BILLINGS, Mont. – 40 minutes just wasn't enough as the Montana State Billings women's basketball team posted a historic 85-78 triple-overtime victory over Northwest Nazarene Saturday evening in Alterowitz Gymnasium.  The Yellowjackets improved to 13-9 overall and 9-5 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, while the Crusaders fell to 12-11 overall and 7-8 in conference play.

“It was a tremendous basketball game tonight,” MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin said.  “I've never been involved in anything like it.  The environment was outstanding with the Pink Zone event.  You couldn't have written a better script for a game.”

A season-high 1755 people witnessed the first triple-overtime game in both GNAC and school history.  It also marked the Fourth Annual Pink Zone Event benefitting the Eva Project for breast cancer research and awareness. 

The Yellowjackets were led by 20 points from senior Beata Bak off the bench, while fellow senior Kayla Ryan tallied 18 points and a career-high 19 rebounds.  Freshman Bobbi Knudsen tallied 16 points, while senior Shantell Marquis added 13 rebounds, seven points, seven assists and five steals.

“I thought Kayla Ryan was outstanding tonight to get almost 20 rebounds,” Woodin said.  “I thought was of the big keys was our rebounding as we got a lot off offensive chances.”

The Crusaders were led by four players in double figures as Heather Adams led the way with 17 points.  Beth Johnson and Falissa Smith each had eight rebounds.

“I want to compliment NNU as they played tremendous throughout the game,” Woodin said.  “They were the better team throughout the first half and we were fortunate to be down only six at half.  They are very balanced and very difficult to guard and controlled the game in the first half.”

In the third overtime, the Jackets outscored the Crusaders 10-3 after NNU scored the initial three points.  The Crusaders didn't score for the final 4:32 as the Jackets built the seven-point lead courtesy of four charity tosses from Knudsen and a field goal from senior Jenny Heringer.

The second overtime saw the Crusaders jump out to an early lead courtesy of a triple from Johnson, but the Jackets took the lead on a Heringer jumper with 34 seconds left.  NNU had a good opportunity with 19 seconds left as Monica Garcia was fouled and went to the line for two.  She made just one free throw to tie it at 75.

Down six at halftime at 37-31, NNU kept the Jackets at bay for a majority of the first 10 minutes of the second half and swelled the lead to as many as eight.  The Yellowjackets kept hanging around and a quick 5-0 run got the Jackets within 51-50 with 7:25 left.

Bak tied the game at 59 with a layup with 4:31 left and followed with a huge triple for a 62-59 lead with 4:10 remaining.   Senior Mandy Jacobs would also hit a triple for a 65-61 lead with 2:37 left.  MSUB held a 66-61 lead with just under two minutes remaining in regulation, but the pesky Crusaders closed regulation time with a 5-0 run of their own to tie the game at 66.

“In the second half we had a good push early to get back into the game,” Woodin said.  “I thought Beata (Bak) was outstanding as she was playing great at both ends.”

One of the big keys to the game was rebounding as the Jackets have tallied 115 rebounds in two games, including 55 tonight.  The Jackets had 18 rebounds on the offensive end leading to 11 second chance points.

Both teams didn't shoot the ball exceptionally well.  The Jackets were 29 of 78 for the game for 37 percent.  NNU was 24 of 72 for .333 percent.  Both squads tallied seven triples, while the Cruaders were 23 of 27 from the line and MSUB was 20 of 27.

The Yellowjackets head on the road at Western Oregon and Saint Martin's this week, before returning home to host Western Washington and Simon Fraser, Feb. 22 and 24, to close the regular season.