BOZEMAN — Late into Thursday night, confetti dispersed onto the court inside Worthington Arena.
The Montana State women's basketball team cheered as it clinched at least a share of the 2024-25 Big Sky Conference regular-season title with a 78-49 win over Portland State.
The team returned a core group of veterans this season and added transfer senior guard Esmeralda Morales along with a slew of talented freshmen. Everybody bought into their role, and the team has meshed so well that it made history.
"When you talk about a vision and all the pieces that it’s going to take and how everybody’s piece fits into that puzzle and get everybody on board with what that piece looks like, it’s incredibly hard to do," Montana State coach Tricia Binford explained. "But, this team is different. They’re built different. They’re wired different. They love each other, and they were all on that same mission, but we also know our mission is not done."
“I think that we’ve put in the effort each day to get to this point, and this is the reward that we get," Montana State graduate guard Katelynn Martin said. "Again, we’re not satisfied. We want to keep winning until Boise’s done."
This regular-season title is another step in the ultimate goal the Bobcats have in front of them this season. Senior forward Lexi Deden broke down what this team still strives to accomplish in the next couple of weeks.
"We first got our Griz ring, that was last week," Deden said, referencing the season sweep of rival Montana. "And then we got our second ring, and we have two more to go — the (Big Sky) tournament and the first game of the NCAA tournament. So, I think that will be super fun. We are on a mission."
The Cats hit a record of 26 wins in a season with their victory on Thursday night. This team also now owns the longest winning streak in program history at 19 in a row.
"You got to pinch yourself, 19 in a row is hard, and a lot of those are, you’re saying like, you’re going on the road and doing that," Binford explained. "You know, the wear and tear, I think our depth has really helped us."
The team credited Binford and her staff for their ability to accomplish such history thus far this season.
"We have such a special coaching staff," Deden said. "They’re incredible. They demand the best out of us. We always say nine out of 10 times that we’re doing our work … and I think they’ve guided us to this."
The win on Thursday locked up the No. 1 seed for the Cats at the conference tournament, which kicks off next weekend in Boise, Idaho, a place where Martin shared she also wants to cut down some more nets.
"It feels great," Martin said with a smile. "I’m honestly so happy. I’m so proud of our team, and I want to do it one more time in Boise."
The team’s final game in Worthington Arena is Saturday at 2 p.m. against Sacramento State.
