Alisha Breen MSUB Career Rankings (as of Feb. 28, 2018)

Statistic	Breen Total	Rank	MSUB Record
Games	123	1	123 (Alisha Breen)
Free Throws	524	1	524 (Alisha Breen)
Free-Throw Attempts	644	1	644 (Alisha Breen)
Points	1,835	3	2,000 (Alira Carpenter)
Rebounds	814	3	1,001 (Janiel Olson)
Free-Throw Percentage	81.4	4	86.7 (Tiana Hanson)
Field Goals	586	4	700 (Alira Carpenter)
Blocks	82	5	278 (Robyn Milne)
Field-Goal Attempts	1,355	5	1,628 (Alira Carpenter)
3-Point Field-Goal Attempts	404	8	712 (Alira Carpenter)
3-Point Field Goals	139	9	294 (Alira Carpenter)
Steals	132	10	343 (Amy Winslow)
3-Point Field-Goal Percentage	34.4	10	43.6 (Amy Winslow)

Woodin was following a tip from then-MSUB assistant coach Nate Harris, who had received word through the AAU circuit of a local standout who had major college potential. The introduction almost never happened, as Breen had verbally committed to NCAA Division I Idaho State University earlier in the summer. Learning that her scholarship offer had been pulled off the table however only further motivated Breen to find a spot within a program that could benefit from her potential.
 

"She was an unbelievable player on a good team, but because she was in the same division as Malta and Fairfield she never had the opportunity to go far in a state tournament," Woodin said. "I was very excited when she accepted my offer, and what impressed me was her versatility and ability to play all around the court. She had the intensity and confidence that she still has today, and that really amazed me."
 
College basketball became a goal for Breen when she first played travel ball under the direction of coach Steve Klees of the Spokane Blazers in eighth grade. Before middle school however, the entirety of Breen's athletic development came at the hands of taking after her siblings. "My dad and uncle used to box and wrestle, so Liam and I did that a lot," Breen said referring to her younger brother. "There was competitiveness between us. Our parents never forced sports upon us, but we were given the opportunity to play them if we wanted to."
 
Breen rolled into her high-school career as a starter on the varsity team, and immediately contributed on a veteran-laden squad that advanced to the 2010 divisional championship against powerhouse Malta HS. It was ahead of the game that Breen first heard rumblings from her team's upperclassmen of a standout senior for the M-Ettes named Bobbi Knudsen. "I didn't think much of her at first, because she wasn't very tall and I had never seen her play," said Breen. "She guarded me in that game and it was not what I was expecting. I talked with her later that year at the Hi-Line Invitational, and I really respected her after watching her play at state."

Knudsen went on to lead Malta to the state title that season, and although she and Breen split ways, the end-of-year all-star game was far from being their final encounter.
 
Playing at the collegiate level was never something that felt like an expectation for Breen, but as she continued to emerge as a leader and star player throughout her prep years she began to realize what the opportunity would mean. "Playing in college was something my dad was never able to do, and Choteau hadn't had anybody go play college ball in a long time," Breen said. "It was a way to go to college and keep playing, and I loved basketball so I knew I was going to do it."
 
The August before Breen's senior year at Choteau, she let her phone buzz through to its voicemail on a call from an unfamiliar number. It was Knudsen, who by then was a two-time All-American at MSUB gearing up for her final season as a Yellowjacket.
 
"I listened to the voicemail and I didn't know how to handle it at first," Breen recalled. "I decided to call her back, and she gave me the spiel."
 
BREEN MACHINE

"I remember Quinn Peoples shooting a three, and seeing Kayleen Goggins who was a big gun when I was a sophomore in high school. I remember highlights of the Pink Game Bobbi's junior year and soon I realized that all the girls on the team were from Montana. The more I talked about it, the more it seemed like the place I wanted to be." – Alisha Breen on committing to MSU Billings.

With 28 seconds left on the clock in the 2014 NCAA D2 west region opener, Knudsen hit one of the biggest shots of her career to give MSUB a 60-59 lead over the Academy of Art. The score held up and the 'Jackets went on to win their second regional game, before falling to host Cal Poly Pomona in the title contest.
 
The defeat against the Broncos signaled the end of Knudsen's legendary career, as she finished as the GNAC's all-time leader in points (1,831) and assists (532). For Breen, the tournament signaled an emergence of what was to come over the next four years, as she had 32 rebounds and 27 points in the three games. "Even from the beginning of practice in October I saw glimpses of how good she could be," Woodin commented on Breen's freshman season. "She established herself as a force around the basket and on the boards, and I thought she had the poise to play on the perimeter if needed. We began to start her down that (playoff) stretch run, and she just kept getting better. The higher the stakes, the better she played."

Breen wasted no time rising to the top of the league as a sophomore, with a 23-point, 13-rebound double-double in her first game of the year at Colorado State Pueblo. Her first 30-point game fell on Dec. 19 against Montana Tech, and by the end of the year she was an honorable mention all-GNAC selection with 15.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
 
Though the Yellowjackets missed out on the conference tournament that season, Breen was determined to have an even better year in 2015-16. The second game of the season was at home against familiar foe Academy of Art, and the junior put forth one of the signature games of her career. Playing all 40 minutes, Breen netted a career-high 37 points, and broke the GNAC record for free throws in a game as she went 19-for-21 from the line.

One of the most memorable nights of Breen's career came later that year on Feb. 11, as the spotlight of the ROOT SPORTS GNAC Game of the Week fell on Billings. On top of that, it was Pink Night at Alterowitz Gym, and among the fans in the crowd was an entire section of the stands filled with the town of Choteau. Most prominently stood the CHS wrestling team, shirts off and 'BREEN 20' painted across seven chests in the front row. "Those boys were freshmen when I was a senior in high school, and I had some kind of connection to every one of them," Breen commented on the loudest cheering section of the night. "They came to back somebody from their home, and that really shows what the support system is like in a small town."

MSUB forced its way back to the regional tournament with a pair of big wins at the conference tournament, and Breen finished the campaign with a 31-point effort against Azusa Pacific University in an 83-75 defeat. She earned first-team all-GNAC recognition after leading the league in scoring with 17.4 points per game.
 
"We went into the offseason determined not to have the next year be the same way," Breen commented on the disappointment from missing the 2014-15 tournament and the preparation for the 2015-16 season. "We learned how to battle that year, and we were going to find a way to win. When I was a freshman I was being encouraged, and my junior year that became my role."
 

 
It was no surprise when the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association's 2016-17 preseason All-American list included Breen, and the conference coaches were convinced she was the real deal as they tabbed her the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year.
 
She was poised to follow in the footsteps of recent All-Americans Knudsen and Kayleen Goggins, even playing against the former in the annual Alumni Game at the end of October.


 
On Nov. 4, 2016, in an exhibition game against Montana Tech, Breen didn't score any points. An awkward landing on a rebound attempt prompted her to exit the game just four minutes in, and when she tried to get back on the court the entire livelihood at Alterowitz Gym was sucked away at the sight on the floor. A step-back three, which had become one of her signature moves, turned into the end of what was supposed to be her best season yet. Her left knee buckled, she grasped the front of her leg as she collapsed to the court, and an unspoken understanding of silence fell across the crowd.
 

"There was never a doubt in her mind that she was going to play again. All the athletes I've helped recover from an ACL have worked hard to get back. But there was something different in Alisha, an internal drive that I never had to try to pull out of her." – MSUB Athletic Trainer Lindsay Sullivan on Alisha Breen.
 
The fact that Breen was injured before the first regular-season game made her eligible for a medical redshirt. Though the notion of returning to the court and completing her career existed, it couldn't have felt further away in the immediate aftermath of her injury. "When I got hurt, I was worried that I would come back and I wouldn't be the player I was before," Breen said. "I was afraid people would say, 'she could have been this good, but she tore her ACL.' I was going to do everything in my power to not let that happen."

 

From Day 1 it was all about Breen's mindset. MSUB athletic trainer Lindsay Sullivan, who is a seasoned veteran when it comes to major knee injury rehabilitation procedures, recalls that some of the normal mental roadblocks weren't there with Breen. "There was about one second where she had feelings of dismay and anger, but from that point on it was positive," Sullivan commented on Breen's mentality, which is often times the biggest obstacle for injured players to overcome. "After the first time we sat down to talk about it, I started a Word document for her workout routine, and called it 'How to Make an All-American (Again).'"
 
Breen hadn't spent much time watching basketball before the fall of 2016. If there was a game going on and she was in the gym, she was on the court. "I hated that I couldn't help when the team was struggling, but I also knew the players could talk to me about the game," Breen commented on her temporary role as player-coach for the season. "I learned a lot sitting on the bench watching the game. It was a new perspective that gave me a different view of the court."
 
The 'Jackets struggled without their physical and emotional leader, going 8-20 in 2016-17 and missing out on the conference tournament. Meanwhile Breen pushed the limits of Sullivan's workout regimen, progressing towards recovery at an accelerated rate. "I wasn't surprised, and there were times that I had to hold her back a bit," said Sullivan. "There are certain parameters that can't be safely exceeded, but she was able to accelerate her recovery by pushing the limits of the timeline that we set."

The Unsung Hero of MSUB

 

Breen's parents weren't surprised either at the audacity with which their daughter attacked her rehab, but admitted that it was perhaps the most significant road block of her athletic career. "It was much harder for her than she showed," Jerry said. "She took that year as a learning experience, sitting on the bench and listening to the coaches and players."
 
"She has had injuries before, but she doesn't show how upset she is very often," said Kayla eluding to Breen's shoulder problems in high school. "Watching her go down, I just knew that it wasn't going to be good. It was a real game-changer for her."
 
Stagnant pool workouts slowly progressed into basic walking exercises, and before long Breen was pushing what must be MSUB weight-room records for hours spent on the stationary bike. Even while helpless from a basketball perspective, Breen found a way to motivate and inspire those around her including her head coach. "We started to bike regularly together and she even helped me devise my own workout program which really made a difference in my own life," Woodin said. "She was a great motivator and at times she would push me to go harder than I thought I could. This is another example of how Alisha finds a way to make adverse situations positive not only for herself but for others."
 
20 FOR 20

 
"When you fear, when you fail, when you feel you're gonna fall, follow your heart and always believe in the underdog," – 'The Underdog' by Aaron Watson, the leadoff song on Breen's pre-game playlist.
 
A wave of anxious anticipation filled the air at Alterowitz Gym on the First of November, as Breen returned to the unforgiving floor that cruelly swept away the past 362 days of her basketball playing life. How would she be? Could she be a major contributor in her return? Would her shooting be what it was before?

The GNAC coaches answered all of these questions when they selected her as the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year for an unprecedented second time, but her debut on the court still hung in the balance.
 
"Last year was the slowest, but fastest year of my life, and when the first game came around it was really exciting," said Breen. "I didn't know what was going to happen, but I knew I had to play for all the people who helped me get back from my knee. I had to prove to myself and everyone else that I could have the senior year that I should have."
 
None of the 31 points that Breen scored in that exhibition game against Montana Western counted towards her season statistics, but they hinted that one of the greatest seasons in GNAC history was about to unfold.
 
Entering this week's GNAC tournament, Breen leads the GNAC and is No. 12 in the NCAA in scoring with 20.8 points per game, while ranking second in the league with 9.5 rebounds per game. Her 625 points scored are already the fifth-most by any player in a GNAC single season, and she is on her way to becoming just the 12th player since the conference began in 2001-02 to average 20 or more points in a season. "She is the most versatile player I have ever coached," said Woodin. "She can guard any position, and offensively she can score from anywhere on the court."

 *-Indicates Player Led League In Points Scored  

On Feb. 13 at the University of Alaska, Breen hit her 473rd free throw to break the GNAC career record. She has played 3,897 minutes, more than all but one player in the history of the conference. Her seven career 30-point games are third-most in GNAC history as are her 10-career 10-free throw games, and she will become the fifth player in GNAC history to win two season scoring titles.

 
"It's amazing," said Jerry, who agreed with his wife Kayla that the two paid little attention to the gaudy numbers their daughter has produced. "It shouldn't surprise us, but it's just amazing."
 

 

Not only are Breen's athletic achievements amazing, but the health and human performance major carries a 3.67 grade point average and is a three-time academic all-conference selection. Earlier this month, she was named a CoSIDA District 8 all-academic pick, and she's eligible to become an All-American in the classroom to be announced later this season.

 
Breen, who won the GNAC Player of the Week award a record five times this season, is more concerned with her team making a final playoff run than she is with her scoring average matching her jersey number. "Our best basketball is yet to come," said Breen. "We are peaking at the right time, and I think everybody is excited for this time of year. Going into the conference tournament, everyone is 0-0."

"We were constantly doing some kind of service work when we grew up. I saw how my parents affected the community, and I wanted to have that same effect on the community as well. I saw that I could make a difference." – Alisha Breen on giving back to the Choteau community that has supported her.

The last shot Breen ever took at Alterowitz Gym was bittersweet. The game was lost, but as time ran out senior point guard Rylee Kane whipped one more pass to the top of the arc for No. 20. Breen's uncle Perry knew the three was in before it left Alisha's hand.
 
"The healthiest thing we did all week (as a family) was to go to games," Perry says regarding the nearly five-hour drive from Choteau to Alterowitz Gym in Billings that he would routinely make with Kayla and Jerry. "It gets you away from everything."
 
Breen didn't have to solicit the rebounding help of her uncle. She didn't have to organize an entire basketball camp for the youth of Choteau on her own. She didn't owe anybody one of the five greatest statistical seasons in GNAC history or the five career school and GNAC records that she now owns.
 
But something within drives her, a natural instinct instilled by her parents to continue to better the community and people surrounding her.

Home

 

Relentless work ethic, absence of satisfaction with the status quo, and determination to develop untapped potential are the characteristics of a great athlete. Rarely, when an individual displays these traits and achieves these goals, she has the power to simultaneously carry all those around her along for the upward journey.
 
"I just can't understate it. Every day, it doesn't matter what time practice is, she brings it," said Woodin. "I hear her voice all the time, complimenting players whether it is a shooting drill, running lines, and whether or not they are playing well. She is always trying to get her teammates to be better. That is very rare."
 
And it really did end up being as simple as that. Alisha Breen needed the university she has moved over the past five years, but more than anything MSUB needed Alisha Breen.