FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu October 22, 2015 Olson and Breen tabbed preseason all-conference MSUB Women’s Basketball on Facebook MSUB Women’s Basketball Stack on ISSUU GNAC Release
Alisha Breen of the MSUB women’s basketball team was unanimously named to the GNAC preseason all-conference team.
Senior Janiel Olson and junior Alisha Breen are both being honored with conference accolades as the MSUB women’s basketball teammates are each named to the 2015-16 GNAC preseason all-conference team. PORTLAND, Ore. – MSU Billings women's basketball players Alisha Breen and Janiel Olson were each named to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason all-conference team, as announced by the conference office Thursday. Breen was a unanimous selection to the team, while Olson earned her second career honor. “Both Janiel and Alisha are very worthy of their preseason honors,” MSUB head coach Kevin Wooding said. “It has been great to see Janiel competing at a high level again in practice and I am proud of her for how hard she has worked to get back. We really missed her a year ago. Alisha's game continues to improve. She is so versatile and I know she will have an excellent year.”
Olson is returning to the court after redshirting last season due to an injury. The 5’10” forward from Billings, Mont., averaged 7.8 points and 9.7 rebounds in 2013-14. She was ranked as high as No. 15 in the nation in rebounds and finished atop the rebounding standings in the GNAC. Olson has been a 3-year starter for the ‘Jackets. The Billings West High School graduate sat out last season recovering from a torn ACL. As a junior in 2013-14, Olson finished the season being named GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to the GNAC all-conference first team as well as being named to the GNAC all-academic team. Last season, Breen averaged 15.5 points per game, ranking seventh in the GNAC, and 7.6 rebounds per game which placed her at fifth in the GNAC. She shot 44.2 percent from the field and was a team-leading 141-169 (83.4 percent) from the free-throw line. The 5’10” forward from Choteau, Mont., started every game for the Yellowjackets last season, scoring a career-high 30 points twice during the year, and pulling in a career-high 16 rebounds.
Janiel Olson earned her second career GNAC preseason allconference team honor.
For the 2014-15 season, Breen earned GNAC honorable mention honors, and was named GNAC all-academic. Senior Megan Mullings from Alaska Anchorage was named the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year. Fifteen players from around the conference were tabbed for preseason honors. Eleven players including Breen were unanimous selections, while five including Olson were named as repeat honorees. MSU Billings opens this season with an alumni game on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1:00 p.m. followed by the men’s alumni game at 3:00 p.m. The Yellowjackets then travel across town to the Fortin Center on Nov. 3, for an exhibition game against Rocky Mountain College before hosting the Battlin’ Bears a week later on Nov. 10 in Alterowitz.
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