Box Score

Photo Gallery

BILLINGS, Mont. – Down by as many as 22, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team attempted to mount a comeback that saw the Yellowjackets pull even with Seattle Pacific University twice in the second half, but the 'Jackets were unable to find the go-ahead points and subsequently fell at home 70-56 to the Falcons Saturday night during their annual “Pink Zone” game.
 
The Yellowjackets now fall to 18-9 overall and are in a tie with the Falcons with a 10-6 mark in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The Falcons broke their first multiple-game losing skid of the season with the win to improve to 16-8.
 
“I have to give Seattle Pacific credit, they really gave it to us in the first half and just pounded us on the boards,” said head coach Kevin Woodin. “We just did not shoot very well and they did. I thought that they were very well-prepared and just dominated us in the first half. Kabri Emerson was able to give us a bit of a spark there in the second half with her three, and we were able to get a little momentum going on that run to catch them, but we just couldn't pass them. We spent all of our timeouts to get back in the game and we sure could have used some there down the stretch.”
 
The Yellowjackets never led in the game, falling behind early as the Yellowjacket women struggled to find open looks. MSUB only turned the ball over nine times compared to the Falcons' 16, but at one time during the first half, MSUB was shooting less than 20% from the field.
 
MSUB also made just seven trips to the free throw line, making five of their attempts while the Falcons went 21-29 from the charity stripe.
 
As a team, the Yellowjackets ended the game shooting 34.9% (22-63) from the field thanks to a second-half .484 performance. Usually a threat from three-point range, the Yellowjackets made just one of their 13 attempts from three-point range in the first half and then made six of their 13 attempts in the second half.
 
Sophomore guard Bobbi Knudsen once again led the Yellowjackets from the field as she went 8-20 to score 17 points. The Malta High School product had three assists and three rebounds in 37 minutes of work.
 
Behind her, senior Kalli Stanhope hit three treys to record nine points to go along with three rebounds.
 
The Falcons shot 43.1% (22-51) from the field as a team led by Rachel Murray's 19 points. Murray went 8-13 from the field and brought down seven rebounds while Katie Benson recorded a double-double as she had a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with 12 points.
 
The final member of SPU to record double-digit points was Aubree Callen with 17 points as she went 8-10 from the free throw line and hit three treys.
 
The Yellowjackets trailed the Falcons 33-18 at half time and came out still a little flat early in the second half, but after SPU went up by 22 (44-22) 16:25 remaining in the game MSUB mounted a 30-8 run over the next nine minutes to pull even, 52-52, with the Falcons with just 7:47 remaining.
 
MSUB played furiously over the closing minutes to gain their first lead of the game, but appeared to use up all their gas during the charge and ended up falling short in their bid for a come-back.
 
Seattle Pacific controlled the boards as they out-rebounded MSUB 47-27 and scored 17 second-chance points compared to the Yellowjackets' four. The Falcons also had 22 points in the paint.
 
MSUB will look to change their luck around next week as they wrap up their 2011-12 regular season with a pair of games. The Yellowjackets will first welcome Simon Fraser University on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. before they welcome Western Washington University to Alterowitz Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 25. The game against the Vikings will also serve as MSUB's “Senior Night.”