Box Score

LAS VEGAS – The Montana State University Billings Women's Basketball lost their game against No. 6 Drury University Friday, Dec. 20, 75-76.
 
It was a buzzer-beater that allowed No. 6 ranked Drury University the go-ahead basket and the win over MSU Billings in the second and final game for both teams at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas.
 
The Yellowjackets led by as much as 15 points in the game, and were up eight at the half, but Drury University (9-0, 1-0 Great Lakes Valley Conference) battled back, making the second half some exciting and hard-fought basketball.
 
The first half was all MSU Billings (8-4, 1-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) as the Yellowjackets came out firing hot.  They shot 44 percent from the field, but shot 50 percent from beyond the arc, making seven three-point baskets.  MSU Billings also collected 23 rebounds to the Panthers 14, 12 of those on offense to only five for Drury.  Kayleen Goggins went 5-6 from the field, and made 2-2 three-point baskets to lead the Yellowjackets with 14 points. 
 
For Drury University, Amber Dvorak, a 6'7" Division I transfer from Minnesota, would keep the Panthers in the game.  Dvorak would come off the bench to shoot 7-9 from the field, scoring 16 points, twice as many as any other Drury player in the first half.
 
"Our first half was outstanding," Head Coach Kevin Woodin said.  "I thought we were very focused and really moved the ball well on offense.  We also shot the ball well from the three-point line.  I thought people were locked in, setting their screens, making the extra pass offensively, and on defense we battled extremely hard.  I felt great leading by eight at half-time, but knew they would make a run after half-time."
 
The Panthers opened the second half with a 21-8 rally, scoring 19 points in the first four minutes of the second-half.  The Drury offense had some good possessions and used multiple-players to chip away at the Yellowjacket lead.  With 13 minutes left in the game, DU would take the lead for the first time in the game since leading at 3-2 in the opening minutes of the contest.
 
Finally with the clock winding down, Drury held the lead by five, 74-69, with 1:15 left in the game.  MSUB's Bobbi Knudsen would get the ball off a missed three-pointer by Quinn Peoples and an offensive–rebound by Chelsea Banis.  Knudsen would draw back from two defenders stepping behind the three-point line, taking the shot and sinking the bucket to draw the Yellowjackets to within two, 72-74.
 
Coach Woodin would call a time-out with a minute to go.  Drury would inbound the ball and hold it at half-court.  Banis took the foul for the Yellowjackets.  In bonus, Annie Armstrong stepped to the free-throw line for Drury.  She would miss the shot off the back-board, and the Yellowjacket's Janiel Olson would grab the rebound.
 
Down by two points, Knudsen would take the ball across half-court, but she wouldn't stop there.  With less than 10 seconds left on the clock, Knudsen drove into the paint, getting tangled in the defense.  She would shoot the lay-up, getting the bucket and drawing the foul.
 
With the score tied, and Knudsen at the free-throw line, Drury's head coach called a time-out.  After the time-out, Knudsen stepped to the line, making the extra-point to give the Yellowjackets the lead 75-74 with seven seconds left on the clock.
 
The Panthers would inbound the ball passing down to Armstrong who threw up the ball, making the shot over the outstretched arms of the Yellowjackets, and getting the ball to fall at the buzzer.  Drury would remain undefeated at 9-0 on the season.
 
"Drury is a hard team to guard," Coach Woodin stated.  "They can score from several different places on the court, but I really like how our team responded in the final two minutes being down.  We got some needed stops and hit some big shots.  In those last six seconds, I thought we defended them well.  We played good defense, and the player just made a tough, contested 18-footer at the buzzer.  Sometimes they go in, and sometimes they don't.  It was definitely a heart-breaking defeat, but I am proud of our team and how they competed down here."
 
For Montana State University Billings, Kayleen Goggins would record two new career-records.  She was 9-13 from the field, for a career-high 24 points, and 4-6 in three-point shots for a new career-high four three-pointers in a game.  Her last single game-high was 20 points in 2013, and two three-point shots two years ago.
 
Knudsen would finish with 16 points, nine assists, and six rebounds.
 
Olson had a game-high 13 rebounds while adding in seven points and one steal.  Quinn Peoples would come off the bench for the Yellowjackets making 3-5 from the three-point arc and finishing with 11 points. 
 
For the two games, Kayleen Goggins and Bobbi Knudsen were named to the all-tournament team.
 
Drury University had four players who finished in the double-digits.  Dvorak ended the game with 18 points and was named Most Outstanding Player for the tournament.  Armstrong finished with 13 points.  Shelby White had 11 points and seven rebounds.  Kylie Williamson had 11 points, and Sanayika Shields had a team-high 10 rebounds while contributing nine points. 
 
Overall, MSU Billings shot 39 percent in the game.  They were 48 percent from the three-point arc.  Drury was 59 percent.  MSUB had 41 rebounds to the Panthers 30.
 
Drury had more points in the paint, 36-20, and more points off of turnovers 11-8.  The Yellowjackets had more second chance points, 19-11.
 
Next week, the Yellowjackets have the mandatory NCAA seven-day rest period for the holidays.  The team will return to the court, and conference play, on Thursday Jan. 2 at home against Simon Fraser University.  They will then host Western Washington University on Saturday, Jan. 4.  Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 PM.  Live video and live stats will be available at MSUBSports.com.
 
Montana State Billings vs Drury
12/20/13 12:00 p.m. at Las Vegas, Nev.
At Las Vegas, Nev.
DRURY 76, MONTANA STATE BILLINGS 75
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS (8-4)
Goggins,Kayleen 9-13 2-3 24; Knudsen,Bobbi 6-15 2-3 16; Peoples,Quinn 3-6
2-2 11; Olson,Janiel 2-8 3-3 7; Hanser,Austin 2-5 0-0 6; Banis,Chelsea 2-11
1-1 5; DePuydt,Annie 2-8 0-0 4; Breen,Alisha 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 27-69 10-12
75.
DRURY (9-0)
Dvorak, Amber 8-11 2-3 18; Armstrong, Annie 5-8 1-2 13; White, Shelby 5-6
0-0 12; Williamson, Kylie 4-13 2-3 11; Shields, Sanayika 4-8 1-2 9; Wilson,
Paige 3-5 0-0 7; Funderburk, Bethanie 2-6 0-0 6; Dressler, Hannah 0-0 0-0 0;
Miller, Casey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-57 6-10 76.
Montana State Billings........   45   30  -   75
Drury.........................   37   39  -   76
3-point goals--Montana State Billings 11-23 (Goggins,Kayleen 4-6;
Peoples,Quinn 3-5; Knudsen,Bobbi 2-4; Hanser,Austin 2-5; Breen,Alisha 0-1;
DePuydt,Annie 0-1; Olson,Janiel 0-1), Drury 8-20 (Armstrong, Annie 2-4;
Funderburk, Bethanie 2-4; White, Shelby 2-3; Williamson, Kylie 1-6; Wilson,
Paige 1-3). Fouled out--Montana State Billings-None, Drury-None.
Rebounds--Montana State Billings 41 (Olson,Janiel 13), Drury 30 (Shields,
Sanayika 10). Assists--Montana State Billings 15 (Knudsen,Bobbi 9), Drury 16
(Williamson, Kylie 6). Total fouls--Montana State Billings 14, Drury 13.
Technical fouls--Montana State Billings-None, Drury-None. A-111