MSUB rolls past Chadron 82-67

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu November 27, 2015 Women’s basketball rolls past Chadron 82-67 Women’s Basketball on Facebook MSUB Women’s Basketball on ISSUU Interactive Box Score Post-game interview with senior Janiel Olson and head coach Kevin Woodin

Alisha Breen finishes with a team-high 22 as MSUB rolls past Chadron on Friday.

MSUB uses double-figures from all five starters for a commanding 82-67 win against Chadron State on Friday.

BILLINGS, Mont. – All five starters from MSU Billings scored double-digit points as the Yellowjackets rolled to an 82-67 win over Chadron State College Friday during a non-conference game at Alterowitz.

Alisha Breen was MSUB’s high-scorer finishing with team-highs of 22 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Rylee Kane ended the game with 14 points. Janiel Olson had 12 points on 50 percent shooting. Junior Tiana Hanson scored 11 points and Monica Grimsrud had 10 points in the win during a triple-header night at MSUB. Breen finished with team-highs across the board, but it was a total team-win as all 12 players from the MSUB bench finished with minutes in the NCAA Division II contest.

“Tonight was a great team victory,” MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin said. “It was nice to get off to a good start and I thought this was the best our starting group has played together this year. They defended well early and shared the ball too.”

MSU Billings (2-3) opened the game on a 21-3 offensive onslaught. Kane started the scoring show with a jumper and Olson finished it with two free throws before a three-pointer from Emma Block put Chadron on the board.

A 3-point bucket from Breen and one from Vanessa Stavish bookended 11 more points from the ‘Jackets. Kane finished the quarter making both of her free throw shots to put MSUB up 23-5.

Chadron (0-4) added 15 points in the second half, but MSU Billings added 18 as the Yellowjackets continued to build on their lead, finishing the first 20 minutes of the game with a 41-20 advantage. In the final five minutes of the half, Breen and Stavish traded points as the two players accounted for all but four of the total in the second quarter.

Breen drained back-to-back three pointers to push the lead past 20 and Stavish kept the ‘Jackets ahead with her own jump shot and a 3-point basket.

MSUB was 8-18 from long range in the game with Breen 3-3 from the outside. The Eagles finished 716 from downtown with Block providing four.

“We played a solid first half and it was nice to have a double digit lead at half-time,” Woodin said.

“Give Chadron credit though, they regrouped at half-time and controlled the third quarter. I felt our defensive rotations were not as good and we got complacent on offense too.”

Junior Tiana Hanson was 7-7 from the free-throw line for MSUB.

CSC outscored MSU Billings 26-20 in the third quarter. Block hit a long 3-pointer followed by a layup and a 3-point from Allegria Chisom to pull Chadron to within 14, 53-39 mid-way through the third period. Kane answered the run from the Eagles with a 3-pointer and Marissa Van Atta added three more points on a jumper and a free-throw to MSUB back up by 17, 58-41.

A steal from Maka Daysh and a layup opened the fourth quarter for CSC. Olson countered with a layup and Grimsrud hit a 3-point shot for the ‘Jackets.

Daysh did her best to give Chadron a chance. The sophomore pulled the Eagles back to within 13 at 68-55 with 6:41 remaining in the game.

A foul from CSC sent Hanson to the line to shoot two. She made both of her shots to remain a perfect 7-7 in the game and give MSUB a 19-point advantage at 74-55. A minute later, Grimsrud made both of her free-throws to tip the point spread back up over 20 points.

In the waning minutes, Daysh and Block added a 3-point basket and layup, but two free-throws from Lexi Prevost kicked the points to a 15-point difference for the 82-67 final score.

“I thought the key in the second half on offense was we were able to get the ball inside to multiple people,” Woodin commented on the adjustments from MSUB. “Our scoring was balanced too, and when that happens we are harder to guard.”

Chadron did hold an edge in shooting 53.2-44.1 percent from the field. MSU Billings went to the charity strip 29 times during the game, making 23 of those for 79.3 percent. CSC was 10-15 from the free-throw line.

In turnovers, CSC committed 22 with MSUB at 20.

Off the glass, MSU Billings pulled in 31 rebounds with the Eagles at 20. The ‘Jackets also scored 18 second chance points with Chadron recording five.

Daysch wound-up the night’s high-scorer finishing with 24 points. Block and Chisom both had 12 points. Stephanie Knowles finished with a team-high eight assists.

THE BUZZ: The win tonight tied Coach Woodin in all-time victories for women’s basketball at MSUB with 191…Prevost named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game.

UP NEXT: MSU Billings returns to the court for an exhibition game against the University of Great Falls on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 5:15 p.m. MSUB then turns to conference play opening league season hosting Central Washington on Thursday, Dec. 3, and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, Dec. 5, both Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests will begin at 7:00 p.m. The ‘Jackets have one more game at home welcoming the University of Montana – Western on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.

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