Box Score

Billings, Mont. – All five starters score in double figures as the Montana State Billings women's basketball team defeats Northwest Nazarene 76-63. The Yellowjackets end their four game losing streak and improve to 16-9 overall, 10-7 in the GNAC.
 
Excluding one tie early in the first half, MSUB led the entire contest. The Crusaders battled tough throughout the game, but the Jackets pushed their lead to double figures midway through the second half and never looked back. Northwest Nazarene falls to 18-7 overall, 10-7 in the conference.
 
“It was a real important win for us tonight; we beat a really good team on the road,” stated head coach Kevin Woodin. “We shot the ball better today, especially from behind the three-point line which opened up more opportunities for us. “We played well both inside and on the perimeter, and had a very balanced attack.”
 
Junior guard Bobbi Knudsen led all scorers with 20 points on 8-17 shooting. She also recorded eight assists, two steals and one block on the night. Janiel Olson recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Kayleen Goggins, Monica Grimsrud and Brook Tolman all scored 11 points each in the game.
 
Tolman and Quinn Peoples shot well from behind the arch; Tolman went 3-6, while Peoples went 2-3 and finished with eight points. As a team MSU Billings shot 49.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point territory. The Crusaders shot 43.1 percent from the field but was limited to just 23.1 percent from behind the arch.
 
Northwest Nazarene slightly out-rebounded the Yellowjackets 35-31.
 
Megan Hingston and Chelsie Luke played well for the Crusaders combining for 31 points and 11 rebounds. Hingston, the GNAC leading scorer, finished 7-13 from the field and also contributed one steal and one block.
 
MSU Billings started fast and owned an 11 point lead (26-15) at the 9:26 mark in the first half. The Yellowjackets kept the Crusaders at a respectable distance until Luke hit a jumper with 47 seconds left to cut MSUB's lead to three (37-34). Knudsen nailed a three-pointer as time expired to put the Jackets up six (40-34) going into the intermission.
 
“Our start was key, we had the right focus and were working very hard,” Woodin said. “Knudsen's three just before the half gave us momentum that carried over into the second half.”
 
Luke led all scorers with 11 points.
 
MSUB didn't skip a beat in the second half, and matched Northwest Nazarene's intensity level. The Crusaders made valiant efforts to cut into the Jackets' lead but MSUB continued to shoot the ball well from outside and owned a 10 point lead (60-50) at the 10:20 mark.
 
Northwest Nazarene cut the lead to six (60-54) with 9:16 remaining, but MSU Billings would use a 16-4 run in the final nine minutes to push their lead to 18 (76-58) at the 1:14 mark, putting the game out of reach for the opposition. The Yellowjackets would eventually go on to claim the 13 point victory.
 
“In the second half our defense was really good, we buckled down and stopped their penetration,” stated Woodin. “We also hit some big shots down the stretch.”
 
Thursday's victory was huge for MSUB as the Crusaders owned a one game advantage in conference standings entering the contest. The Yellowjackets are now in a four way tie with Alaska Anchorage, Northwest Nazarene and Seattle Pacific for third in conference standings.
 
“It was a really good win for us tonight, and we are looking forward to playing Central Washington on Saturday,” Woodin said.
 
MSUB will play its final regular season game in Ellensburg, Wash. against Central Washington at 5:15 p.m. (Pacific Time). Yellowjacket fans can click the link below to tune into the live action.
 
GNAC Web Stream and Live Stats

 
Newspaper Box Score
Montana State Billings vs Northwest Nazarene
02/28/13 5:15 p.m. at Johnson Sports Center
At Johnson Sports Center
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS 76, NORTHWEST NAZARENE 63
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS (16-9, 10-7 GNAC)
Knudsen,Bobbi 8-17 3-5 20; Tolman,Brooke 4-7 0-0 11; Grimsrud,Monica 5-11
0-0 11; Goggins,Kayleen 5-11 0-0 11; Olson,Janiel 5-9 0-0 10; Peoples,Quinn
2-3 2-2 8; DePuydt,Annie 2-5 0-0 5; Capouch,Tenika 0-0 0-0 0; Kumm,Brandy
0-0 0-0 0; Hanser,Austin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-63 5-7 76.
NORTHWEST NAZARENE (18-7, 10-7 GNAC)
Hingston,Megan 7-13 4-4 18; Adams,Heather 5-9 2-2 14; Luke,Chelsie 5-12 2-2
13; SCHIERMAN, Kylee 3-7 0-0 6; Simmons,Taylor 3-7 0-0 6; Ferrenburg,Ellen
2-6 0-0 4; Skokankova,Veronika 0-3 2-2 2; Warwick,Leslie 0-0 0-0 0;
Swanson,Katie 0-1 0-0 0; White,Cierra 0-0 0-0 0; Schumann,Kayla 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 25-58 10-10 63.
Montana State Billings........   40   36  -   76
Northwest Nazarene............   34   29  -   63
3-point goals--Montana State Billings 9-21 (Tolman,Brooke 3-6; Peoples,Quinn
2-3; Goggins,Kayleen 1-1; Grimsrud,Monica 1-4; Knudsen,Bobbi 1-4;
DePuydt,Annie 1-1; Olson,Janiel 0-2), Northwest Nazarene 3-13 (Adams,Heather
2-4; Luke,Chelsie 1-5; Simmons,Taylor 0-1; SCHIERMAN, Kylee 0-2;
Hingston,Megan 0-1). Fouled out--Montana State Billings-None, Northwest
Nazarene-None. Rebounds--Montana State Billings 31 (Olson,Janiel 10),
Northwest Nazarene 35 (Hingston,Megan 7). Assists--Montana State Billings 13
(Knudsen,Bobbi 8), Northwest Nazarene 4 (Simmons,Taylor 1;
Skokankova,Veronika 1; SCHIERMAN, Kylee 1; Luke,Chelsie 1). Total
fouls--Montana State Billings 9, Northwest Nazarene 6. Technical
fouls--Montana State Billings-None, Northwest Nazarene-None. A-480