FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu February 18, 2016 Last second free-throws sink MSUB 63-61 at SFU MSUB Women’s Basketball on Facebook MSUB Women’s Basketball on ISSUU GNAC Standings Interactive Box Score
Senior Janiel Olson scored a team-high 12 points in the loss to Simon Fraser.
After closing a 16-point deficit, last second free-throws were the winning points for Simon Fraser as the MSUB women’s basketball team falls on the road 63-61. BURNABY, B.C. – After closing a 16-point deficit and taking the lead in the fourth quarter, the MSUB women’s basketball team fell 63-61 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game at Simon Fraser on two free-throws with .5 seconds left on the clock.
The Yellowjackets started the game shooting 1-8 in the first three minutes and at half-time were down 34-26. The Clan kept their foot on the gas, opening the second half with a 6-0 run before MSUB found its offensive footing. The ‘Jackets kept chipping away at the score until a 3-pointer from Monica Grimsrud gave MSUB the lead, 59-58, with 3:54 remaining in the game. A spin move and turnaround layup from Janiel Olson pushed that lead to three points. A free-throw from SFU’s Ellen Kett and a layup from Rachel Fradgley knotted the game back up with just over two minutes remaining. Heading down the stretch, neither team could find the basket and MSU Billings missed five shots in the last two minutes. A block and rebound from the Clan put the ball on Simon Fraser’s end with 15 seconds left in the game. With time winding down, SFU’s Alisha Roberts drove to the basket and missed her shot at the buzzer, but a foul was called and she was sent to the free-throw line. With .5 seconds left, Roberts made good on both her shots. The Yellowjackets inbounded the ball on their side of the court, but the layup at the buzzer didn’t fall, and MSUB took the loss to fall to 17-8 overall and 13-4 in the conference. Simon Fraser rises to 13-10 overall and 11-7 in the GNAC. Olson was MSUB’s high scorer finishing with 12 points and a team-best seven rebounds. Grimsrud had 11 points and five rebounds. Sophomores Marissa Van Atta and Vanessa Stavish both finished with nine points. Rylee Kane had six assists. Kett scored a game-high 19 points and made six assists and Roberts had 15 points and a game-high seven assists for SFU. Fradgley and Samantha Beauchamp both had 10 rebounds for the Clan. After shooting 37 percent (10-27) in the first half and making just 2-9 (22.2 percent) from the outside, MSUB picked that up to 39 percent from the field (23-59) and a healthier 8-19 (42.1 percent) from the 3-point arc to end the game, but the Yellowjackets were outdone by a hard-fighting Simon Fraser team. The Clan opened the first half shooting 54.5 percent (12-22), and made 7-12 from 3-point territory (58.3 percent). Adjustments in the MSUB defense at half-time shut-down the 3-point shot as the Clan only made two more 3-point buckets in the last 20 minutes, but clutch free-throw shooting and timely rebounds provided Simon Fraser with points on possessions that lifted the Clan down the stretch. Simon Fraser finished the game outrebounding MSU Billings 34-29. The Clan also was steadier from the free-throw line, making 10-16 while MSUB froze at 7-14. A layup from Kett opened up a 32-20 lead with 3:22 left to play in the first half. Grimsrud made her first 3-pointer of the game to drop the deficit down to under double-digits. The Clan’s Fiona Beales added a layup, but a jump shot from Van Atta and a free-throw from Olson dropped the point spread down to eight at half-time. After the Clan opened the third quarter with six straight points, MSUB went to its bench, sending in all five reserves to see what a change could do. Making the most of it, Stavish led off a scoring run with a 3-point shot followed by another 3-point basket from Tiana Hanson to close the lead back down to nine points. All five players stayed in for three minutes holding Simon Fraser to a jump shot and scoring six points before the MSUB starters were sent back into the game.
Grimsrud kept at it, sinking a 3-pointer from the top of the arc. In just over two minutes, MSUB pumped in nine points to close the gap to five, 49-44. Into the fourth quarter, the teams traded baskets until an 11-0 run capped off by the Olson layup pushed MSUB ahead 61-58. Keeping their cool, the Clan ended the game with five straight points for the win. “I was really proud of our team for fighting tonight,” MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin said. “We got down, but the team continued to work hard. Our bench really gave us a spark in the second half that helped us make the run. The last three minutes were hard-fought by both teams and Simon Fraser got two free-throws for the win. We also had a decent look at the buzzer to tie, but it just didn’t go in.” “I thought Janiel had a really good all-around game tonight,” Woodin continued. “Vanessa’s 3-point shooting off the bench was key for us as well. It is a tough loss, but we will have to play better and be ready to play Western Washington on Saturday.” Stavish finished the game shooting 3-4 from the 3-point arc. The MSUB bench provided 16 points in the game. THE BUZZ: Olson named the game’s St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Game. UP NEXT: MSU Billings travels to Western Washington on Saturday to end this week’s road trip with a 6:15 p.m. Mountain time tip-off against the Vikings to be played at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Wash.
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