BOZEMAN — The Montana State women have had a historic regular season, and their outright regular-season Big Sky Conference title is a credit to a stifling defense as well as a key addition from the transfer portal this past offseason.
Montana State averages 14.6 steals per game, which leads the nation. The team-wide buy-in and effort is something special but second-nature to this squad.
"Our offense starts with our defense," Montana State guard Esmeralda Morales explained. "We don’t go unless our defense goes."
"I think just our intensity," Montana State guard Katelynn Martin said of the defensive standard in the program. "I think that’s what Bobcat basketball is, how can we speed other teams up? A culture that’s built upon, just energy, just competing for each other, competing for our coaches."
The team has not only found success through creating havoc on the defensive end of the ball this season, but also with the addition of Morales, who came this offseason to Bozeman from Portland State.
She noted that part of her want to come to MSU was to win a championship. They did that in the regular season by winning a school-record 27 games, but the team isn’t satisfied yet.
"It just gave me more drive to go win in the tournament," Morales said. "I just want to go and do that. Yes, we won conference, but let’s go do it in the tournament. So, it was more like the drive to continue to win, continue to go and cut the nets."
"When we were recruiting her, the first thing I told her was we want to win a championship, and I think we can do that with her," Martin said. "I think just after that final buzzer sounded, I was so proud of her, and knowing that she came here for a reason, and that was the reason, to win a championship. Being able to win the regular season was great, but we want one more."
Morales reflected on what this year and this community has meant to her, as she hopes to bring another trophy back to Bozeman this week.
"I wouldn’t change a thing," she said. "I’m so happy I spent my final year here with the community that loves us, loves the program, loves basketball. It’s been amazing."
The No. 1-seeded Montana State women tip off at noon on Sunday in the second round of the Big Sky tournament. They will play either No. 9-seeded Northern Colorado or No. 10-seeded Portland State.
