BILLINGS, Mont.  – Getting set to play on primetime television in the ROOT SPORTS Game of the Week, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team will take on Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Western Oregon at 4 p.m. Mountain time on Saturday.
 
Saturday, Jan 24, 3:00 p.m., PT, new P.E. Building
Live TV coverage: ROOT SPORTS network
Western Oregon University Wolves
Head Coach: Holli Howard-Carpenter (2nd year)
2013-14 Record: (6-20, 3-15 GNAC)
 
Western Oregon University (4-11, 1-6 GNAC) is right above Saint Martin's on offense, scoring an averaging 60.9 points per game. The Wolves are shooting 36.5 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from 3-point territory.
 
Preseason all-conference pick Dana Goularte leads the team and is No. 5 in the GNAC averaging 16.2 points per game. Assisting Goularte in points is sophomore Jordan Mottershaw with 12.3 points. Goularte has been out the last four games with an ankle injury. Also WOU's leading rebounder, Goularte is averaging 10.7 per game, the only player in the GNAC averaging over 10 per game.
 
The Wolves are No. 3 in the conference in free-throw shooting at 73.7 percent. Mottershaw is No. 1 for WOU, and No. 7 in the conference shooting 82.9 percent.
 
Last meeting: MSUB won 77-67 on the road.
All-time: The Yellowjackets are 19-5, 9-4 against Western Oregon on the road. MSUB has won the last three contests against WOU.
 
Last Saturday against Northwest Nazarene, MSU Billings had one of its most complete games of the season. The team shot 54.5 percent and had 10 steals with 21 assists on 30 baskets. The hiccup in the game was in free-throw shooting, as the Yellowjackets were 17-30 from the line which is below the team's 71.1 percent average.
 
"I was pleased with our defensive communication on Saturday and also our effort on the defensive end," Coach Woodin said on the win against Northwest Nazarene. "Offensively, we shared the ball very well and we consistently made the extra pass."
 
The team is now shooting 41.1 percent from the field, No. 7 in the GNAC. The Yellowjackets are averaging 38.9 rebounds and 14.5 assists.
 
Last week for the Yellowjackets was a big week for senior Annie DePuydt. The 5'8" senior guard from Saco, Mont., had 25 points on 53.0 percent shooting. DePuydt also kicked in six rebounds, six assists, seven steals and one block for the Yellowjackets. On Saturday against Northwest Nazarene DePuydt tied her career-high in points with 17, and three 3-point shots. The senior captain has returned to the team this year after an ACL injury sidelined her last season.
 
Kayleen Goggins and Alisha Breen continue to supply MSUB with most of its firepower. Goggins remains ranked No. 2 in the GNAC in points and No. 27^th nationally, now averaging 19.6 points per game and is No. 7 in the conference in rebounds with 6.6 per game.
 
Breen is also ranked in the top-10 in both points and rebounds in the GNAC. In points Breen is No. 6, averaging 16.0 per game and in rebounds is averaging 7.2 per game which is No. 4 in the league.
 
Breen and Goggins combined for 70 of the Yellowjackets' 128 points last week. They also had 26 of the team's 84 total rebounds.
 
Quinn Peoples is still averaging over two 3-point baskets per game and is No. 4 in the GNAC. In the league she is also ranked in the top-25 in points, rebounds, and assists.
 
Monica Grimsrud and Marissa Van Atta both had solid games against Central Washington. Grimsrud had two steals and two blocks in her 23 minutes of play, but has been struggling with injuries to both of her hands that have hampered her on offense. Van Atta came off the bench for MSUB with a career-high seven points for the Yellowjackets against the Wildcats. The freshman redshirt has seen more playing time as the season has progressed, and has made use of it on the court.
 
Freshman Rylee Kane matched her career-high of six assists last week against Northwest Nazarene. The guard from Red Lodge, Mont., also had seven points in the win over the Crusaders.
 
This Saturday's game against Western Oregon is the ROOT SPORTS game of the week and will be available for viewing on the ROOT SPORTS network. The game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Mountain time.
 
In Billings, if your provider carries the network, you can find the broadcast on your ROOT SPORTS channel. For Charter customers that is channel 23. For DirecTV customers that channel is 687. For Dish Network customers the game will be on channel 426. For customers who have other providers you can visit rootsports.com, click on 'Northwest,' and then the 'Channel Listings' link to find which channel ROOT SPORTS is on.
 
"It is a great opportunity for our school and program to play on ROOT SPORTS on Saturday afternoon at Western Oregon," Coach Woodin said. "I believe it will be exciting for our players and it gives our league great exposure too."
 
In Billings, the MSUB Alumni Association will be hosting a watch party at Hooligan's downtown. The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start, and pizza will be provided starting at 3:30 p.m. To RSVP for the watch party please contact the MSU Billings Alumni Association by either calling 406-247-5780 or e-mailing sbrockel@msubillings.edu.
 
Last year, the women's basketball team was featured during a ROOT SPORTS game against Seattle Pacific. This year, both the MSUB women's and men's teams will have games featured. The men's game on Feb. 21 against Seattle Pacific will also be included on the schedule this season.
 
Career Watch:
 
DePuydt had one of the most complete games of her career last Saturday. The guard from Saco, Mont., tied her career-high of 17 points and three 3-points shots. She finished the game 7-12 from the field with a game-high three treys, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. DePuydt is making her way back from a season-ending ACL injury that sidelined her from a starting position last year.
 
Goggins now has 1,230 career points and 526 rebounds. The senior from Shepherd, Mont., ranks No. 13 all-time in points and No. 18 in career rebounds. She needs another 34 points to catch No. 12 Tanya Peterson who had 1,264 as a Yellowjacket.
 
Peoples is nearing the 1,000-point club. Peoples has 973 points so far in her career. She also has 205 3-point baskets made, No. 2 all-time at MSUB.
 
 

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL	CONF	PCT	OVERALL	PCT	HOME	AWAY	NEUTRAL	STREAK
Alaska Anchorage	6-1	.857	16-1	.941	12-1	4-0	---	W4
Seattle Pacific	6-1	.857	14-1	.933	7-1	3-0	4-0	W8
Western Washington	5-2	.714	11-5	.688	7-2	2-1	2-2	W5
Simon Fraser	5-2	.714	9-6	.600	5-4	3-2	1-0	W2
Alaska	4-3	.571	12-5	.706	5-2	3-3	4-0	L1
Central Washington	4-4	.500	9-7	.563	6-1	1-4	2-2	L1
Montana State Billings	2-5	.286	10-7	.588	6-3	2-4	2-0	W1
Northwest Nazarene	2-6	.250	4-13	.235	2-5	2-6	0-2	L5
Saint Martin's	1-6	.143	4-11	.267	1-2	1-7	2-2	L4
Western Oregon	1-6	.143	4-11	.267	0-6	2-5	2-0	L5