BILLINGS, Mont. – After taking a year off, MSU Billings resumes hosting a women's basketball tournament at home. The Yellowjackets are welcoming Central Washington, South Dakota School of Mines, and Montana Tech to Alterowitz Gym this Thursday and Friday.
"I am looking forward to our tourney on Dec. 18-19," MSUB head women's basketball coach
Kevin Woodin said. "Our tournament returns after a one-year absence and it will be nice to play at home before the holiday break. I am very grateful to both ExxonMobil and Billings Hotel and Convention Center for sponsoring this year's Classic."
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology2014-15 Record: 3-6
Conference: Unaffiliated
Probable starters: Megan Rohrer, Devyn Asche, Jordan Needens, Alexis Long, and Kahlie Peterson.
The Hardrockers are 3-6 this season, but have wins over both Chadron State (65-49) and Rocky Mountain College (70-60). Megan Rohrer, a 6'1" sophomore center from Greenwood, Colo., is the only student-athlete on the team averaging points in the double-figures with 10.0 per game. She is also a big force on blocked shots this season with 12 for the team.
Janelle Strampe is averaging 9.1 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds. Kahlie Peterson is shooting a team-high 44.4 percent in 3-point shots, and is averaging 7.3 points per game. Peterson also leads the team in free-throw percentage, making 24-31 from the line for 77.4 percent.
The Hardrockers are averaging 53.4 points per game with 35.7 rebounds and 11.1 assists.
Against MSUB: The Yellowjackets are 3-0 against SDSMT, including a 78-39 win at home last season.
Montana Tech2014-15 Record: 7-4
Conference: NAIA Frontier Conference
Probable starters: Mandy Machinal, Kayla DeWitt, Kabri Emerson, Martha Dembek, and Hattie Thatcher.
The Orediggers are off to a solid 7-4 start to the season. The team has two wins over Dickinson State, but lost to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 86-58.
Led by Mandy Machinal with 14.5 points per game, four players for MT Tech are finishing games in double figures. Kayla DeWitt is averaging 14.3 points per game, and is shooting 67.0 percent from the field which ranks her No. 1 in the NAIA Div. I. Kabri Emerson is averaging 12.1 points and a team-high 8.8 rebounds. Martha Dembek has 10.6 points per game with 6.4 rebounds.
The Orediggers are averaging 74.36 points per game with 44.5 rebounds and 18.9 assists.
Against MSUB: The Yellowjackets are 33-8 all-time against MT Tech. MSUB is also 23-1 at home. From 1989-2005, the Yellowjackets won 16 games in-a-row. Since that time, the two teams have met once, with MT Tech getting the better of the Yellowjackets 67-64 at home in 2009.
"South Dakota School of Mines is much improved over a year ago," Coach Woodin said. "Both Central Washington and Montana Tech are also off to good starts this season. I think the games will be very competitive and hard fought and all of the teams have talented players."
Central Washington2014-15 Record: 6-2
Conference: Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Probable starters: Courtney Johnson, Jasmine Edwards, Jasmine Parker, Ericka Locker, and Melanie Valdez.
The Wildcats are on a three-game hot streak, including conference wins over Saint Martins (62-47) and Western Oregon (60-34). Since the opening two conference game, CWU also has a win against Concordia (Ore.), 54-36.
Central Washington only allowed Concordia, who was 7-1 leading up to this game, 16 points in the opening half. For the second game in-a-row, the Wildcats gave up less than 40 points to their opponents. The Wildcats, winners of six out of eight games, forced 15 turnovers in the first half and 24 in the game which are both season highs.
Courtney Johnson is averaging 17.1 points while Jasmine Edwards is contributing 13.3 per game. Off the glass, Johnson is pulling in 7.1 rebounds with Jasmine Parker No. 2 on the team with 6.6 per game.
MSU Billings will not play the Wildcats during the tournament, but will play the team when the GNAC resumes conference play in January.
The Wildcats are averaging 66.0 points per game with 38.4 rebounds, and 14.0 assists.
Montana State University Billings2014-15 Record: 7-3
Conference: Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Probable starters:
Kayleen Goggins,
Quinn Peoples,
Annie DePuydt,
Alisha Breen, and
Rylee Kane.
After falling to nationally-ranked Alaska Anchorage in the team's first conference game, the Yellowjackets have won their last two games at home.
Kayleen Goggins (18.2),
Alisha Breen (16.4), and
Quinn Peoples (13.1) continue to put up big numbers for MSUB. Breen leads the team in rebounds with 7.8 with Goggins grabbing 6.6, and Peoples with 6.2.
Breen and Goggins are both shooting above 45 percent from the field. Peoples leads the team in 3-piont shots averaging 2.3 per game.
The Yellowjackets are averaging 73.2 points per game with 44.4 rebounds, and 14.5 assists.
Ticket Prices: (Tickets purchases are good for both games on a single day)- General Public: $8
- Seniors: $4 (Age 65 and over)
- 7-12 students: $4
- MSUB Faculty/Staff: $4
- MSU Billings students: FREE with current ID
- K-6 students: FREE
- Pre-school age children: FREE
Live stats and live video feed:http://portal.stretchinternet.com/msub/ YELLOWJACKET WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CLASSIC SPONSORED BY THE BILLINGS HOTEL & CONVENTION CENTER & EXXONMOBIL Thursday, Dec. 18Central Washington vs. MT Tech, 5:15 p.m.
South Dakota School of Mines vs. MSU Billings, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 19Central Washington vs. South Dakota School of Mines, 5:15 p.m.
MT Tech vs. MSU Billings, 7:30 p.m.
On Sunday, Montana Tech and South Dakota School of Mines will play a game unaffiliated with the MSUB tournament. That game will have a 1 p.m. tip-off in Alterowitz Gymnasium. Live stats will be available, but there will be no live video feed.
Sunday, Dec. 21South Dakota School of Mines vs. MT Tech, 1:00 p.m.
