BILLINGS, Mont. – It's rivalry week on the gridiron, and so it is only fitting that the Montana State Billings women's basketball team is preparing to host their in-town rival, Rocky Mountain College, on Tuesday, Nov. 22 for a 7:30 p.m. game on the hardwood. The game will serve as an exhibition for the Battlin' Bears who are currently 6-1 so far this season, but will count for the 2-0 Yellowjackets.
 
MSUB and Rocky have met 71 times dating back to 1973 with the Yellowjackets owning a 57-14 advantage in the series including having won the last 12 meetings that have counted according to MSUB records. The two met earlier this season on Nov. 9 with Rocky claiming a 68-63 home victory in what was an exhibition game for the Yellowjackets but counted towards the Bears's season record.
 
Heading into Tuesday's rivalry match-up the Yellowjackets are shooting 42% as a team, having outscored their opponents 153-99 between their two regular season games with all 11 members of Woodin's arsenal having seen action in both games. The 'Jackets have been a defensive force as they have forced 48 turnovers while only relinquishing the ball 23 times themselves; including just nine times in a 76-49 victory over the University of Montana – Western on Friday.
 
Sophomore guard Bobbi Knudsen has led MSUB in scoring in both contests as she is averaging 16 points per game. She has a team-high 11 assists and a team second-best five steals so far this season and is shooting just north of 45% (14-31) from the field.
 
Fellow guard Brooke Tolman is averaging 13 points per game with the majority of her points coming from beyond the three-point arc. She is 6-13 (46.2%) from three-point range and has a team-high-tying two blocks on the season.
 
Underclassmen have stepped up big for Woodin and MSUB early on this season with freshman forward/guard Janiel Olson leading the Yellowjackets in rebounding in both regular season games, corralling in 17 boards so far this season to go along with a team-high six steals. Fellow freshman Quinn Peoples is 71.4% (5-7) from the free-throw line while Kayleen Goggins and Kabri Emerson are both perfect from the charity stripe; Goggins is 4-4 and Emerson 2-2.
 
A pair of upperclassmen, Kalli Stanhope and Ashley Reed, has made sure to contribute at key moments as well. Stanhope leads the team in three-point shooting percentage as she is 4-8 from beyond the arc while Reed has made the most of every shooting opportunity given to her in the two games going 5-5 in the paint.
 
The Battlin' Bears are currently shooting 48.3% as a team from the field and are 70.5% from the charity stripe. Unlike the 'Jackets, the Bears are struggling to hold on to the rock as they have committed 127 turnovers compared to 124 by their opposition.
 
For Rocky, Micki Scally and Austin Hanser lead the team in scoring as both have registered over 100 points this season. Scally leads the team with 128 points in seven contests, averaging 18.3 per game, while shooting 54% (46-85) from the field. She is also 77% (20-26) from beyond the three-point arc.
 
Hanser is averaging 14.6 points per game as she has collected 102 points on the season. Just behind her is Erin Cooke, the final Bear averaging double-digit points per game with 11.5 points per contest. Cooke also leads the team in rebounds with 55 including 44 off the defensive glass.
 
Alli Blake is second on the team in boards with 43 and leads the team in shooing as she is currently 59% (26-44) from the field.
 
Following the tangle with Rocky, MSUB will host the 2011 Yellowjacket Women's Basketball Classic sponsored by Billings Hotel and Convention Center on Friday, Nov. 25 and Saturday, Nov. 26. Joining the Yellowjackets in the four-team field will be Montana State – Northern, Minnesota State – Moorhead and Minot State University.
 
The Classic will feature two games on both days with MSU – Northern and Minnesota State – Moorhead tipping the tourney off at 5 p.m. on Friday before MSUB hosts Minot State at 7 p.m. on Friday. The following day, Northern will face off against Minot at 2 p.m. before the Yellowjackets will close out both the Classic and their season-opening five-game home slate with a 4 p.m. contest against Minnesota State – Moorhead.