FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu December 14, 2016 Yellowjackets host Rocky for last game before winter break MSUB Women’s Basketball on Facebook | MSUB Women’s Basketball on ISSUU | GNAC Standings Preview Interviews with Abbie Lohof. and head coach Kevin Woodin
Junior Marissa Van Atta and MSUB women’s basketball are hosting Rocky Mountain College on Saturday, Dec. 17.
For the last women’s basketball game before the winter break, the Yellowjackets are welcoming rival Rocky Mountain College to Alterowitz on Saturday, Dec. 17. BILLINGS, Mont. – In the last women’s basketball game before the winter break, MSUB is welcoming crosstown rival Rocky Mountain College to Alterowitz on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m. MSU Billings lost an exhibition game against the University of Great Falls last week and will look to bounce back with the game against the Battlin’ Bears. The Yellowjackets are entering the game with a record of 3-6 overall and 1-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Rocky Mountain College is 7-4, 0-2 in the Frontier Conference. This is a counting game for MSUB. The two teams met at the beginning of the season in an exhibition game for the ‘Jackets at the Fortin Center. MSUB was down 36-31 at half-time but responded with a big third quarter, winning by a final of 67-62. This time around, the
Yellowjackets will be without the team’s top scorer Alisha Breen. The forward from Choteau, Mont., sustained a seasonending injury shortly after the contest against Rocky, and is out for the season. Breen had a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds, with three blocks and three steals against RMC. In the game at the Fortin Center, MSUB also got 13 points from Taylor Edwards and 12 from Tiana Hanson. MSUB was better from the field (37.9-35.5 percent), but behind in rebounds (36-34). The Yellowjackets are 3-2 in their last five games, including wins over Cal Poly Pomona and conference opponent Central Washington. Hanson leads the team with 16.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. The senior from Shepherd, Mont., is also shooting 83.9 percent from the free-throw line (52-62) and is second on the team in assists with 1.6 per game. Rylee Kane is second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.2 points per game. She has a team-best 6.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Edwards is averaging 9.8 points, including 1.5 3-pointers per game. Juniors Grace Weeks (8.8 ppg) and Marissa Van Atta (8.3 ppg) are both just under nine points per contest. Rocky Mountain College has had an uneven start to its 2016-17 season. The Battlin’ Bears lost both opening Frontier Conference games, falling to Carroll College 62-54, and a lopsided defeat in front of their home crowd, 71-49, to Montana Western. However, RMC played an exhibition game in Missoula on Monday against the University of Montana, falling just short in an upset bid against the Grizzlies. The Battlin’ Bears led 42-39 heading into the fourth quarter as both teams battled down the stretch. RMC’s Jayde LeFevre made a 3-point basket to tie the game at 56 with 2:38 left. Jace Henderson’s layup put the Grizzlies ahead, and UM was able to hold onto the lead through the final minute. In MSUB’s win over Rocky in October, the Battlin’ Bears were led by 21 points and 11 rebounds from Keisha Engelhardt, 18 points from Mikayla Jones, and 11 points from Hailee Farstveet. MSUB held RMC to 5-22 from 3-point range and forced 16 turnovers from the Battlin’ Bears. Jones is averaging 15.1 points, Engelhardt at 13.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. RMC is shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from the 3-point arc. Live video with commentary and live stats will be available for Saturday’s game on the MSUB Stretch Internet portal here. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--