FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu February 10, 2017 Hanson headlines GNAC All-Academic team MSUB Women’s Basketball on Facebook | MSUB Women’s Basketball on ISSUU | Yellowjacket Award Winners GNAC Release
MSUB’s Tiana Hanson earned a place on the conference all-academic team with a 4.00 GPA.
Tiana Hanson leads a group of six MSUB women’s basketball student-athletes named to the GNAC All-Academic team. PORTLAND, Ore. – Senior Tiana Hanson led a selection of six MSUB women’s basketball student-athletes named to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic Team announced Tuesday. Hanson, a 4.00 student in elementary education was one of two women in the GNAC awarded to the list with a perfect grade point average. “I was pleased to see that we had six student-athletes achieve this great honor,” MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin said. “They truly understand the importance of academics as it pertains to being a student-athlete. Each of them should be very proud of their great accomplishment.” Also on the team from MSUB are Taylor Edwards, Brina Hull, Rylee Kane, Lexi Prevost, and Marissa Van Atta.
Hanson, a 6-foot forward from Shepherd, Mont., was recently announced as one of three GNAC honorees to the CoSIDA Division II Academic All-District 8 Team. In her final season with the Yellowjackets, Hanson is fourth in the GNAC in both points at 16.1 per game and rebounds with 7.1 per game. She is sixth in the GNAC in free-throw percentage at 84.9 percent (124-146) and fourth in blocked shots with 1.0 per game. Hanson recorded a double-double in the last two games for MSUB and has five this season. A first-time honoree, Hull carries a 3.53 grade point average in pre-medicine. The sophomore from Colstrip, Mont., is second on the team in 3-pointers made this season with 19. The 5-foot-8 guard, is averaging 3.8 points on 36.4 percent shooting from the field. Prevost, a junior guard from Sidney, Mont., carries a 3.47 grade point average in health and human performance. A twotime all-academic honoree, this season Prevost leads the Yellowjackets from the 3-point arc with 1.3 made per game. She is averaging 6.2 points and 1.3 assists per game. Last week, Prevost recorded 15 points and six rebounds in MSUB’s two road games. Kane, a junior from Red Lodge, Mont., has a 3.40 grade point average in health and human performance. Kane is averaging 11.7 points per game and is third in the GNAC in assists per game with 5.3. The 5-foot-6 starting point guard is also ninth in the GNAC in steals per game with 1.8 and is second in the conference in minutes played with 34.6 per game. Kane has 15 double-digit games this season, including a career-high 25 at home against Western Oregon. In her third year with the Yellowjackets, Kane has accumulated 352 assists, moving her to seventh all-time at MSUB and just three back from tying Megan Mason-Dickerson at 355. The second two-time honoree, Van Atta carries a 3.29 grade point average in business management and marketing. The 5-foot-11 junior from Billings, Mont., is a graduate of Senior High School. This season, Van Atta is averaging 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. She is second on the team in steals with 22 and third in field goal percentage at 39.0 percent. Last week, the forward poured in 20 points and 14 rebounds. In career points, Van Atta is nine back from reaching in the 500 mark, A sophomore, Edwards reached the list for the first time this year with a 3.20 grade point average in health and human performance. The native of Great Falls, Mont., played in 11 games for MSUB this season, before having her season cut short with an injury. In her time on the court, Edwards was averaging 7.3 points per game, including 13 3-pointers. A total of 55 student-athletes were named to the 2017 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball AllAcademic Team. Honorees for the GNAC All-Academic teams must be in their sophomore year of eligibility or greater and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better. At Alterowitz this week, the MSUB women’s basketball team has two games beginning on Thursday Feb. 16, with the 11th annual Think Pink game, a partnership between the Yellowjackets and St. Vincent Healthcare’s EVA Project. The action at MSUB is a doubleheader with the Yellowjacket men's team hosting Seattle Pacific at 5:15 p.m. followed by the women's team hosting No. 17 Western Washington at 7:30 p.m. In honor of Think Pink Night, all women will be granted free admission to the games, and fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--