BILLINGS, Mont. – After securing two hard-fought wins over the weekend, the 5-4 Montana State University Billings women's basketball team is back in the winning column, giving the Yellowjackets momentum as they prepare for their excursion to Hawaii for four critical West Region matchups this week.
 
Last weekend, the young Yellowjackets knocked off Black Hills State 59-40 at home Friday night before recording a 76-66 victory over South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in front of a home crowd of nearly 1,000 fans. The victory over the Hardrockers featured the most points MSUB had scored in a contest since the second game of the season; a 76-49 win over NAIA foe Montana – Western.
 
The Yellowjackets will start off their four-game, five-day excursion in the “Aloha State” with a Thursday, Dec. 15 game against Hawaii Pacific University at 5 p.m. local time in Kaneohe. The very next day, MSUB will travel to Honolulu for another 5 p.m. game, this time against Chaminade University on Friday, Dec. 16.
 
After a day of rest on Saturday, the Yellowjackets will travel to Hilo on Sunday, Dec. 18 for a 2 p.m. tipoff against the University of Hawaii at Hilo before closing out their time on Monday, Dec. 19 in Laie against Brigham Young University – Hawaii at 5 p.m.
 
Heading into this week's four non-conference games, the Yellowjackets currently lead the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in steals per game at 11.8 per contest, and three-point field goals made at 7.9 per game. The 7.9 treys per game have MSUB 11^th in NCAA Division II women's basketball while Kevin Woodin's squad is also 15^th in the nation for fewest turnovers per game at 14.2.
 
The team is currently fourth in the league in both scoring defense, allowing around 60 points per game, and three-point percentage at 33.2% as a team.
 
Sophomore point guard Bobbi Knudsen has established herself as the driving force behind Woodin's youth-filled team. The Malta, Mont. native currently leads team with a league second-best 16.7 points per contest; she has 150 total points so far this season. She also leads the team and conference with 38 assists while also sitting fourth in the league with 4.2 assists per game.
 
While Knudsen is the only Yellowjacket to currently average double-digit points per contest, there are two players right on the fringe of averaging 10 points per outing as shooting guards Brooke Tolman and Quinn Peoples are currently averaging 9.9 and 9.4 points per game respectively. A native of Butte, MT, Peoples has seen her stock rise over the last couple of weeks as she averaged 12.25 points per game over the last four games that started with a career-high 21 points in a road-game at Western Washington University.
 
Three Yellowjackets are currently in the league's top-10 in three-pointers per game. Tolman's team-leading 20 treys have her third in the GNAC while Peoples' 16 three-pointers has her sixth. Senior guard Kalli Stanhope has 15 treys to have her seventh in the league.
 
Under the hoop, Billings West High School product Janiel Olson has been a solid force for Woodin this season as she has provided a strong rebounding and boxing out presence despite sometimes being slightly shorter in stature than her opoonents. She is currently tied for ninth in the league for boards per game (7.7) and currently leads the conference in steals (23) and steals per game (2.5). But fellow frosh Kayleen Goggins averaged 12 points and 7.5 rebounds over the weekend's two games and is closing the gap as she learns to play at the higher level required to be competitive in college ball.
 
Hawaii Pacific University: At 5-3, the Sea Warriors of Hawaii Pacific University are currently riding a two-game winning-streak that includes winning their last contest 77-71 over Chaminade Univesrity in Pacific West Conference action.
 
As a team, the Sea Warriors are currently shooting a solid 40% from the field and are the only team on the Yellowjackets' slate this week with a winning record. However, HPU has only hit 28 three-point shots so far this season while their opposition has hit 48.
 
Mana Hopkins-Vandenakker leads the team in scoring with 14.3 points per game (114 total) and leads the Warriors under the basket, corralling in 8.8 boards per game. The 5-10 senior forward is second on the team in both shooting percentage (45.4% - 44-97) and three-point percentage (40% at 8-20).
 
Sophomore Skye Savini is second on the team with 13.5 points per outing while senior Paris Gravely has 12.1 points per game. The final Sea Warrior to average double-digit points per game is another senior, Taiyande Huskey, with 10 points per outing.
 
Savini is second to Hopkins-Vandenakker in rebounds per game (7.1) while Gravely leads the team from beyond the arc. She has hit on six of her 14 attempts (.429) and is second on the squad from the charity stripe (29-36).
 
Chaminde University: At 0-3, Chaminade University is still looking for that first win of the season and still have to play nationally 10^th-ranked Universit of Alaska Anchorage twice before taking on the Yellowjackets on Friday.
 
The Silver Swords have been led in scoring in their three games by four different players, struggling from three-point range. CU has made only 11 of their 51 attempts from beyond the arc through three games but are still 35.8% from the field.
 
Despite struggling through the first three games, Junior Rhani Kaneaiakala and sophomore Jordan Ahakuelo are both averaging over 10 points per outing at 10.7 and 10.5 respectively. Kaneaiakala leads the team with 11 shots made after 27 attempts (.407) so far this season.
 
Without a single player over 5-10, 5-7 forward Nikki Tauau leads the team in rebounds at 8 per game.
 
University of Hawaii at Hilo: The Vulcans of University of Hawaii at Hilo are currently 2-5 after garnering a 69-60 win over the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Anchorage. It was their third attempt to defeat the Nanooks as they accumulated a combined score of 166-191 against Fairbanks.
 
As a team, UHH is currently shooting 32.6% (127-389) from the field, but are a dismal 25-144 (.219) from beyond the three-point arc. Their opposition is currently scoring an average of 63 points per contest.
 
A 6-2 senior forward, Hillary Hurley, the Vulcan's leading scorer and rebounder, recorded a double-double outing in the most recent game as she had season-highs in points (23) and rebounds (14). She is currently averaging 15.3 points and just shy of averaging a double-double with 9.7 rebounds. She also leads the team with an extremely potent 59.3% (16-27) shooting performance.
 
Natalie Mata, averaging 8.9 points per game, has a team-high six treys through seven games. The junior is currently 26-59 (.441) from the field.
 
If there is one player the Yellowjackets will not want to send to the free throw line, it is junior guard Kirsten Shimizu who has been clutch at the charity stripe for the Vulcans, going 25-27 (.926).
 
Brigham Young University – Hawaii: Brigham Young University – Hawaii finally broke into the wins column with a 69-63 victory over Central Washington University, splitting a pair of games with the Wildcats to move to 1-6 for the year. They Seasiders will play another GNAC school before taking on MSUB, tangling with Western Oregon University on Saturday.
 
BYUH as a team is shooting 37.8% from the field, but have only hit 19-90 (.211) of their shots from three-point range. They are currently losing the rebounding battle under the hoop as opponents are out-rebounding the Seasiders 43.7-39.7 per game.
 
Leading scorer Shayla Washington has recorded two double-double performances so far this season as the junior is currently averaging 14.6 points per outing including a season-high 20 points coming in the opening game of the season. She is second on the team in rebounds per game at 7.9 while leading the team from the field at .437 (38-87).
 
At 6-2, freshman center Taylor Mann has a team-high 19 blocks this season, averaging almost three blocks per game and has brought down a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game (60 total). The duo of Washington and Mann are averaging better than 70% from the free throw line as Washington has taken the most trips to the line, currently hitting on 70.6% (24-34) of her shots. Mann is shooting a team-best .733 (11-15) from the free throw line.
 
After the pre-holiday excursion, the Yellowjackets will take nine days off to celebrate the holidays with their families before jumping back into GNAC action.