Montana State defeated Portland 72-54 in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament on March 26, advancing to the WNIT Great Eight. The game took place at Worthington Arena, where Montana State started strong by scoring the first eight points and maintaining a double-digit lead through much of the contest.
The win is significant for Montana State as it moves them into a matchup against South Dakota on Sunday at noon Mountain Time. The team also improved its season record to 27-6, marking the second-most wins in program history, and remains undefeated at home with a 15-0 record.
Head coach Tricia Binford said, “I thought we set the tone early, really playing off the crowd. And can we just talk about the crowd and our student section? The marketing department did an incredible job today. The crowd was unbelievable.”
Sophomores Addison Harris and Taylee Chirrick led Montana State’s performance. Harris scored a game-high 23 points along with two rebounds and two assists. Despite early foul trouble, Chirrick contributed 17 points, collected 13 rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Montana State held Portland to just 21 percent shooting in the first quarter while forcing eight turnovers from their opponent. By halftime, Montana State led by fourteen points and extended their advantage further before Portland made a brief run late in the third quarter.
The Bobcats ultimately outscored Portland by nine points in the final period to secure their victory before an audience of nearly four thousand fans—the team’s third-largest home crowd this season.
