Box Score PUEBLO, Colo. - The ThunderWolves came out firing in the first half of the opening regular season game between CSU-Pueblo and MSU Billings. CSU-P made 9-13 shooting 69.2 percent from the 3-point arc in the first half. The team made 12 3-pointers en route to handing MSU Billings its first loss of the season 79-67 in Massari Arena Friday night.
 
The Yellowjackets' Alisha Breen came through with 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead MSUB. Four Yellowjackets scored points in the double figures. Kayleen Goggins posted 13 points and seven rebounds while leading the team in assists with six. Quinn Peoples put up 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. Rylee Kane added 10 points, including making 2-3 from the 3-point arc.
 
The loss is the first for Montana State University Billings who falls to 0-1 on the season while the win gives CSU-Pueblo a 1-0 opening record.
 
CSU-P scored the first two points of the game off of a foul call on MSUB's Peoples. Katie Nehf sank both shots giving the ThunderWolves the opening 2-0 lead. MSUB responded with nine straight points to take a 9-2 lead.
 
CSU-P then went on a 5-0 run before a 3-pointer from Kane off a feed from Goggins put a stop to Colorado-Pueblo. The two teams traded points to tie the game at 17-all with 13:03 left in the first half. The ThunderWolves stepped up the pressure, forcing nine more points to the Yellowjackets' three, to take both teams into the first media timeout.
 
Out of the break, CSU-P went on a tear, opening up a 12-point lead, 42-30, on MSUB with 5:40 to go in the first half. The Yellowjackets were able to pull it back to within nine. MSU Billings had the last possession of the first half, as Kane brought the ball down to the MSUB end, finding Goggins on the outside, but a shot at the buzzer bounced off the rim, and CSU-Pueblo took a 48-39 lead into halftime.
 
"In the first half I thought the difference was their tremendous three-point shooting," head coach Kevin Woodin said. "They were 9-13 and that was really why they were up at the half. We had a hard time covering their shooters – I give them a lot of credit there."
 
Out of the break, both teams came out onto the court with the same fierce determination as the first half. The Yellowjackets began to chip away at the Thunderwolves' lead. A huge 3-pointer by Breen pulled MSUB to within five, 57-52 with 12:42 left in the game. The momentum continued from MSU Billings as Peoples followed that up with two free-throws after she was fouled on a shot under the basket to make the score 57-54.
 
A jumper from CSU-P's Angie Moore gave the lead back to the ThunderWolves by five points, but a 3-pointer from Kane off a great round-the-arc pass from Goggins pulled MSUB to within two points, 59-57.
 
After being on the bench in foul trouble, Nehf returned to the floor for CSU-P. After the sub-in, Tuileisu Anderson from CSU-P made back-to-back steals and lay-ups and the ThunderWolves went on a 15-0 run to blow open the game 74-57 with 4:46 left to play.
 
The tournament host-school never looked back. Down the stretch Breen and Peoples both made 3-pointers for MSUB and Vanessa Stavish was fouled in the final minute, making both shots to end the game at 79-67.
 
"I thought we regrouped in the second half," Woodin said. "We played some good defense and whittled their lead down to two at one point, and they took a timeout and then made a run at us. I thought our players played hard, but we lost to the better team tonight."
 
Colorado State University-Pueblo did not shoot as well in the second half, dropping from 57.1 to 39.4 percent, but overall the team was 29-61 for 47.5 percent from the field. The big difference was in 3-pointers. The ThunderWolves made 12-22 from behind the arc for the game. Ashley Piper was 4-4 in 3-point baskets made while Dee Arrieta was 4-9.
 
Moore was the leading scorer for CSU-P coming in with 17 points. Piper had 16, while Arrieta had 14 and Nehf 13. The top rebounders were Nehf and Anderson who both came up with five.
 
The Yellowjackets had the edge in rebounds 48-33. The team shot 33.3 percent for the game and was 4-7 and 57 percent from 3-point land.
 
"It was a tough game," Coach Woodin stated. "We lost to a really good CSU-Pueblo team. For tomorrow I think we need to get more consistent on both ends, and I think we will be. We look forward to the challenge of rebounding and playing better tomorrow against Western State."
 
NEXT UP: Montana State University Billings looks to rebound against Western State Saturday for its second game of the tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. More details can be found at msubsports.com.
 
 
 
Montana St.-Billings vs CSU-Pueblo
11/14/14 5 p.m. at Massari Arena
At Massari Arena
CSU-PUEBLO 79, MONTANA ST.-BILLINGS 67
MONTANA ST.-BILLINGS (0-1)
Breen,Alisha 7-15 8-12 23; Goggins,Kayleen 6-21 0-2 13; Peoples,Quinn 4-10
2-2 11; Kane,Rylee 3-6 2-2 10; DePuydt,Annie 1-10 2-4 5; Stavish,Vanessa 1-3
2-2 5; Van Atta,Marissa 0-0 0-0 0; Prevost,Lexi 0-0 0-0 0; Young,Britta 0-0 0-0 0; Henry,Courtney 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-66 16-24
67.
CSU-PUEBLO (1-0)
Angie Moore 6-8 3-4 17; Ashley Piper 6-9 0-0 16; Dee Arrieta 5-11 0-0 14;
Katie Nehf 5-11 3-4 13; Tuileisu Anderson 4-9 1-3 9; Ana Gurau 1-2 2-2 5;
Emily Dungey 2-8 0-2 5; Meghan White 0-1 0-0 0; Shannon Patterson 0-2 0-0 0;
Arabella DeAngelis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-61 9-15 79.
Montana St.-Billings..........   39   28  -   67
CSU-Pueblo....................   48   31  -   79
3-point goals--Montana St.-Billings 7-17 (Kane,Rylee 2-3; Stavish,Vanessa
1-1; Breen,Alisha 1-3; DePuydt,Annie 1-4; Peoples,Quinn 1-4; Goggins,Kayleen
1-2), CSU-Pueblo 12-22 (Dee Arrieta 4-9; Ashley Piper 4-4; Angie Moore 2-2;
Ana Gurau 1-2; Emily Dungey 1-2; Shannon Patterson 0-1; Tuileisu Anderson
0-2). Fouled out—MSU Billings-None, CSU-Pueblo-None.
Rebounds—MSU Billings 48 (Breen,Alisha 13), CSU-Pueblo 33 (Katie
Nehf 5; Tuileisu Anderson 5). Assists--Montana St.-Billings 14
(Goggins,Kayleen 6), CSU-Pueblo 20 (Ana Gurau 6). Total fouls--Montana
St.-Billings 13, CSU-Pueblo 16. Technical fouls--Montana St.-Billings-None,
CSU-Pueblo-None. A-623
#CSU-Pueblo Al Kaly Shrine Classic