KBZK

Posted: Mar 16, 2010 7:45 AM

The Lady Bobcats battled for a Big Sky Championship on Saturday. It was the first time in history the five and six seeds squared off in the final. 

While the Lady Cats were on the wrong side of a four-point game with the Portland State Lady Vikings, senior leader Erica Perry had 18 points, while junior Sarah Strand had 19. Both players ended up landing on the all-tournament team.

But it was the tournament MVP, Claire Faucher, the Lady Viking, that singlehandedly disrupted MSU's attack and countered threefold, setting a tournament record for three-pointers made and attempted in a single game. She was eight for 16 from the arc. With her 26 points, six assists and five steals against MSU, Claire Faucher is the sole reason the Lady Cats are not Big Sky Champions.

"I always think before the game, 'I'm not going to shoot a three tonight. I'm really going to attack and for some reason, I don't know why, but I just come out and start pulling up threes, and I don't know why it was all threes but that's kind of just what I ended up doing, and I'm thankful that they were falling," Faucher said.

"Claire's really crafty with the ball, and you've got to make sure you stay squared up on her and focus on what she's doing with the ball, and I think that was the biggest issue," MSU head coach Tricia Binford said.

"I came here with a smile. I'm going to leave with a smile. I have no regrets. I'm glad I even got this opportunity with this group of girls, so you know, we didn't get the outcome we wanted but like I said, I came here with a smile so I'm going to leave with one," MSU guard Erica Perry said.