BILLINGS, Mont. – Despite trailing for more than 35 minutes, No. 14 Seattle Pacific stormed back against host Montana State University Billings for a 70-60 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball victory Saturday evening in Alterowitz Gym.
 
Kayleen Goggins led all players with 24 points and added eight rebounds for the 'Jackets, and freshman point guard Rylee Kane was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game with a season-high 13 points, five rebounds and two assists.
 
For the Falcons (12-1, 4-1 GNAC), Aubree Callen had 18 points and Suzanna Ohlsen chipped in 16 as the team stretched its winning streak to six games. It was a jumper by Ohlsen with 4:28 left in regulation that gave SPU its first lead of the night, and the Falcons never gave it up down the stretch to earn the win.
 
"It was a tough loss to swallow tonight," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "We played very hard and well for most of the game but we weren't able to finish strong. SPU is a very talented team, and it is easy to see why they have only lost one game this season."
 
The Yellowjackets (9-6, 1-4 GNAC) outshot the Falcons on the game, 46.0-43.4, but in the second half SPU held a 54.2-40.9 advantage in shooting percentage. SPU also made 20 of 25 free-throws in the game – including five in the final minute – while MSUB was 11 of 21 from the line.
 
"We missed a lot of free-throws tonight in crucial situations, which hurt," Woodin said. "We also needed to share the ball better on offense."
 
The 'Jackets jumped out to a 5-0 lead as a bucket by Annie DePuydt was followed by a three by Quinn Peoples. MSUB extended the early advantage to 16-9 as Kane contributed a 3-pointer.
 
The Falcons worked their way back into it however, as an Ohlsen free-throw cut the spread to two points at 20-18 midway through the first.
 
Following a Goggins free-throw, Kane came up with a steal and took the ball the length of the court for a layup to make the score 25-20 with five minutes before the half.
 
Threes by Betsy Kingma and Stacey Lukasiewicz on back-to-back possessions helped keep the Falcons close as the score moved to 31-28, 'Jackets with 1:30 left.
 
Leading at the break 35-28, the Yellowjackets carried the momentum into the second half. Goggins fought for an offensive rebound on a missed shot, then converted a free-throw to make the score 43-37. Kane followed with a three, as MSUB kept the lead at six points, 46-40.
 
The 'Jackets held the five-point advantage through the middle part of the second, but a Callen layup with 5:35 left brought the Falcons within one, 57-56. Ohlsen knocked down a jumper a minute later, giving SPU its first lead of the game, 60-59.
 
SPU controlled the pace into the closing minutes, and three points on free-throws by Ohlsen and Molly Grager made it 63-59 with 2:20 left. Alisha Breen connected on a free-throw with 2:04 left, but it was the last point of the evening for MSUB as SPU played strong defense through the closing minutes.
 
Goggins was two points shy of her career high of 26 points, making 11 of 20 shots from the field on the game. Breen was also in double figures for MSUB with 10 points, and the sophomore came up one rebound shy of a double-double with nine. Off of the bench, Monica Grimsrud turned in five assists in 19 solid minutes.
 
Maddey Pflaumer finished with 11 points and four boards, and Grager turned in 10 points and a team-best six rebounds for the Falcons.
 
Neither team shot well from behind the 3-point line, with the Falcons making 4 of 17 shots and the 'Jackets knocking down 3 of 14. SPU held a narrow edge in rebounding at 29-28, and the 'Jackets had 15 assists compared with 12 by the Falcons.
 
SPU outscored MSUB off of the bench 15-0, and benefitted from 26 points in the paint while MSUB had 20. Four different Falcons had multiple steals, as SPU picked up 11 total in the game.
 
"Next week is a very important week for us," commented Woodin. "It will be nice to play at home and we need to respond appropriately."
 
COMING UP: The Yellowjackets remain at home next week, hosting GNAC opponents Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene. Both games will be a part of a doubleheader with the MSUB men's basketball team, and tipoff will be at 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 15 against the Wildcats and on Jan. 17 against the Crusaders.