Bad Bear, Bobcat women win at Sacramento State

SACRAMENTO — Kola Bad Bear scored 20 points to lead Montana State past Sacramento State 65-52 Wednesday, keeping the Bobcats in the hunt for a share of the Big Sky Conference women’s basketball crown.

Darian White added 12 points — she hit 8 of 12 free throws — while Taylor Janssen and Leia Beattie scored nine points for MSU, who put the game away with a strong second half.

Bad Bear scored 16 of her points after intermission as the Bobcats expanded a 29-25 lead. Beattie’s layup gave MSU its first double-digit lead, 35-25, at 7:03 of the third quarter; Bad Bear followed with a hook shot at the 6:25 mark to make it 37-25.

Katie Peneueta’s 3-pointer brought Sacramento State to 43-37 early in the fourth, and it was still 56-49 with 3:43 left before White hit a free throw and — after an offensive rebound of her following miss — Bad Bear knocked down a 3-pointer for a 60-49 advantage.

White hit 5 of 6 free throws from there.

Coupled with Idaho State’s loss to Southern Utah Wednesday, MSU drew to a half-game of the Big Sky lead at 14-5 (19-11 overall). The Bobcats play at Northern Colorado to conclude the regular season Friday.

The Hornets got 19 points from Isnelle Natabou and fell to 13-14 overall, 10-9 in league.