BILLINGS, Mont. – After opening the season with a strong showing from a core of young players in their 77-50 win over Chadron State College, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team will continue a five-game home stand on Friday by rekindling an old rivalry against the Bulldogs of NAIA institution the University of Montana – Western with a 7:00 p.m. tipoff.
 
The two programs have squared off on the hardwood 37 times, with the 'Jackets hold a commanding 31-6 advantage in the series including the last five meetings, but have not met the Bulldogs since the 1996-97 season. MSUB came away with an 82-56 road win in Dillon. To put things in perspective, the freshmen on the two squads averaging about 18 years old would have been only three or four years old when the last game was played between the two programs.
 
MSUB enters Friday's contest having logged just one regular season game so far this season as head coach Kevin Woodin and staff are still attempting to figure out their identity as a team. The Yellowjackets were led in their regular season opener by three players in double-digit points, two being underclassman.
 
Freshman forward/guard Janiel Olson collected her first career double-double off points and rebounds in her collegiate debut. She recorded 13 points and 11 boards in the season opener against Chadron State and led the team with two blocks.
 
Picking up right where she left off last season, sophomore point-guard Bobbi Knudsen had 14 points in the season opener to lead MSUB in scoring and led all players in the win over the Eagles with three steals and six assists. A year ago, Knudsen averaged 8.9 points per game as a freshman.
 
The final Yellowjacket to open the regular season with double-digit points was two-sport athlete Brooke Tolman. Tolman had 11 points in 20 minutes of action as well as three boards off the defensive glass.
 
Freshman Quinn Peoples corralled in a team second-best six rebounds to go along with sinking half of her shots in the season-opener while Kayleen Goggins also hit 50% from the field but was perfect (2-2) at the free throw line.
 
As a team, the Yellowjackets shot 45% from the field in their season-opener and all 11 active players saw action against the Eagles. MSUB out rebounded the Eagles 47-35 and forced Chadron State to turn the ball over 19 times.
 
Western has three starters averaging over 20 minutes per game and double-digit points seven games into the 2011-12 season. Sammi Bignell leads the team with 108 points on the season, averaging 15.4 per contest and has gone 21-28 (75%) from the charity stripe.
 
Hayley Pettit is averaging a double-double this season with 12.7 points (89 total points) and 10.9 rebounds per game while leading the team with three blocks. Of her 76 total boards, 57 have come off the defensive glass.
 
Nicole Tams, averaging a team second-best 21.4 minutes per game, leads the team in shooting percentage as she is 31-57 (54.4%) from the field. She has 77 points this season, averaging 11 points per game.
 
Western is averaging just over 74 points per contest while holding their opposition to around 53 points per game and are shooting 43% from the field as a squad; 34.5% from beyond the three-point arc. As a team, the Bulldogs are effectively cleaning the glass by averaging 47.1 rebounds per game compared to 37 by their opponents.