BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team has won eight of their last 10 games, including having swept their three-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference road-swing over the past two weeks. The Yellowjackets are preparing for a pair of home games this week, including a Saturday-thriller that offers a chance at redemption against a nationally-ranked opponent.
 
The three-game winning-streak includes completing two season-sweeps over Western Oregon University and Saint Martin's University to leave the Yellowjacket women sitting with an overall record of 15-7 and a 7-4 mark in conference action heading into Thursday and Saturday's home games.
 
Last Thursday, the 'Jackets downed the Wolves of Western Oregon 57-41 before holding off the Saints of Saint Martin's 58-52 on Saturday to move up into a tie for third-place in the league with Seattle Pacific University. Finishing the regular season in the top-three would guarantee a home game during the first round of the GNAC basketball tournament.
 
On Thursday, MSUB will play host to the University of Alaska Fairbanks before turning their attention to the nationally-8^th-ranked University of Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. Tipoff for both nights is slated for 7 p.m.
 
The last time MSUB met the two Alaska schools, they returned home from the two-game road-trek with a 1-1 record. The Yellowjackets were able to hold the nationally-8^th-ranked Seawolves of the University of Alaska Anchorage to just a nine-point margin, 50-59, on Jan. 5 before dominating the University of Alaska Fairbanks 84-58 on Jan. 7.
 
The Yellowjackets are now 24-22 all-time against Anchorage and boast a 43-11 record over Fairbanks heading into this week's games.
 
MSUB is led in their attack by sophomore guard Bobbi Knudsen with a conference second-best 16.6 points per game off a conference-best 365 points. The Malta native is currently hitting on a team-best 40.1% of her looks from the field.
 
Behind Knudsen, freshmen Quinn Peoples and Kayleen Goggins are averaging 9.9 and 8.5 points per game, but in conference games, Peoples' numbers go up to 11.4 points per contest. Peoples also continues to lead the team from three-point range as she hits on 87.8% of her looks from beyond the arc.
 
Peoples headlines a trio of players who hit over 80% of their shots with senior Kalli Stanhope second on the squad with an 85.3% shooting performance from three-point range. GNAC Co-Player of the Week Brooke Tolman and Knudsen are also both hitting 82.1% and 81.3% of their looks from behind the arc, giving head coach Kevin Woodin and staff plenty of offensive weapons.
 
Under the basket, Janiel Olson averages 8.8 rebounds per game while Goggins brings down 5.2 boards.
 
For the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Nicole Bozek leads the way with 16.1 points per game off 322 total points. Bozek has started 19 of the 20 games she has seen action in and is currently shooting .408 from the field that include going .313 from three-point range and also offers the most solid presence under the basket for Fairbanks as she brings down a team-leading 8.1 rebounds per game.
 
Another Nicole has given the Nanooks solid minutes and point production as well in Nicole Hartzog who averages 10.8 points per outing. Hartzog leads the team with 55 steals and 54 assists for the season.
 
Nationally-8^th-ranked Alaska Anchorage, riding five-game winning-streak, is currently nationally-ranked in the top 20 in at least seven different categories including leading the nation in scoring defense and scoring margin. The Seawolves give up just 54.4 points per game and average a scoring margin of +26.5 points, much higher than the nine points they defeated the Yellowjackets by in the last meeting of the two programs.
 
The Seawolves are led by Co-GNAC Player of the Week Hanna Johannsson who has led Anchorage in scoring six different times this year so far. Johannsson averages 14.6 points per game and is second on the team from the field with a .567 shooting performance from the field which leaves her 10^th in the nation in the category. She is also 19^th in the nation with nine double-double performances so far this season and leads the team with 9.3 rebounds per game.
 
Haley Holmstead leads the team with 16 points per game and a team third-best .536 shooting performance from the field while Sasha King paces the squad from three-point range with 29 total treys on the season.
 
Both games this week are being coined as “2 for $2.” Any patron who brings two canned goods to Thursday and Saturday's games will be admitted for just $2. All canned goods collected will be donated to Family Services, Inc.