BILLINGS, Mont. – The chance to host a Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament game comes down to the final two regular season home games for the Montana State Billings women's basketball team this week. The Yellowjackets enter the week with a 14-10 record overall and a 10-6 mark in conference play and currently sit in fourth place in the league standings. The Yellowjackets close out the regular season hosting nationally ranked and league-leading Western Washington University Tuesday at 5:15 p.m., and Simon Fraser University Thursday at 5:15 p.m. in Alterowitz Gymnasium on Senior Night.

 

The top four teams in the conference will host GNAC Tournament playoff games beginning Mon., Feb. 28. This is the first year of the GNAC postseason tournament and the Jackets have a one game lead on Saint Martin's in the standings. MSUB is one game behind third place Seattle Pacific, but the Jackets swept SPU this season and would hold the tiebreaker over SPU if the teams finished with an equal record in league play. The Jackets and the Saints split the season series, which would make things interesting from a tiebreaker standpoint should the Yellowjackets slip up this week and the Saints win both of their contests.

 

Like MSUB, SPU also hosts Simon Fraser and Western Washington this week, while SMU plays at Northwest Nazarene and at Central Washington. SMU won the earlier meeting with Central Washington and lost to NNU. The Falcons defeated Simon Fraser earlier this season and lost at WWU. 

 

Tuesday's game theme is Upward Basketball Night and the game sponsor is Montana Tobacco Use Prevention program. All Upward Basketball players who wear their uniform will be admitted free and parents accompanying them will be admitted for $2 each. 

 

The Yellowjackets are coming off of a split this past week in their final regular season road trip of the year at Saint Martin's and at Western Oregon. The Saints handed MSUB a 63-55 setback Thursday, but the Jackets responded with a 65-57 win at WOU Saturday.

 

Against the Wolves, MSUB was down eight points with 10:57 to play. The Jackets then closed the game on a 19-5 run as they held WOU without a field goal in the final 10:57. MSUB was led by 15 points off the bench from senior Beata Bak and senior Jenny Heringer led the way with eight rebounds. 

 

Leading the way for the Jackets this season is Bak who is averaging 13.9 points per game ranking her fourth in the league in scoring. She also leads the team with 123 made field goals and 73 made free throws. Bak has a team-high 32 blocks on the year ranking her tied for fourth in the league.

 

Second on the team in scoring is Heringer at 12.1 points per game. She became eligible to play for the Jackets this semester and has played in just 16 games after transferring from Montana State. She really has come on as of late, ranking third on the team in made field goals (65), second in made triples (26) and leads the team with an .826 free throw percentage (38 of 46). Her 4.8 rebounds per game ranks her third on the team. Since Heringer became eligible at the semester, she leads the team in scoring.

 

Third on the team in scoring is senior Kayla Ryan at a 10.6 average. Ryan leads the team and ranks second in the league in rebounding at a 7.5 average. She has been a constant force inside for the Jackets this season, making just south of 50 percent from the field on 97 of 195 (.497).

 

Senior Shantell Marquis leads the team in assists 76 (3.17 apg.) and steals 66 (2.75 spg.). Her 66 steals ranks her first in the league and she ranks seventh in the conference in assists. Marquis currently ranks 30^th nationally in steals.

 

As a team, the Jackets are shooting 39 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from beyond the arc and 70.6 percent from the charity stripe. The Jackets are averaging 37.6 rebounds per game and scoring 65.2 points per contest. Conversely, they are holding their opponents to just 36.7 percent from the field which is third-best in the league. The opposition is shooting 29.7 percent from 3-point land and 71.7 percent from the line.

 

The opponents are averaging 39.3 rebounds per game and scoring 61 points per contest. 

Western Washington enters Tuesday's game as regular season conference champions with a 16-0 record and a 23-1 overall mark. The Vikings have won 18-straight games dating back to a 65-62 overtime loss versus Chico State Dec. 10, 2010. The Vikings are ranked sixth nationally in the latest WBCA/USA Today/ESPN/NCAA Division II Top 25. They also are ranked second in the latest West Region rankings.

 

Leading the way for the Vikings this season is Amanda Dunbar who leads the team averaging 13.5 points per game. She is second on the team in made field goals with 104 and leads the team from beyond the arc with 52 made triples. Dunbar also is tied for the team lead in assists with 100. Laura Hefflin is second in scoring at 12.6 points and leads the team in rebounding at a 7.2 clip. Hefflin leads the team with 124 made field goals, 35 blocks and 44 steals. Megan Pinske is third in scoring at 10.3 points per game.

 

The Vikings lead the conference in just about every offensive category including field goal percentage at a blazing .440 average. They are shooting 35.7 percent from beyond the arc and are averaging 70.5 points to go along with 37.5 rebounds per game.

 

The Jackets and the Vikings played the second conference game this season with WWU winning 80-70 in overtime. In that game, the Jackets made a furious second half comeback, outscoring the Vikings 43-37 in the second stanza after WWU lead at intermission 27-21.

 

WWU had no answer for Bak as she scored 25 points, while Ryan added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Vikings had all five starters in double figures led by 19 points from Pinske and 18 from Dunbar. 

 

Dunbar scored on a layup with 1:06 left to tie the game after the Jackets had taken a 64-62 lead with 1:15 left. Both teams had opportunities in the closing seconds of regulation. The Jackets came roaring back in the final 11 minutes after being down 50-40 with a 24-14 run to close regulation.

 

In overtime, the Vikings exploded, outscoring MSUB 16-6 for an 80-70 win.

 

WWU leads the all-time series 12-10. The Jackets lead the series 6-3 in Billings, while the Vikings own an 8-2 record in Bellingham. MSUB has won two of three neutral site contests. WWU has won three straight and five of six in the series. The Jackets posted a 67-62 win Feb. 18, 2009, in Billings.

 

Simon Fraser clinched the eighth playoff spot in the upcoming conference tournament Saturday as Central Washington lost to Northwest Nazarene even though the Clan lost to Alaska Anchorage. The Clan is 7-14 overall and 4-12 in conference play. SFU will play at Seattle Pacific before making the trip to Billings for Thursday's game.

 

SFU is led by Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe who leads the team and conference in scoring at 18.5 points per game. She also leads the conference in rebounding at 12.1 rebounds per game. Raincock-Ekunwe leads the team with an impressive 147 made field goals and a .574 average. She has 32 blocks on the year and 44 steals.

 

Kristina Collins is second in scoring at 11.2 points per game. She has 83 made field goals with a team-high 37 from beyond the arc. Collins leads the team with 90 assists and is third in steals with 27. 

 

With just eight players on the roster, three SFU players average 30-plus minutes for the season. Collins averages a team-high 34.4, which also is tops in the league. Teammate Carly Wyman is second in the league in minutes at a 33.3 average. Raincock-Ekunwe is fourth at a 32.6 clip.

 

The Clan is shooting 43.3 percent from the field, 29.1 percent from beyond the arc and 65.1 percent from the line. SFU is pulling down 36.2 rebounds per game and allowing 39.7. The Clan is scoring 65.8 points per game and surrendering 70.1.

 

The Jackets opened the 2010-2011 GNAC slate with a 66-59 win at SFU Dec. 2, 2010. In that game, the Jackets were led by a double-double from Ryan with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Bak also had 18 points. Raincock-Ekunwe was the lone SFU player in double figures with 24 points.

 

MSUB leads the all-time series with Simon Fraser, 2-0. Prior to this season, the Clan and the Jackets had not met on the hardwood since Jan. 7, 1999, in a 72-62 MSUB win in Billings.