.

Past games between the teams:
Portland State and Montana have long been avid rivals. The teams split last year’s two regular-season matchups with a win each.

The Lady Griz took out the Vikings in the Big Sky Tournament, which ended Portland State’s shot at the NCAA Tournament, as also happened in the 2007–08 season. Both teams graduated top Big Sky players from the past year’s lineup, so this season is a fresh start for both squads.

Portland State won the last two matchups against Montana State, including last season’s semifinals of the Big Sky tournament. But it is worth noting the Bobcats were the only conference opponents to beat the Viks in the Stott last year with a 94–90 overtime win.

Friday:

Men
Portland State    at    Montana State
(7–7, 2–0 BSC)        (7–6, 3–1 BSC)
6 p.m., Bozeman, Mont.

Women
Portland State    vs.    Montana State
(7–7, 1–0 BSC)        (8–7, 1–1 BSC)
7 p.m., Stott Center

Saturday:

Men
Portland State    at    Montana
(7–7, 1–0 BSC)        (10–6, 1–3 BSC)
6 p.m., Missoula, Mont.

Women
Portland State    vs.    Montana
(7–7, 1–0 BSC)        (7¬–7, 2–0 BSC)
7 p.m., Stott Center