Hanson continues Shepherd legacy as one of MSUB’s best

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Saturday, February 25, 2017 Hanson continues Shepherd legacy as one of MSUB’s best

Entering her final career game No. 1 in school history in free-throw percentage, senior Tiana Hanson is the latest extension of stellar post players from Shepherd, Mont., for the Yellowjackets.

MSUB SPORTS – It just comes down to working hard and being focused.

That’s the only way Montana State University Billings women’s basketball senior forward Tiana Hanson has known how to live her life.

The hard work is exemplified by her durability as a player, starting all 27 games this season and ranking fourth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in scoring with 17.1 points per game and third in rebounding with 7.4 boards per game.

The focus is perhaps best displayed through the place on the court where she thrives the most: the foul line. Entering Saturday’s game against Northwest Nazarene University, she holds the highest career free-throw percentage in MSUB

history at 86.3, a number that also ranks fifth in GNAC career history. She is 214-for-248, her number of misses from the line matching the jersey number on her back – 34.

“I definitely notice the ones that I don’t make,” said Hanson with a smile.

She only misses once every other game, while getting to the line on average almost five times per night. Earlier this season, she flushed 15 of 18 free-throw attempts at Western Oregon, a personal best and just four away from teammate Alisha Breen’s GNAC record of 19 made in a game.

The Shepherd, Mont., native’s 143 makes from the line so far in 2016-17 are the fourth most in MSUB single-season history, her 166 attempts this year being ninth most.

For as consistent as Hanson is at the line, it’s worth noting that she never adopted a steady routine that she sticks to game after game. Sometimes there’s one dribble, sometimes she doesn’t take any.

“I remember when I was thinking of a routine to do, my dad said ‘no’ and told me to keep it simple,” said Hanson. “Whenever I step to the line, I reflect on all of the practice that I have put in, so it gives me a lot of confidence.”

The practice Hanson refers to is countless repetitions under the guidance of her dad Chris, who she credits heavily in turning her into one of the best foul shooters MSUB has ever seen.

Saturday’s Senior Night game against NNU at 7 p.m. will mark the end of Hanson’s brief but memorable stint at MSUB, as she is completing her second season after transferring from Sheridan College prior to the 2015-16 year.

It is what Hanson has done in that short time that will leave a lasting impact.

SHEPHERD LEGACY Every Thursday night and Saturday morning growing up, Hanson threw herself into a pickup game at her local church in the Heights. Her father Chris and his friends brought their sons, and before long the gym would be packed with players of all different skill levels.

Hanson was the only girl. “I still go during the offseason, and I’m still the only girl there,” Hanson said. “That’s where all of us who have continued to play learned the different aspects of the game and gained our basketball IQ.” The senior comes from a long line of multi-talented players from Shepherd, a string that dates back to the beginning of MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin’s career. Kayleen (Goggins) Schultz was an All-American in 2014-15, following in the

footsteps of Mandy (Jacobs) Johnson and Becky (Jacobs) Anderson.

Hanson is the latest to turn into a star, and leaned on her hometown connections when making the decision to attend MSUB. “Becky was my JV coach at Shepherd, and I also talked with Kayleen before coming here,” Hanson said. “One of the main reasons I chose MSUB over other schools was the friendliness and unity on the team compared to others. It felt more like a family than other teams did.”

Hanson credits her high-school coach, Bill Lepley, with helping her take the step towards becoming a college player during her final prep year.

Standing at 6-foot, Hanson had always used her height advantage to overpower her opponents. However, she never considered herself an offensive threat until her senior season at Shepherd High. “We had played a few games and weren’t winning, and Coach Lepley came in and challenged me to be better,” Hanson recalled. “He was the one who believed in me the most, and I hadn’t thought of a future in basketball until that point. I became an offensive threat after that.”

It wasn’t until the annual Treasure State Classic, hosted by MSUB, that Hanson received college attention, as Sheridan head coach and former Yellowjacket head man Frank McCarthy noticed her potential. Though Woodin had Hanson on his radar, his lineup featured strong depth at her position. The chance for immediate playing time is one of the factors that led Hanson to Sheridan, but Woodin continued to monitor her progress knowing he may have another chance to recruit her after two seasons.

“My first year (at Sheridan) didn’t go as planned, and I didn’t get as much playing time as I wanted,” said Hanson.

“During the offseason, I started to realize that my sophomore year could be my last one playing ball. I took on a different mindset, and wanted to put everything I could into my work so I would have no regrets.”

Though effective with 7.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2013-14, she immediately became a highly-touted prospect with an All-American sophomore campaign. Hanson averaged a double-double with 20.2 points and 10.5 rebounds, and led the NJCAA in free-throw shooting at 228-for-288 (79.2 percent).

On Nov. 29, 2014, she scored 40 points in a victory over Eastern Wyoming, and a week later she hit 21 of 24 free throws en route to 44 points in a win over North Dakota SCS. “Before those big games I was deciding if I wanted to pursue basketball, and I was leaning towards not,” said Hanson, who was also an academic All-American both seasons at Sheridan. “It would have been awesome to come to MSUB out of high school, but Sheridan was a good move because I got playing time and got a lot better.”

The transition to being closer to home suited Hanson well, but she likens the end of her junior season at MSUB, in which she averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 16.0 minutes, to her frustration after her freshman year at Sheridan. She never lost her free-throw ability – Hanson went 71-for-82 for 86.6 percent as a junior – but she knew it was time to go back to the drawing board with her final collegiate season fast approaching.

“I wasn’t letting myself relax and play, and I was thinking about all of the new things I had to remember,” Hanson commented on the learning curve associated with joining a new college program. “The coaches were very encouraging, and I kind of had that same mindset that I had in between seasons at Sheridan.”

Hanson helped the ‘Jackets make a late-season run and reach the title game of the GNAC tournament, before the Yellowjackets bowed out in the opening round of the NCAA Regional Championships with a loss to No. 1 seed Azusa Pacific.

‘TI’ “She can be proud of her senior season, because she prepared for it with all her heart. She has improved, from one season to the next, more than any post player I have ever coached at MSUB.” – MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin on senior forward Tiana Hanson.

Hanson attacked her offseason with an eagerness to regain her status as a dominant player on both ends of the ball. She had been comfortable with her post play, but areas she knew needed improvement were her ability to face up as well as her mid-range and outside game.

It didn’t take long for Hanson’s teammates and coaches to realize that she had arrived, as she posted a double-double in her very first game of the season and followed with a huge 24-point evening at Cal State San Marcos the next night. To date, Hanson has seven double-doubles this season, and is coming off her two best scoring performances of the year with 29 points on Feb. 18 against Simon Fraser and 28 against Central Washington on Thursday.

To say she is making the most of her final college season wouldn’t be giving Hanson enough credit for her determined offseason effort, but in her eyes the chance to simply suit up for the Yellowjackets is something she is grateful for. “I wasn’t sure if I had a future in basketball, but coming to MSUB has allowed me to get my education and continue playing the sport I love,” said Hanson. “I have made lifelong friendships, and it doesn’t seem real that the end is near. I still get nervous and my hands get sweaty before every game, but once the ball is tipped it goes away. It’s going to be weird not having those feelings anymore.”

The one thing Hanson couldn’t have prepared for however was the invaluable role she would ultimately be called upon to serve as the lone senior on the court. With upperclassmen Breen and Vanessa Stavish out for the season, pressure immediately turned to Hanson to compensate both through her numbers as well as leadership. In the eyes of her teammates, she hasn’t disappointed.

“Tiana leads by example, and she definitely forces people to work better,” said sophomore teammate Brina Hull. “You could tell that she put in the work during the summer, and that has shown on the court. She is the heart and soul of this team, and we want to give it our all for her (on Saturday) because she deserves it.”

Hanson, known to her teammates simply as ‘Ti,’ has handled the pressure by maintaining her calmness and showing her maturity as a natural leader on the court. She is shooting the ball more than ever, ranking eighth in the GNAC in field goal percentage at .500 (154-for-308) while adding 11 threes on the season. Though she admittedly battles with feeling

selfish in taking many shots, the coaching staff continues to urge her on in recognition that she’s one of the most lethal scoring threats in the league.

“Tiana has handled this pressure admirably, and her teammates really respect her and feed off how hard she has worked,” Woodin commented on Hanson being the go-to facet in the team’s offense. “She is just so complete. Strength wise and defensively she has really stepped up this year, and she has worked hard to become more vocal as a leader.”

THE WORLD NEEDS TEACHERS LIKE TIANA “I have seen her interact with children at camps, and classrooms, and they just migrate to her. She has that innate ability to bring out the best in people.” – Kevin Woodin on Tiana Hanson.

Preparing to begin her career as an elementary school teacher, Hanson holds a perfect 4.0 grade point average and has already been named CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 this season. She’s taking 19 credits in school while maintaining her commitment to basketball, church, and her family. Her motivation lies within becoming a teacher and coach in a small town in Montana or Wyoming.

“I just try to be dedicated to the things that I do, and keep the mindset of not quitting on it,” Hanson said. “Challenging yourself makes you realize what is important.”

Hanson has had her own great teachers throughout her playing career, citing Sheridan assistant coach Ryan Davis as providing her with motivation through her challenging offseason at the junior college level. She’s also grateful to Coach McCarthy for helping her realize she could play at the college level, and to Coach Woodin and MSUB assistant Jenny Heringer for bringing out the best in her as a senior this season.

“I have never seen a coach take care of his players as well as Kevin does off the floor,” Hanson said. “He and Jenny put so much time and effort into us as players, and all the coaches I’ve had have made a huge impact on me.”

THE FINISHING TOUCH “Pass it to her, she can’t do anything!” – Unknown opposing players during Hanson’s 44-point game as a sophomore at Sheridan College.

By the end of the second half, the constant chatter of Hanson’s pesky opponents had worn her patience thin. She had been hacked, fouled, trash-talked, and double-teamed the whole night, but in the end her Generals came out with a 9893 victory.

There was no dialogue however; Hanson’s opponents had engaged in a one-way conversation as the only thing she offered in return was her 44 points. With each new blurb came another bucket, or two more free throws. After the game Hanson unloaded the details of her constant pestering to her family in the stands.

“Why didn’t you say anything back?!” Chris asked his only daughter.

The simple answer was that Hanson didn’t need to. She had displayed her dominance as a player, and character as a noble competitor all at once through one of her most memorable performances on the court. Hanson didn’t forget a single one of the insults she endured deep down, but afterwards she couldn’t help but smile. “I realized that it was fun in that atmosphere,” Hanson reminisced with a chuckle. “I think about the adrenaline and the thrill of being in a close game, and that was a moment where it was just so fun. I was sick and tired of hearing them talk, but we won that game.

I don’t know what I’m going to do when I am done having those moments.”

With the way Hanson was brought up, it isn’t surprising that she never once retaliated verbally to her assailants.

Competing against her four brothers, who all stand above 6-foot, in childhood basketball games, Hanson was taught the hard way how to use her left hand. “If I was on the left-hand side and tried to finish with my right hand, they would swat my shot away,” said Hanson, whose favorite player is Tim Duncan whom she labels the ‘king of fundamentals.’ “They told me that if I used my left hand, they wouldn’t block me.”

Tyler (30), Jared (28), Lee (25), and Hyrum (19) have all kept close tabs on their sister throughout the season, following the game broadcasts and live stats and re-hashing games with Tiana when they’re in town. The pickup games will undoubtedly continue to beckon Hanson in the coming months, but she still has one piece of unfinished business on the court at Alterowitz Gym with Senior Night arriving Saturday.

Tipoff is at 7 p.m., one last time for her palms to get sweaty and her nerves to heighten. Once the ball is tossed up, Hanson’s game will take over. She won’t have to say a word.

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