BILLINGS, Mont.  – Senior Kayleen Goggins scored a new career-high 26 points and collected a team-high six rebounds to lead MSU Billings to a 91-81 win over South Dakota Mines on Thursday night at Alterowitz Gym.
 
It was a hard fought battle during the second game of the Yellowjacket Women's Basketball Classic sponsored by the Billings Hotel and Convention Center and ExxonMobil.
 
Including Goggins, four players put-up figures in the double digits. Alisha Breen had 19 points, five rebounds, and a game-high six assists. Quinn Peoples had a team-high four 3-point baskets and 16 total points while Rylee Kane contributed 10 points and five assists.
 
It was a strong start by the Yellowjackets to open the first half. Goggins opened the game with two lay-ups for MSUB. After a bad pass from SDSMT, the Yellowjackets' Breen made a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, Marissa Van Atta followed that up with a smart move in the key for a short jump shot to give MSUB a 25-17 lead and the Yellowjackets were up by eight.
 
The Hardrockers wouldn't go away. Off a 3-pointer from Alexis Long, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (3-7) made a short run at the end of the first half to get the game deficit back down to five, 40-35. MSUB countered with a 3-pointer from Kane, but SDSMT went right back the other way with a lay-up from Jordan Needens.
 
Peoples made it a 10-point game when she made a 3-point shot from the far side for a 39-29 advantage. The Hardrockers scored the last five points of the first half to make it a six-point game with MSUB ahead, 47-41 at the break.
 
At the half, SDSMT had the slim advantage in shooting percentage. The Hardrockers were 15-32 and 46.9 percent shooting, while MSU Billings was 17-37 and 45.9 percent shooting. The Yellowjackets also had a small lead in rebounds, 20-19.
 
"I thought both teams played well and the game had excellent tempo," MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin said. "They really shot the ball well, especially from the 3-point line. It seemed like every time we would get some breathing room, they would come back at us."
 
The Yellowjackets opened the second half of the game on a 12-0 run to take a 20-point lead of 61-41. Goggins scored the first six points on three consecutive lay-ups. Annie DePuydt made a 3-point shot with Kane converting on a lay-up plus the extra point, and Goggins finished up the MSUB points with another lay-up before SDSMT's Needens scored the first points of the second half, a free-throw almost five minutes into the frame.
 
Both teams put on a 3-point show in the middle of the game. Peoples hit one with 14:17 left in the game, followed by one from the Hardrockers' Alexis Long. Coming into the game for Montana State University Billings (8-3), Courtney Henry hit her own 3-point shot to give MSUB its largest lead of the game of 22 points, 67-45 with 13:20 left to play.
 
Down by 21 points, SDSMT put together a 10-0 run to make the contest an 11-point game, with 4:43 left. Another 3-pointer from the Hardrockers and SDSMT closed the gap to eight points, 83-75 with 2:54 remaining.
 
Down to the last two minutes, MSUB made five consecutive baskets and shot the lead back up to 14, 91-77 with 48 seconds left. With the clock winding down, the Hardrockers made two more free throws and a lay-up, but that would be it, and MSU Billings came away with the win.
 
"We were able to get the ball inside effectively which opened up the perimeter for us," Coach Woodin commented on the overall team play. "I was pleased with our 18 assists as I thought our players were making the extra pass tonight and we protected the ball very well as we had a season low of four turnovers." 
 
The Hardrockers shot 28-60 in the game for 46.7 percent, including making 13-27 from 3-piont territory. The team struggled on turnovers (15) and from the foul line shot 12-20.
 
Needens was the team's high-scorer with 19 points. Long had 12 and Kaylie Peterson 11. Megan Rohrer had a team-high nine rebounds.
 
MSU Billings was 35-73 from the field for 47.9 percent. The team was 9-34 from the 3-point arc.
 
Both teams were similar in rebounds, SDSMT with 37 and MSUB with 35.
 
The Yellowjackets had a season-low four turnovers on the night, with 10 steals and 18 assists.
 
The Yellowjackets scored more points off of turnovers, 22-3, and more points in the paint, 42-20.
 
"It was a great team win for us," Coach Woodin said. "I felt everyone contributed to our victory in one way or another. We are looking forward to playing Montana Tech tomorrow. I was impressed with their play today in their game with CWU, and I expect a very hard fought game. They have a lot of talented players and are well coached."
 
UP NEXT: Montana State University Billings plays a game tomorrow against Montana Tech. Up first is the game at 5:15 p.m. featuring SDSMT and Central Washington. The second game for the Yellowjackets is the last game of the 2014 Yellowjacket Women's Basketball Winter Classic. That contest is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start. You can also follow live stats and live video at msubsports.com.