By Danielle Daniels
3 16 2025
It will be the first ever meeting between the Bobcats and the Buckeyes
Montana State is headed to the Buckeye State.
The 2025 Big Sky Conference champions learned its first-round opponent on Sunday night in front of a raucous Worthington Arena crowd. The Bobcats garnered a #13 seed and face #4 seed Ohio State on Friday at 3:30 p.m. (MT) at Value City Arena in the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
It will be the first ever meeting between the Bobcats and the Buckeyes. Ohio State, ranked No. 15/13 in the most recent national polls, is 25-6 overall and 13-5 in B1G play. The Buckeyes finished third in league play, tied with Maryland. USC won the regular season, followed by UCLA. Twelve B1G teams made the 68-team field.
“My first thought is that I get to see my old WNBA coach Dan Hughes,” Bobcat head coach Tricia Binford laughed. “He was just with us in Boise, he can’t get rid of us.
“Secondly, it’s fun to see your name on the Jumbotron, it’s what kids dream about,” she added. “We’re excited about this week.”
Montana State, who is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, is 30-3 overall after capturing its fourth Big Sky Conference title with a 58-57 win over Montana last Wednesday in Boise, Idaho. The 30 victories are the most ever recorded by a Big Sky institution.
Montana State’s last trip to the Big Dance was in 2022 where it faced No. 2 Stanford in the opening round. Three current Bobcats – Katelynn Martin, Taylor Janssen, Lexi Deden – played in the game.
“It’s great that we have three seniors who have played in the tournament,” Binford said. “The experience of getting settled in, not letting nerves be a factor, and just being us, is where you’re going to rely on the veterans.”
COURTESY MONTANA STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
