FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu November 23, 2016 Women’s basketball on the road for Thanksgiving weekend MSUB Women’s Basketball on Facebook | MSUB Women’s Basketball on ISSUU | GNAC Statistics Preview Interviews with Tiana Hanson, Brina Hull, and head coach Kevin Woodin
Sophomore Brina Hull and MSUB women’s basketball are on the road for games in Nebraska and South Dakota.
The MSUB women’s basketball program is heading for games in Nebraska and South Dakota during Thanksgiving weekend. BILLINGS, Mont. – For Thanksgiving weekend, the MSUB women’s basketball team will be headed out for a pair of road games. The Yellowjackets are in Chadron, Neb., on Friday, Nov. 25 for a 1 p.m. start followed by a game on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 3 p.m. Montana State University Billings (1-4) is on the road after hosting the Yellowjacket Classic at Alterowitz last weekend. MSUB fell to Northern State in a close game 72-67. The ‘Jackets turned it around against Cal Poly Pomona, earning the program’s first win of the season, 64-50, against the Broncos. Both games on the road this week will feature live video and stats free-of-charge. For the game against Chadron please visit here: Live Video | Live Stats For the game against South Dakota School of Mines please visit here: Live Video | Live Stats
SENIOR LEADERSHIP: Senior Tiana Hanson was named to the Yellowjacket Classic all-tournament team with a tournament second-best scoring average of 18.5 points per game. Hanson was also 4-5 from the 3-point arc and had four blacks. Her senior season, Hanson has stepped-up her role both on-and-off the court as a leader. She is averaging 16.2 points per game in 31.4 minutes. She is also 24-28 from the free-throw line and is 11th in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in rebounds at 5.5 per game. FLOOR GENERAL: Like Hanson, junior Rylee Kane was also named to the Yellowjacket Classic all-tournament team. Kane led the tournament in assists (17) and steals (6). She contributed a career-high 10 assists in the win over Cal Poly Pomona. Kane is 18th in the GNAC in scoring average at 11.6 points per game. She is third in assists with 6.8 per game and 14th in steals at 2.0. The native of Red Lodge, Mont., has been effective on both sides of the floor for MSUB, including a team-leading effort in rebounds in the game against CPP. WELCOMING WEEKS: Transferring in this year from Sheridan College, Grace Weeks has started every game for MSUB this season. The 6-foot-2 forward is averaging 9.8 points and 3.4 rebounds. Weeks is 10th in the GNAC in field goal percentage at 60.6 percent. The game against SDSMT will be a homecoming for Weeks, as the junior is a native of Rapid City. DEFENSIVE SPARK: Marissa Van Atta scored 13 points in both tournament games last week. She chipped-in three rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Against Northern State, Van Atta was 6-6 from the free-throw line. She shot 5-12 in the win against CPP, and was 3-4 from the arc. BRINA BREAKING OUT: Sophomore Brina Hull scored nine points, all from the 3-point arc last week. The native of Colstrip, Mont., spent over 20 minutes on the floor in each game and totaled two assists. PREVOST’S START: Lexi Prevost scored a career-high 15 points against Cal Poly Pomona at home in Alterowitz. In her third start of the season, Prevost shot 5-11 from the field, 3-6 from long-range, was 2-2 from the free-throw line, and contributed three rebounds, an assist, and a steal during the win over the Broncos. Prevost is averaging 7.4 points per game and leads the team in 3-pointers made per game at 2.0. FRESHMEN FRENZY: The four-player class of MSUB freshmen will have a chance to earn floor minutes for the Yellowjackets this season. Taylor Cunningham was on the floor for 47 minutes last week for MSUB. The 5-foot-11 forward had four points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal. BY THE NUMBERS: MSUB is heading into the week averaging 63.6 points on 40.7 percent shooting from the field. The Yellowjackets are shooting 71.8 percent from the free-throw line and recording 26.0 rebounds per game. Friday, November 25 – at Chadron State College Eagles – 1 p.m. Chicoine Center | Chadron, NE | Live Video | Live Stats 2016-17 Record: 0-0 Head Coach: Janet Raymer, 1st season 2015-16 Record: 8-18, 8-14 RMAC Chadron State has played just one game so far this season – a loss against Division I University of Wyoming, 81-53. The program is under new leadership in the team’s former assistant and now head coach Janet Raymer.
The Eagles return five players to a team that finished last season with an 8-18 overall record. One of those returners, senior Erin Graham, scored a team-high 20 points and made eight rebounds against UW. The 5-foot-5 guard from DeLand, Fla., played in all 26 games for CSC last season, averaging 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. Kylah Collins, a 5-foot-10 redshirt freshman scored nine points in the opening game of the season and Havannah Newens led the team in assists. The Eagles shot 38.5 percent (20-52) from the field and 57.1 percent (8-14) from the free-throw line. CSC were within five off the glass against the Cowgirls, finishing 38-33 behind UW. All-Time: (12-3, 4-1) MSU Billings is on a five game win streak against the Eagles dating back to 2011. MSUB has played the Eagles once a season since 2010 and have won all five games. Last Time Out: MSUB earned an 82-67 win over Chadron at home last season. All five starters on the team last year scored double-digit points. Kane had 14 points and Hanson 11. Saturday, November 26 – at South Dakota School of Mines Hardrockers – 3 PM Goodell Gym | Rapid City, S.D. | Live Video | Live Stats 2016-17 Record: 1-3 Head Coach: Ryan Lauren 4th season 2015-16 Record: 10-16, 7-15 RMAC Saturday’s game in Rapid City will be the first home game of the season for South Dakota Mines. The program lost two games in New Mexico to open the season and then split a pair of games in a tournament at Sioux Falls with the team’s first win of the season coming against Southwest Minnesota State, 85-67. In the opening four games, freshman Cooper Courtney is averaging 13.5 points per game followed by 10.3 from junior Payton Humpal. Courtney is shooting 7-13 from the 3-point arc, pacing the team with seven 3-pointers this season. Junior Krista Showalter leads the team in assists with 4.3 per game. Anna Haugen, a 5-11 freshman, is leading the team in rebounds, averaging 8.0 per game. The post player is also 12-17 from the free-throw line. In the win against the Mustangs, Humpal scored 19 points with five assists. Courtney ha 14 points and Haugen a doubledouble of 11 points and 10 rebounds. All Time (4-0, 0-0 Away): MSUB has won all four contests against SDSMT, all at home in the last five years. The ‘Jackets have also won all four contests by at least a double-digit margin. Last Time Out: The Hardrockers travelled to Billings in December of 2014. MSU Billings won the game 91-81 during the 2014 Yellowjacket Classic. Kane had 10 points and Van Atta a pair. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--