Billings, Mont. – Following a 10 day break, the Montana State Billings women's basketball team will return to Alterowitz Gymnasium to compete in double-header events Monday, Dec. 17 and Wednesday, Dec. 19. The Yellowjackets will face off against cross town rival Rocky Mountain College first then host an exhibition match against the University of Montana-Western.
 
MSUB is riding a five game winning streak and is 7-2 overall with a Great Northwest Athletic Conference mark of 2-0. While they have faced some tough opponents at home, they have yet to be beaten in Alterowitz Gym this season. In the Dec. 11 USA Today Sports Division II Top 25 women's basketball poll the Yellowjackets received two votes for consideration of being on the list.
 
Nationally out of 277 Division II women's basketball teams, the Yellowjackets are ranked No. 2 in turnovers with 11.7 per game, No. 9 in assist to turnover ratio with a 1.2 per game mark, and 13^th in turnover margin with a 7.89 per game average.
 
In the GNAC these averages place MSUB first in turnovers per game and second in both assist to turnover ratio and turnover margin. The Yellowjackets defense has been a constant all season and they are ranked second in the conference in steals with 100 total, 11.1 per game.
 
Junior co-captain Bobbi Knudsen continues to impress as she is ranked No. 7 in the nation in assists with 6.1 per game, and No. 26 in the nation in scoring with 19.4 points per game. Janiel Olson's rebounding has been key to the early success of the team. Her 8.8 per game average ranks her second in the GNAC and 89^th in the nation.
 
MSUB's reserves are contributing solid minutes, and were especially key in helping extend the team's winning streak. Annie DePuydt has been the team's “sixth man” as she is averaging the most minutes per contest (24.6) among nonstarters. She is averaging 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. DePuydt also has 13 assists and eight steals on the year.
 
Austin Hanser and Monica Grimsrud are also playing well off the bench. Both are coming off their best performances of the season as Hanser dropped 11 points and dished four assists against the Hardrockers, while Grimsrud finished with nine points, three rebounds and two steals in last Friday's matchup.
 
Rocky comes into Monday's contest with a 3-4 overall record and 1-0 mark in the Frontier Conference. They average 68.4 points per game while allowing their opponents to score 72.9 per contest. Brittany Myers, Kalli McCloskey, Brittany Kumm and Marisa Morais all have double digit point averages, with Morais leading the team with a 13.7 per game average.
 
Myers leads the team in rebounding with 59 total, 8.4 avg. Defensively, Haliegh Crnkovich and Kumm have been very active in the passing lanes accounting for 35 of the teams 61 steals.
 
Fans are encouraged to arrive at Alterowitz Gymnasium earlier than usual; Monday's matchup will be a very competitive event as it marks the only game the Battlin' Bears will play in Billings and the state of Montana until the New Year. Rocky and the Yellowjackets women's event will tip off at 5:30 p.m.
 
Following this event, MSUB will participate in another double-header event with the men's team against interstate rival University of Montana-Western. While the Yellowjacket men will compete in a regular season non-conference game, the women's contest will be an exhibition.
 
Even though the result and statistics of the game will not “count,” the game will still serve as a chance for the team to gain experience and work on elements of their game that need improving.
 
Montana-Western is riding the momentum of a two game winning streak as they enter Wednesday's exhibition with a 7-5 overall record and 0-1 Frontier Conference mark. As a team the Bulldogs are averaging 61.8 points and 36.5 rebounds per game. Sammi Bignell has had a great start to the 2012-13 season, leading the team with 201 points, 16.8 average. She also is second on the team in rebounding snagging 5.75 per game. The Bulldogs defense has been solid thus far, accounting for 126 total steals.
 
The Dec. 19^th double-header event will start at 5:30 p.m. with the women's contest.
 
“We are looking forward to playing Rocky and UM-Western,” stated head coach Kevin Woodin. “It is always challenging and exciting to play other Montana teams. They are both very good programs and it is important that we continue to improve on both ends of the floor.”
 
MSUB's defense and ability to take care of the ball have been the strongest aspects of the team thus far and will need to remain a constant if they want to extend their winning streaks against both opponents.
 
If fans are unable to attend the event, they can catch all of the action live through our web portal. The web streaming link is listed below.
 
Web Stream and Live Stats