BILLINGS, Mont.  – The Yellowjackets' Alisha Breen scored a career-high 30 points as MSU Billings went on to a 67-58 win over Montana Tech in the final game of the 2014 Yellowjacket Classic Friday night in Alterowitz Gym.
 
With the win, Montana State University Billings (9-3) finished the 2014 Yellowjacket Women's Basketball Classic sponsored by the Billings Hotel and Convention Center and ExxonMobil with a 2-0 record.
 
Breen poured in 30 points, was 8-8 from the free-throw line with seven rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in the win. Kayleen Goggins added 14 points and seven more rebounds. Quinn Peoples added eight points and Monica Grimsrud another seven rebounds.
 
"Montana Tech got off to a great start tonight and has us down right away," MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin said. "They are a very talented team. However, our team found a way to grind out a win tonight. The game was very different from yesterday but good teams find ways to win and I think we did that tonight."
 
MT Tech (7-6) jumped off to a good start in the opening minutes as the Orediggers went out to a 12-4 gain with 15:43 left in the first half. The Yellowjackets came storming back. Breen sank two free throws and a minute later Annie DePuydt hit a great jump shot to tie the game at 14-14 with 9:43 left. After a rebound from DePuydt, Breen made a long, high shot at the top of the key to give MSUB the lead at 16-14 with 8:50 left in the first half. Goggins fired off another at the top of the key and the Yellowjackets made it an 18-14 game.
 
The Orediggers came back as Martha Dembek made a lay-up and one after a foul from MSUB's DePuydt at 19-18. Peoples made her first 3-pointer of the game to give MSUB a 21-19 lead. Breen added to the lead on the next Yellowjacket possession with a 3-point play on a lay-up plus free-throw.
 
In the last two minutes, Peoples made another 3-pointer off a great pass from Grimsrud. Peoples made another lay-up with under a minute. MT Tech's Hattie Thatcher hit a long 3-pointer to end the first half, but MSUB had the lead 31-25 going into the break.
 
At the half, the teams were almost even in shooting and rebounding. The Yellowjackets were 12-36 and 33.3 percent with 17 rebounds. MT Tech was 9-28 and 32.1 percent and 18 rebounds.
 
MSUB opened the second half with an 8-0 run to put some distance between the teams. The Orediggers went on their own run  as they put together a 7-0 rally to draw the deficit down to five points, 45-40 halfway through the second half.
 
MSUB again responded. The Yellowjackets scored the next 14 points of the game to open up the point spread 54-40 with under eight minutes left to play. MSUB received 3-point baskets from both Breen and Goggins in the final minutes. MT Tech was forced to foul in the last minute, and the Yellowjackets closed out the game on free-throws.
 
The Orediggers shot 22-62 from the field for 35.5 percent for the game. MT Tech's Hattie Thatcher had 17 points and six rebounds for the game. Mandy Machinal added 15 points, Dembek 12 while Kabri Emerson had a team-high nine rebounds.
 
For the game, MSUB shot 24-68 and 35.3 percent from the field. The team made five turnovers and forced 15 on the MT Tech side.
 
"We got excellent play from our bench tonight," Coach Woodin said. "Both Monica Grimsrud and Marissa Van Atta sparked us. I thought Monica's defense and passing were critical to our victory tonight and Marissa gave us some great minutes during a key run in the second half."
 
The Yellowjackets scored 16 points from the turnovers to MT Tech's two. MSU Billings was also stronger on second chance points (11-5), and points in the paint (30-20). MT Tech was better off the glass with 39 rebounds to the MSUB's 33. MSU Billings was 14-17 from the free-throw line as the Orediggers were 4-5.
 
For her combined performances over the two days, Alisha Breen was named the tournament's MVP. "Alisha Breen had a great game," Coach Woodin commented on the tournament's MVP. "She is so hard to guard as she can score in many ways. She competes very hard and is so coachable and team oriented."   

Also from MSUB, Kayleen Goggins was named to the all-tournament team. Joining Breen and Goggins were Megan Rohrer and Jordan Needens from South Dakota School of Mines, Hattie Thatcher from Montana Tech, and Jasmin Edwards from Central Washington.
 
"This was a difficult week with four games in seven days and finishing it with back to back games was tough," Coach Woodin said. "I believe we are improving and our best team basketball is yet to come, but it is great to be off for the holiday as our players need it both physically and mentally. When we get back to work, we will be playing two great teams in WWU and SFU. I am excited to see how we do."
 
UP NEXT: Montana State University Billings has a week off from play. The Yellowjackets return to competition and conference action in January with a contest against Simon Fraser on Jan. 1 in Canada.