BOZEMAN, Mont. (Interstat) — A critical early-season Big Sky Conference women’s basketball showdown is set for Monday night when the Montana State Bobcats host the Northern Colorado Bears at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Both teams enter on hot streaks, with Montana State (12-4, 3-0 Big Sky) riding a five-game winning streak and Northern Colorado (14-5, 4-1) having won four of its last five. The matchup carries added weight as a swift rematch of a high-scoring affair just over two weeks prior, where the host Bobcats outlasted the Bears 86-79 on Jan. 1 in Greeley. That result will fuel a Northern Colorado squad seeking both revenge and a road victory to tighten the conference race. The Bears have been formidable, with their only loss since that game being a non-conference setback at Sam Houston. They are coming off a dominant 68-46 win over Sacramento State on Saturday. Montana State has been equally impressive, most recently dismantling rival Montana 82-44. The Bobcats’ offense has been explosive during their streak, averaging 84.2 points per game over their last five contests. The game features two of the league’s premier scorers. Northern Colorado’s Heather Baymon, who torched Montana State for 26 points in the first meeting, is averaging 19.1 points per game in conference play. She is coming off a 23-point performance in Thursday’s win over Portland State. For Montana State, guard Taylee Chirrick has been on a tear, averaging 22.3 points over her last four games. She scored 15 in the win at Northern Colorado and followed that with 27 points at Northern Arizona and 23 in a rout of Idaho. The Bobcats will look to protect their home court and maintain a perfect conference record, while the Bears aim to prove their strong start is no fluke and avenge their lone Big Sky loss. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time.