Women's basketball hosting CWU and NNU to open GNAC action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu December 1,, 2015 Women’s basketball opens GNAC action hosting CWU and NNU MSUB Women’s Basketball on Facebook MSUB Women’s Basketball on ISSUU Interviews with Monica Grimsrud, Marissa Van Atta, and head coach Kevin Woodin GNAC Standings

Senior forward Monica Grimsrud puts up a shot against Cal Baptist.

The MSUB women’s basketball team is opening conference action this week hosting Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene.

BILLINGS, Mont. – In the middle of a five-game home stand, MSU Billings opens its conference season this week at home hosting Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene.

After winning two games last week at home, MSUB continues a 5-game home stand opening conference play this week by welcoming Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene to Alterowitz. The Yellowjackets are on a two-game win streak and are looking to use that momentum heading into the start of league play.

Last week, MSUB picked up wins over regional opponent Chadron State 82-67 and an exhibition win against the University of Great Falls 49-43. The Yellowjackets open GNAC action with Central Washington on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 7:00 p.m. followed by an early-start against Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, Dec. 5, with tip-off scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

MSUB was picked to finish tied for seventh in the GNAC preseason coaches’ poll. For the Yellowjackets, Alisha Breen and Janiel Olson were selected as preseason all-conference honorees. Last year, the ‘Jackets finished 6-12 in league play for eighth place in the standings. MSUB returns seven letter winners, but the roster is young with four upperclassmen and eight underclassmen.

This season, the Yellowjackets are averaging 64.4 points per game on 35.9 percent shooting. From the 3-point arc, the ‘Jackets are 33-99 and 33.3 percent. MSUB is averaging 32.8 rebounds per game and 12.2 assists.

NO. 1 IN POINTS, PUSHING 20: Junior forward Breen sits atop the conference ranking for the third week in points per game with 19.4, which also ranks her 32nd across all NCAA Division II teams.

NO. 1 IN FREE-THROWS, JUST MISSED ONE: Transfer Tiana Hanson is 19-20 from the free-throw line this season for 95.0 percent which ranks her first in the GNAC and 18th nationally.

NO. 1 IN TEAM FREE-THROWS: MSU Billings is leading the GNAC in free-throw percentage, shooting 87-111 for 78.4 percent.

ALL AROUND GAME: Heading into her final season in a Yellowjacket uniform, senior Monica Grimsrud has stepped-up her all-around game and is listed on all eight major categories in the GNAC statistics.

The forward from Montana City, Mont., is averaging 9.0 points per game and 4.8 rebounds.

She is also top-20 in assists (19th, 2.2) and 3-point baskets (12th, 1.6 per game).

SECOND IN 3’S: Sophomore Vanessa Stavish is holding steady at second in the GNAC in 3-point field goal percentage. The forward is 9-17 from outside the arc this season for 52.9 percent. She is also eighth in the league in 3-point shots made with 1.8 per game.

PROVIDING A SPARK: Coming off the bench last week, Stavish and sophomore Marissa Van Atta provided quality minutes for the team. Van Atta had 10 rebounds and five points against Great Falls and is now fifth on the team in boards with 2.6 per game.

Junior Tiana Hanson leads the GNAC in free-throw percentage.

FOURTH ALL-TIME: With last week’s games, senior forward Olson has just passed Theresa O’Donnell (1982-84) for sole possession of fourth all-time at MSUB in career rebounds with 762. Olson needs 34 more to catch No. 3 Natalie Visger (2000-03) and 194 more to catch the all-time record holder Robyn Milne at 957 (2002-05).

ONE MORE FOR THE RECORD: With a win last week, MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin is now tied at first-place with 191 career wins and with one more victory will become the winningest women’s basketball coach at Montana State University Billings.

Thursday, Dec. 3 – 7:00 p.m.

Central Washington University Wildcats Head Coach: Jeff Harada, 2nd season 2015-16 Record: 4-1 Central Washington is off to a solid start to its season. The Wildcats are 4-1 in the early going, including a 51-49 win over Hawaii Pacific at home. The team’s one loss this season is to Academy of Art during a neutral site game 76-68. In the GNAC preseason coaches’ poll, CWU was selected to finish fourth. Last year’s team finished sixth in the conference with a 7-11 mark. The Wildcats return eight letter winners while adding a junior transfer and two true freshmen to their roster.

This season, CWU is shooting 45.3 percent from the field which is third-best in the conference. The team is averaging 65.8 points and holding opponents to a league second-best 52.0 points.

Returning to the floor for CWU is last season’s GNAC Freshman of the Year Jasmin Edwards. The preseason allconference player is averaging 11.4 points per game. The point guard is also handing out an average 7.2 assists per game which puts her at No. 7 in the nation. Edwards is also second in the GNAC in steals with 2.6 per game.

Jasmine Parker, a 6-foot-4 center from Spokane, Wash., is averaging 11.2 points per game and is pulling in a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game. Parker is a two-time GNAC preseason all-conference selection and is shooting 63.2 percent from the field while leading the league in blocked shots with 2.2 per game.

The Wildcats have been playing tough defense leading the GNAC in blocked shots (4.2 per game) and are third in the conference in defensive rebounds averaging 31.2 per game.

The Series: (19-9, H 9-3) MSU Billings had a 5-game win streak broken up last year as the ‘Jackets split their games against CWU in 2014-15. The Yellowjackets lost at home 75-54, but turned it around and won 60-41 on the road.

Saturday, Dec. 5 – 1:00 p.m.

Northwest Nazarene University Crusaders Head Coach: Ryan Bragdon, 3rd season 2015-16 Record: 1-4 The Crusaders are 1-4 to open their season, but like the ‘Jackets, NNU lost to Cal Baptist (89-69) and to another west region powerhouse Point Loma (80-67). Northwest Nazarene was selected to finish sixth in the GNAC preseason coaches’ poll. The Crusaders return seven letter winners, including preseason all-conference players Taylor Simmons and Ellie Logan.

NNU is third in the conference in points per game at 74.4. The Crusaders lead the league in offensive rebounds with 46.0 per game. As a team, Northwest Nazarene is shooting 36.8 percent from the field and is tied with MSUB on the outside at 33.3 percent.

Sophomore Lexi Tubbs is leading the NNU offense so far this season averaging 13.2 points per game. Also totaling double-figures are Logan at 10.2 and Kate Cryderman a 6-foot forward junior transfer from New Mexico Highlands at 11.7.

Raquel Jardine leads NNU in rebounds with 5.8 per game. Raqeul and her twin sister Danielle Jardine are 5-foot-11 freshmen forwards from Nampa, Idaho and have been a big boost off the glass for the Crusaders.

Simmons is averaging 9.2 points per game and a team-high 4.2 assists per game.

The Series: (14-9, 9-1): MSUB split its series with NNU last season, winning at home 84-62 and taking a one-point loss 86-85 on the road. The Yellowjackets have lost just one game at home in the series back in 2010 by a score of 78-60.

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