FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu January 10, 2017 Women’s basketball plays early in doubleheaders with men’s team MSUB Women’s Basketball on Facebook | MSUB Women’s Basketball on ISSUU | GNAC Standings Preview Interviews with Marissa Van Atta and head coach Kevin Woodin
Marissa Van Atta and MSUB women’s basketball are at home for a pair of GNAC doubleheaders.
Women’s basketball is home at Alterowitz with a pair of GNAC doubleheaders for the team’s lone pair of home games in January. BILLINGS, Mont. – The MSUB women’s basketball team will be the opening half of a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheaders on Thursday, Jan. 12, and Saturday, Jan. 14, at Alterowitz. The Yellowjackets will look to capitalize on home court advantage as MSUB hosts the lone pair of January GNAC home games. Both games this week will be opening half of a doubleheader with the Yellowjacket men’s team, with tip off at 5:15 p.m. during both games. Thursday’s doubleheader will be featured live on ESPN Radio 910 KBLG in Billings, and online at www.espn910.com. All games this weekend will feature live video with play-by-play commentary and live statistics, available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. MSUB will also be partnering with the Yellowjacket Emergency Pantry for Thursday’s doubleheader, which is an oncampus emergency food pantry designed to provide students with food and hygiene supplies, connect students to
community and campus resources, and identify and address any hunger and food insecurities that may exist among the student population at MSU Billings. Fans who bring a donation item will be admitted to the games at a special discounted price of $2. Regular admission is $8 for the general public, $4 for seniors, students in grades 7-through-12, and MSUB faculty and staff, and free for all MSUB students and children in grades six and under. On the road last week, MSUB fell in games to No. 14 Seattle Pacific 67-50, and in a close battle at Saint Martin’s 64-57. The Yellowjackets are looking to snap a four-game losing streak hosting conference opponents Concordia Portland and Western Oregon. ROAD WARRIORS: January is a tough travelling month for MSUB. The ‘Jackets play six of eight games away from Alterowitz beginning last week at Seattle and Lacey, and ending the month in Alaska. With the schedule, MSUB will be focused on the two opponents the team will be hosting at home this week at Alterowitz. SENIOR LEADERSHIP: As the one active senior on the roster, Tiana Hanson has become an instrumental leader for the Yellowjacket squad this season. Hanson transferred-in last year to the team, but has shown major strides in her game and is playing a pivotal leadership role. The 6-foot forward from Shepherd, Mont., is fourth in the GNAC in points with 15.9 per game and fifth in rebounds at 6.6. Hanson is shooting better than 80.0 percent from the free-throw line and is third in the conference in blocked shots with 1.1 per game. At Saint Martin’s Hanson recorded one of her best all-around games of the season with 17 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. She had two steals, one assist, and one block in a team-leading 39 minutes on the floor. Hanson is closing-in on a career 400 points at MSUB and sits at 392 heading into Thursday’s game. FLOOR GENERAL: Junior point guard Rylee Kane passed two big milestones last week, eclipsing the 500 mark in points with 525, and the 200 mark in rebounds at 215. Kane is third in the GNAC in assists at 5.9 per game. She is averaging 10.4 points per game and 1.8 steals. Kane is second on the team in rebounds with 3.8 per game. In the game at SPU, Kane matched a season-best six rebounds, adding-in six assists. At Saint Martin’s, Kane matched a career-best 17 points on 40.0 percent shooting from the field and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. DOUBLE-DIGITS FOR VAN ATTA: Keeping with her double-digit performances from last week, junior Marissa Van Atta recorded games of 10 points each at both SPU and SMU. At Seattle Pacific, Van Atta added eight rebounds and a seasonhigh three steals. In the last two weeks, Van Atta has moved her scoring average up by a point and is now third on the team with 8.9 points per game. She is also third on the team in rebounds (3.7 pg) and 3-point baskets (.9pg). Van Atta has crossed the 400-mark in career points with 409 and the 200 mark in rebounds at 221. MSUB RESERVES: The Yellowjacket bench boosted the team totals with 17 points and 14 rebounds at Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin’s. Grace Weeks had five points, three rebounds, and two assists at SPU. BY THE NUMBERS: MSUB is averaging 58.8 points per game on 37.5 percent shooting. The team is 28.3 percent from outside with 28.8 rebounds per game. In their last game, MSUB forced 18 turnovers on SMU while limiting their own to 12. The Yellowjackets also finished with more points in the paint (28-22) and second chance points (15-8). Thursday, Jan. 12 – vs Concordia Portland – 5:15 p.m. Billings, MT | Live Stats | Live Video | Live Radio 2016-17 Record: 4-10, 1-5 GNAC Head Coach: Sean Kelly, 12th season 2015-16 Record: 6-22, 4-16 GNAC, 10th
Concordia Portland enters the week with an identical (4-10, 1-5 GNAC) record to MSUB. The Cavaliers are playing in their second season since making the move to the NCAA and the GNAC. CU opened league action in December with a win at home over Saint Martin’s (79-61), but have since dropped five straight conference contests. Like the Yellowjackets, Concordia Portland will be searching for two wins after playing in close games the week before, including a tight match-up against nationally-ranked Alaska Anchorage when the Cav’s held the lead at the end of the first quarter. At 12.6 points per game, Danielle Hartzog leads a CU squad that is averaging 62.4 points on 35.9 percent shooting. Erin Higbie is shooting a team-best 41.3 percent from the field. Bailey Cartwright is fourth in the GNAC in rebounds at 6.7 per game. Keesha Sarman is eighth in the GNAC in assists with 3.5 per game. The Cavaliers lead the conference in blocked shots by a by a 2.6 margin per game, 5.0-3.4, ahead of Saint Martin’s. Jordyn Peacock has a league-best 2.4 blocks per game and Cartwright is eight with .8. The Cav’s are fourth in the GNAC in steals per game with 9.6. Hartzog leads the team and is second in the GNAC with 2.6 per game. All-Time Record (2-0): MSUB won both of its contests against Concordia Portland in the Cavaliers first season competing in the GNAC. Last Season: MSUB won both games against the Cav’s last season, 60-61 on the road, and 65-45 at home. Saturday, Jan. 14 – vs Western Oregon University Wolves – 5:15 p.m. Billings, MT | Live Stats | Live Video 2016-17 Record: 6-7, 2-4 GNAC Head Coach: Holli Howard-Carpenter, 4th season 2015-16 Record: 4-24, 3-17 GNAC, 11th Western Oregon opened the GNAC season with a split, dropping a game against nationally-ranked Seattle Pacific, but finishing with a win against Saint Martin’s 70-56. The Wolves were then tested by the top-3 teams in the league before halting a three-game skid of with a 72-67 home win over Alaska. The Wolves are averaging 64.2 points per game on 40.1 percent shooting. Shelby Snook is fifth in the GNAC with 15.6 points per game. The 5-foot-9 junior guard is fourth in the league in 3-point shots made per game at 2.2. She is second in the GNAC in minutes played, averaging 35.5 per game. Five players from WOU are averaging 7.8 points or more. Jasmine Miller is eighth in the conference with 6.3 rebounds per game. All-Time Record (22-6, 11-2 Home): MSUB has won the last 11 of 13 games against WOU and is 7-1 in the last four years. Last Season: MSUB won both games against the Wolves last season, 60-37 on the road and 65-48 at home. The contest at home was the designated ROOT SPORTS GNAC Game of the Week and Pink Night for MSUB women’s basketball. The Yellowjackets played a dominate performance in front of a packed house during the first home-televised game since MSUB joined the GNAC. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--