Box Score

Woodin Interview
Peoples Interview

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings Women's Basketball team won their game over Northwest Nazarene University on Thursday, Feb. 13, 90-72.
 
MSU Billings (19-5, 11-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) has now won nine in-a-row as the Yellowjackets fought off a second-half surge by the Crusaders to secure the victory and stretch their conference win streak to eight.
 
Backed by a team total of 15 total three-point baskets from the perimeter (third best in school history), Quinn Peoples was 7-14 from the three-point arc to set a new career-high of seven three-point baskets – two more than her previous best, and one off the MSUB record set by Kalli Stanhope (vs. UC-Colorado Springs 11/15/09) of eight in a single game.
 
Peoples' seven 3-pointers is second-best in the GNAC this season, and the team's total of 15 is the best this season by a women's basketball team in the conference.
 
MSU Billings found themselves down early in the game as NNU's Chelsie Luke made a lay-up to put the Crusaders up 14-10 with 12 minutes left in the first half.  MSUB would respond with a 14-3 run to put the Yellowjackets up by seven 24-17. 
 
Northwest Nazarene (12-10, 5-9 GNAC) would continue to put up a fight in the first half, but MSUB made some key plays to hold the Crusaders back.  Peoples would make a 3-pt basket with 16 seconds left in the half to put MSU Billings up 46-33, but NNU's Cierra White would throw-up a last minute three of her own at the buzzer to cut the lead to 10, 36-46 at half-time.
 
"I thought we were fortunate to be up 10 at halftime as we struggled defensively in the first half," Head Coach Kevin Woodin said.  "Luckily our perimeter shooting was on, both Quinn Peoples and Brandy Kumm hit multiple threes in the first half which really helped us."
 
Peoples made five three-pointers in the first half, and Kumm was 2-3 from the three-point arc.
 
Northwest Nazarene would make one more run in the middle of the second-half when a lay-up by Ellen Ferrenburg would to cut the deficit to five, MSUB 62, NNU 57.  The two teams would trade baskets for the next three minutes before a play by Kayleen Goggins in the paint for the Yellowjackets was good for a lay-up as she also drew the foul to make it a three-point play.  MSUB would go on another run of 12-5 to open the game-up and finish off the Crusaders by a final of 18 points.
 
"Give NNU credit, they really worked hard in the second half and cut our lead to 5 at the midway mark of the second half," Coach Woodin stated.  "What I was really most proud of was the way our players regrouped amongst themselves down the stretch to secure the win.  We defended very well over the final ten minutes and shared the ball effectively too."
 
For the Crusaders, five players finished in double-digits.  NNU was led by Luke who had 16 points, including going 4-4 from the charity-stripe.  Megan Hingston had 14 points.  Leslie Warwick and Cierra White both finished with 11 while Taylor Simmons had 10.  Hingston had seven rebounds.
 
Northwest Nazarene was 14-37 in the game for 38.4 percent from the field.
 
Peoples' was the game's leading scorer, shooting 7-15 from the field (7-14 from three-point territory) and was 2-2 from the free-throw-line to finish with 23 points. Her total of 23 matches her career-high, which she has now done three times, once last season, and twice in the current season.
 
Bobbi Knudsen finished with 18 points, six rebounds and a game-high six assists for the Yellowjackets.
 
Janiel Olson had her fourth double-double of the season as she finished with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
Chelsea Banis was a perfect 5-5 from the field and 1-1 from the free-throw line for 11 points; she also had six rebounds. 
 
Goggins connected with 4-8 from the field and was 3-3 from the free-throw line for 12 points.
 
The Yellowjackets shot 50 percent for the game (30-60), 48 percent from the three-point arc (15-31) and 83 percent from the free-throw line (15-18). 
 
MSUB also outrebounded NNU 34-28, had more points off of turnovers at 15-6, and more second chance points, 20-6.
 
"Tonight's win was a very important one for our team," Coach Woodin said.  "Everyone contributed tonight to our win.  It was a total team victory."
 
On Saturday, Feb. 15, MSU Billings is set to take part another double-header as the Women's team will host Central Washington University at 5:15 PM and the Men are set to face-off against Simon Fraser University at 7:30 PM. 
 
Saturday's MSUB Women's basketball game is Pink Zone Night. All MSU Billings Women's basketball players will be wearing pink uniforms and pink socks in honor of breast cancer survivors.  In order to raise funds for the Eva Project (breast cancer awareness fund) at St. Vincent Healthcare, the basketball team will be selling t-shirts for $20 each and 100% of the profits will go directly to the Eva Project.  Available sizes are Youth Large and Adult Small – XXL available. 
 
Fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of Pink Zone Night.
 
Also in honor of the event, all women will receive free admission to the Women's game versus Central Washington free of charge.
 
The Men's game is Senior Night where MSUB will be honoring the three seniors on this year's Men's team: Kalob Hatcher, Jonathan Mesghna and Devon Wallace.  
 
"We are looking forward to our annual Pink Zone game on Saturday vs. Central Washington," Coach Woodin stated.  "Our players met earlier this week with breast cancer survivors and it is amazing how cancer has affected the lives of so many of our players and coaches.  We have a lot of special events going on for the game and I hope people can attend the game.  Central has a lot of talented players so it will be another great GNAC matchup as well."
 
Doors open early for the game at 4:30 PM.  Live stats and live video will be available for both contests at MSUBSports.com.
 
Northwest Nazarene vs Montana State Billings
2/13/14 5:15 PM at Alterowitz Gymnasium
At Alterowitz Gymnasium
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS 90, NORTHWEST NAZARENE 72
NORTHWEST NAZARENE (12-10, 5-9 GNAC)
Luke,Chelsie 5-13 4-4 16; Hingston,Megan 6-11 2-3 14; White,Cierra 4-10 0-0
11; Warwick,Leslie 5-12 1-2 11; Simmons,Taylor 4-9 2-2 10; Schumann,Kayla
1-4 0-0 3; Swanson,Katie 1-4 1-3 3; Ferrenburg,Ellen 1-2 0-0 2;
Schierman,Kylee 1-8 0-0 2; Babbitt,Taylor 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-73 10-14 72.
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS (19-5, 11-2 GNAC)
Peoples,Quinn 7-15 2-2 23; Knudsen,Bobbi 7-12 1-2 18; Olson,Janiel 3-10 4-4
12; Goggins,Kayleen 4-8 3-3 12; Banis,Chelsea 5-5 1-1 11; Breen,Alisha 2-5
2-4 6; Kumm,Brandy 2-3 0-0 6; Hanser,Austin 0-2 2-2 2; Capouch,Tenika 0-0
0-0 0. Totals 30-60 15-18 90.
Northwest Nazarene............   36   36  -   72
Montana State Billings........   46   44  -   90
3-point goals--Northwest Nazarene 6-23 (White,Cierra 3-7; Luke,Chelsie 2-6;
Schumann,Kayla 1-3; Simmons,Taylor 0-2; Schierman,Kylee 0-4; Warwick,Leslie
0-1), Montana State Billings 15-31 (Peoples,Quinn 7-14; Knudsen,Bobbi 3-5;
Kumm,Brandy 2-3; Olson,Janiel 2-4; Goggins,Kayleen 1-2; Hanser,Austin 0-2;
Breen,Alisha 0-1). Fouled out--Northwest Nazarene-None, Montana State
Billings-None. Rebounds--Northwest Nazarene 28 (Hingston,Megan 7), Montana
State Billings 34 (Olson,Janiel 10). Assists--Northwest Nazarene 11
(Schumann,Kayla 3; Warwick,Leslie 3), Montana State Billings 21
(Knudsen,Bobbi 6). Total fouls--Northwest Nazarene 19, Montana State
Billings 12. Technical fouls--Northwest Nazarene-None, Montana State
Billings-None. A-478