by Logan Tracy
MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Montana State University Billings women’s basketball team were able to see off a challenge from Western Oregon University on the road, pulling out a hard-fought 67-60 victory in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
After a difficult offensive half, and trailing narrowly at the half, the Yellowjackets (20-4, 11-1 GNAC) were able to pick things up in the second half, shooting 44.4% over the final two quarters as the ‘Jackets were able to take the lead early in the third quarter and keep it until the end, despite the Wolves (10-12, 3-8 GNAC) continuing to battle hard throughout the game. With the victory, the Yellowjackets locked up their second consecutive season with 20 or more victories, following a 25-8 overall record last season.
“We worked hard for the win tonight,” said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. “Western Oregon was hard to guard tonight, and their crowd got really into the game, but I thought we got better as the game went on. We did a good job of keeping our turnovers minimal, and made our free throws late, which was really important too. On the road, you have to do the little things well, and I thought we did a great job of that down the stretch.”
Kola Bad Bear scored a team high 20 points, going 6-11 from the field and 7-8 from the free throw line. She added four rebounds, along with a block and a steal. Dyauni Boyce went for 15 points, likewise going 7-8 from the line, while grabbing nine rebounds, a pair of assists, and a block. Kortney Nelson and Aspen Giese each finished with three steals in the game, with Nelson adding eight rebounds and an assist, while Giese scored ten points with six boards and three assists. Natalie Andreas chipped in with five points, while Shayla Montague and Danielle Zahn each scored three. MSUB shot 40% overall, and made 18 of their 22 free throws for a percentage of 81.8%.
“We got the ball inside effectively,” Woodin said. “It helped us build some momentum in the second half, and get to the line as much as we did. I thought both Natalie and Dani did a great job off the bench of giving us a spark tonight, but overall, this was a quality team win for us.”
The first quarter saw the Yellowjackets find their looks, but were unable to generate much separation as an aggressive Western Oregon squad looked to hang tough with the GNAC leaders. They would do so, holding the ‘Jackets to 35.7% shooting in the opening period of play. The Yellowjackets would still hold a three point advantage at the end of the quarter, with their defense holding the Wolves to just 26.7% shooting in their own right. That would change in the second quarter however, with the home team able to generate some momentum on the offensive end, outscoring MSUB 17-13 in the quarter. While the ‘Jackets shot identical to their first half score, the Wolves increased their shooting to 47.1% as a team, and finished the final five minutes on a 13-5 run, taking a one point lead into halftime.
MSUB wouldn’t stay down for long however, retaking the lead less than three minutes after the beginning of the second half. The ‘Jackets would begin to dominate the interior, scoring all five of their baskets in and around the paint, and got to the line in the third quarter, sinking all eight of their attempted free throws. The Wolves would continue to stay close, tying the game back up three times, but the Yellowjackets would never give back the lead, taking a five point advantage into the fourth quarter. They’d continue to hold off Western Oregon, despite the Wolves making it a one possession game with just a minute and a half left, continuing to knock down their free throws late as MSUB sealed it’s 20th regular season victory of the year.
