FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu February 3, 2016 Women’s basketball begins 6 of 8 conference games on the road MSUB Women’s Basketball on Facebook MSUB Women’s Basketball on ISSUU Preview Interviews GNAC Release GNAC Standings
In the last five games for MSUB, senior Monica Grimsrud is averaging almost three 3-pointers per game.
With their eight-game win streak broken with a loss at home last week to No. 2 Alaska Anchorage, the MSUB women’s basketball team is looking to get back in the win column with two GNAC road games. BILLINGS, Mont. – After having their eight-game win streak snapped and dropping their first conference game at home, this week the MSUB women’s basketball team is looking to get back in the win column with contests at Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin’s.
With eight games left in their Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season, the Yellowjackets do not face an easy task as six of those eight are on the road. The first two are against opponents MSUB defeated earlier in the season at home, but MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin knows it’s a different story now. “We play a tough schedule down the stretch this season,” Woodin commented. “We play our last six of eight games on the road. Every GNAC game is a tough game. To win at home is hard, but to win on the road is tougher. I do know that our team is looking forward to the challenge though. They know what it is at stake to play well for the rest of the regular season.” Last Saturday, MSU Billings hosted No. 2 Alaska Anchorage at home in a battle for sole possession of first-place in the conference standings. In front of an electric crowd, MSUB fell short of its goal, taking an 85-73 loss against the Seawolves. The Yellowjackets are now tied with Western Washington for second-place in the GNAC with a conference record of 102. Both teams are also 14-6 on the season. This week, MSUB kept its ranking in the D2SIDA west region poll at ninth place overall with WWU sitting at 10th. MSUB defeated the Vikings at home two weeks ago by a final of 53-47. The teams will meet again Feb. 20, in Bellingham. MILESTONES MET: Two big milestones were met last week in the MSUB women’s basketball program. Junior Alisha Breen entered the 1,000-point club in the game on Saturday. The forward from Choteau, Mont., has joined an elite group of athletes in her collegiate career for the Yellowjackets. Breen has also amassed 315 career free-throws which places her at third all-time at MSUB behind Tera Silvius (347, 1992-95). Breen is second in the GNAC in points with 17.4 per game and 10th off the glass with 6.1. CLASS OF TWO: Continuing the trend of milestones, senior Janiel Olson collected her 900th career rebound in the game against Alaska Anchorage. Olson is just one of two (Robyn Milne, 957, 2002-05) at MSUB that have reached that feat. The Billings West High School graduate is also climbing the rankings in steals, she has 162 so far, placing her at No. 8 all-time at MSUB. With 15 points last week, Olson is now averaging 7.3 points and is second in the GNAC in rebounds at 8.5 per game. 10’s: Senior Monica Grimsrud poured in her 10th doubledigit game this season with 15 points against Alaska Anchorage. She is now second on the team with 10.3 points per game. The native of Montana City, Mont., leads the team in 3-point baskets made per game with 1.9. Grimsrud also had a season-high three blocks in the game against Alaska and has 15 total on the season. 8 and 6’s: Sophomore point guard Rylee Kane recorded a career-high 8 assists against UAA. She has dished out six or more assists in the last five games. In her second season Sophomore Rylee Kane recorded a career-high eight assists vs. UAA.
with MSUB, she is nearing the 100 assist mark this year with 95 and last game took her total to more than all of last season combined. TEAM/CAREER-HIGH: Sophomore Marissa Van Atta had a career-night last Saturday. The guard finished with a team and career-high 17 points. She also kicked in seven rebounds and two assists. The graduate of Senior High School leads the team in steals with 1.6 per game and has just entered the top-30 in rebounding in the GNAC at 28 with 4.0 per game. FROM THE LINE: Junior Tiana Hanson leads the GNAC from the free-throw line at 64-72 for 88.9 percent. She had double-digit points in both games last week, with 13 against Alaska and 10 against Alaska Anchorage. She shot 7-10 from the field and was 9-11 from the free-throw line. Thursday, February 4 – vs. Seattle Pacific University Falcons – 6:15 p.m. MST 2015-16 Record: 7-13, 4-9 GNAC Head Coach: Julie Heisey, 11th season Last Meeting: SPU 50, MSUB 61 (Billings, MT, 1/9/16) Seattle Pacific pulled itself out of a nine-game losing slump with a win at home against Saint Martin’s on Tuesday, 71-60. The Falcons were 11-14 from the field in the first half to take a 28-26 lead into half-time. SPU was huge on the boards, outrebounding the Saints 46-26. The Falcon’s secondary came-up big for SPU, as the bench contributed 31 points to the total. Courtney Hollander (12.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and Jordan McPhee (12.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) lead the team in points and rebounding. SPU also has four players averaging between 6-8 points per game. Stacey Lukasiewicz (2.5 apg) and Brianne Lasconia (2.3 apg) share the point guard duties for the Falcons. Seattle Pacific is third in the conference in rebounds with a 5.4 margin above its opponents. The Series: (20-26, A, 5-18) The Falcons hold a six game lead all-time over MSUB and are strong at home. The last time MSUB won in Seattle was 63-32 in 2012. Last Time Out: The Falcons jumped out to a 23-8 first quarter lead before MSUB mounted a comeback in the second quarter scoring 17 points and holding SPU to five to draw to within three, 28-25. The Yellowjackets finished strong scoring 36 second-half points for the nine-point win. Grimsrud scored a career-high 18 points for MSUB, Breen had 13 and Hanson added 11. Olson continued her double-figure rebounding streak with 14. Saturday, February 6 – vs. Saint Martin’s University Saints – 6:15 p.m. MST 2015-16 Record: 5-15, 3-10 GNAC Head Coach: Tim Healy, 23rd season Last Meeting: SMU 49, MSUB 64 (Billings, MT 1/7/16) After Tuesday’s loss at Seattle Pacific, the Saints have extended their slump to eight conference games. The team’s last win was their first game against SPU on Jan. 5, at home (78-70). Although, SMU is now 3-10 in the season, several of those games have been very close, and the Saints have been tougher at home. SMU is second in the conference at the free-throw line (72.3 percent) and third in blocked shots (4.1 pg).
The Saints have the third-best scoring offensive player in Krista Stabler who is averaging 16.8 points per game and the No. 1 rebounder in the GNAC in Megan Wiedeman who is collecting 9.4 per game. Wiedeman is averaging 13.0 points per game with Elin Johansson at 8.3. The Saints are shooting 34.4 percent from the field and averaging 4.2 3-pointers per game. The Series: (23-10, A 10-8) MSU Billings holds a 13-game winning margin over Saint Martin’s. The lead is smaller when playing in Lacey, although the Yellowjackets have won the last 7-9 games against the Saints. Last Time Out: At home on Jan. 7, MSUB held a 34-23 half-time lead, finishing the Saints 64-49. Breen scored 18 points and Kane factored in the mix with 14. Olson pulled in a career-high 18 rebounds against SMU, adding in three steals in 30 minutes on the floor for the ‘Jackets. The MSUB defense held Stabler to 11 points. Elin Johansson finished with a team-high 18. UP NEXT: Next week at home, MSU Billings is hosting two big events. YELLOWJACKETS TO BE FEATURED ON ROOT SPORTS FEB. 11: The MSUB women's basketball team will be featured during the GNAC's ROOT SPORTS Game of the Week in February, when the Yellowjacket welcome Western Oregon to Alterowitz Gymnasium. Tipoff during the basketball program's annual Pink Zone game is set for 7:00 p.m. Mountain time in a game televised on the ROOT SPORTS network throughout the western United States. Then Saturday, MSUB hosts Concordia (Ore.) as part of a double-header schedule with the MSUB men’s team. The women’s game is set to tip-off at 7:30 p.m. Following the conclusion, MSUB’s two seniors Janiel Olson and Monica Grimsrud will be honored during Senior Night for the Yellowjackets. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--