Montana State’s Erica Perry goes up for a layup against former UM guard Sonya Rogers last season. Perry, a senior, has been one of the Big Sky’s best players for the past three seasons, and she heads into today’s league tournament as the conference’s second all-time leader in steals. (Photo courtesy of Montana State Athletics)

All-Big Sky duo from MSU leads by example

by Matt McLeod | March 11, 2010 | Montana Kaimin

Leading a team that finished dead last in the Big Sky defensively last season, the Montana State duo of lightning-quick senior guard Erica Perry and powerful junior forward Sarah Strand decided in the offseason that the Bobcats were finished being everyone’s defensive doormat.

How have they set the tone for their team? Hands-on lessons.

Strand picked up the co-defensive player of the year award Monday, sharing the honor with Eastern Washington’s Brianne Ryan, and was named to the All-Big Sky second team. Her blocks have been the stuff of legends — Strand’s 38 swats led the league in total blocks this year, and moved her into first place on MSU’s career list, with 118.

Perry hasn’t exactly been a slouch herself. Named to the All-Big Sky first team this week, Perry is second all-time in the league in steals. This season, she surpassed her coach, former Boise State standout Tricia Binford, who had held the second spot since her 1997-1998 senior season, when the Broncos were still in the Big Sky.

Besting her coach was motivation enough for Perry.

“I came into the year just   wanting to do better than her,” Perry said. “That was basically my only goal for the season.”

Jokes aside, defense has been a serious focus in Bozeman.

Binford, in her fifth year at the Bobcat helm, said her modus operandi was to change the defensive culture of her club, and that Perry and Strand have spearheaded the effort.
It’s helped Binford sleep at night.

“Our being the worst defensive team in the league last year was so tough for me to swallow,” Binford said. “We’re now first in rebounding. To see the transformation these guys have sparked, it’s been really satisfying.”

Binford, the former Colorado prep Player of the Year, was a high school All-American that made a name as one of the best defenders in Boise State history before enjoying a brief stint in the WNBA.

She said she’s glowing with pride to see her players recognized by the league, but neither Perry nor Strand seems fazed by the development.

“Of course it’s a great honor,” Perry said of her first-team spot. “But I think of it more as a team achievement than something I really did.”

Strand said she hasn’t even stopped to think about her second-team selection, though people around her have made a bigger deal about it.

“My parents called me up and they were all excited about it,” Strand said. “And today I was sitting in class and some guy yelled across to me, ‘Hey! I saw you on the news!’”

She and her Montana State teammates look to make even bigger headlines Thursday. The No. 6 Lady Cats (16-13) hit the road for a matchup with third seed Sacramento State (15-14), at the       conference tournament quarterfinals in Cheney, Wash., where they hope to ignite a run into the Big Sky title game Saturday.

They’ll try to do it as they have all year — with consistent energy on defense and by spreading the wealth on the other end.

The Cats have been a model of balance offensively, with their three leading scorers — Strand, Perry and All-Big Sky honorable mention Katie Bussey — all averaging 13 points and change. Each rank in the top ten in conference scoring, while Perry sits seventh in assists with 4.2 per game and Strand pulls in 8.7 rebounds per game, good for fourth.

It all starts up top at the one spot, with captain Perry.

Listed on the roster at a generous 5-foot-4, teammates have nicknamed the diminutive Perry “Tiny.” The Lynwood, Calif. point guard grew up running courts in the Los Angeles area, before   shipping out to Bradenton, Fla. to pace the hardwood at Bradenton Prep Academy.

Now, after four productive years with the Cats, she’s grown into one of the league’s best floor generals, something Strand is thankful for.

“I had a great point guard I played with in high school, so when I came here I was really relieved to be playing with Erica,” Strand said. “It makes it so much easier for the rest of us to have someone out there we can always rely on. And you can’t help but get pumped up every time she goes after someone in the backcourt or breaks someone’s ankle.”

Shades of Binford — an ex-baller who had her day in the sun and is fully ready to sit back and give the younger generation their due.

Well, almost ready.

The competitive edge hasn’t quite worn off. When asked who wins in a game of one on one between Binford in her prime and Tiny today, Binford laughs and delivers.

“Oh, me hands down, I’d smoke her,” Binford said. “You can tell her I said that, too.”

She pauses before delivering the politically correct answer.

 “It would be a fun, exciting matchup.”

 matthew.mcleod@umontana.edu

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