BILLINGS, Mont.  – This week is a busy week for the MSU Billings women's basketball program. On Thursday, the Yellowjackets host Western Oregon during the annual Think Pink night and on Saturday the team plays its last regular-season home game against Saint Martin's where after the game the 2015 seniors will be honored.
 
Montana State University Billings (13-11, 5-9 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) is still in the mix for a postseason GNAC playoff berth. The Yellowjackets have two important games this week as the team is playing a game against Western Oregon (6-16, 3-11) which is two games back in the standings, and Saint Martin's (8-14, 5-9) which has the same record as MSUB and is also looking to fill one of two spots still available in the conference tournament. They Yellowjackets will also be facing the top two rebounders in the conference in Dana Goularte from Western Oregon, and Megan Wiedeman from Saint Martin's.
 
Last time MSUB faced the Wolves, the Yellowjackets prevailed with a layup buzzer-beater from Kayleen Goggins for the 59-57 win during the ROOT SPORTS Game of the Week in Monmouth, Ore. The first half of the game was a tight affair with neither team taking more than a five-point lead. In the second half, MSUB was able to open a double-digit lead midway through before WOU battled back tying the game with 30 seconds remaining. On the inbounds pass, Goggins missed the first attempt before she was able to grab the offensive rebound and put it back up for the game-winning shot.
 
Two days prior to the win over Western Oregon, MSUB dropped a contest against Saint Martin's, 63-54. The Yellowjackets dug themselves a 22-point hole in the second half, returning to within three with just a minute left, but were not quite able to finish the comeback in the final seconds.
 
"This week is an important week for our team on many levels," MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin said. "Our players have been working extremely hard to be prepared for the games, and we look forward to the challenge of playing two really good teams in Western Oregon and Saint Martin's. Our team has elevated their play in the second half of the season and has really improved, which is all I can ask. Our goal is to be playing our best the last four games of the season. I believe our team is doing that, and we look forward to the games this weekend."
 
Western Oregon may be at the bottom of the conference standings, but its record certainly does not reflect the talent of the team. Last week the Wolves lost a game against Western Washington (81-48), but won an earlier contest against Simon Fraser, soundly beating the Clan 68-45. WOU held Simon Fraser to just 15 points at the half, and a 27.9 overall shooting percentage.
 
"We are able to win at the buzzer against them," Coach Woodin commented the Yellowjackets' last game against the Wolves. "WOU played very well last week getting the win over Simon Fraser before losing to WWU. I believe they are a very solid team, very athletic, they have one of the premier players in our league in Dana Goularte that we will have our hands full with. I expect another close game, but I also know our team is excited to be back at home after being on the road the last two weeks."
 
A preseason GNAC all-conference selection, Goularte leads her team on the floor. The senior is averaging 14.4 points per game, and is ranked No. 1 in the conference in rebounding, averaging 8.9 per game. As a team, WOU is shooting 37.1 percent from the floor and 71.8 percent from the free-throw line with 37.5 rebounds per game.
 
Saint Martin's lost to both Western Washington (66-57) and Simon Fraser (82-75) last week. The Saints have lost the last three of four conference games, but did have a big win over Seattle Pacific last month when the teams played in Lacey, Wash.
 
Krista Stabler (12.6) and Liz Mills (10.3) are the biggest offense threats for the Saints, but four additional players are averaging five points or more per game. At 8.8 rebounds per game, Wiedeman is No. 2 in the GNAC in rebounds.
 
The Saints are shooting 60.9 percent from the floor, 73.6 percent from the free-throw line, with 35.5 rebounds per game.
 
"Against Saint Martin's we got off to a slow start in Lacey, but we made it close in the final minutes," Coach Woodin said on the earlier loss to the Saints. "I think we will have to play more consistent against them. They don't make a lot of mistakes. We will have be sharp on both ends of the floor and I expect our players to be ready."
 
MSU Billings is holding steady as the No. 7 offensive scoring team in the GNAC averaging 69.8 points per game. The team is No. 3 in rebounding with 38.0 per game, a margin of +2.8 over their conference opponents.
 
Goggins improved her average to 20.3 points per game this week which is now No. 17 in the nation. Alisha Breen is sixth in the GNAC with 15.4 points and fifth in rebounds with 7.3. Quinn Peoples is averaging 2.3 3-point baskets per game, No. 4 in the conference.

 
The team is shooting 40.9 percent from the field and 72.1 percent from the free-throw line. The Yellowjackets have moved up and are now tied for fifth in team assists with 15.0 per game.
 
Thursday's game against Western Oregon is MSUB's annual Think Pink game when both basketball teams will be wearing pink, and fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness. The MSUB sports teams in attendance will be involved in a contest to see which program shows up with the most "pink spirit."
 
"We are very excited about our Pink Game on Saturday night," Coach Woodin said. "It has really evolved into a special event over the years. Again we are partnering with St. Vincent Healthcare and the EVA Project to raise money for their organization."
 
The EVA Project provides free mammograms to women in the Billings area over age 40 that are uninsured or underinsured.
 
"We will be honoring breast cancer survivors before the game," Coach Woodin continued. "My team and I attended their monthly meeting in February and we look forward to welcoming them, and any cancer survivors to the game on Thursday. The meeting is always a fun evening for us as the survivors share stories about their struggles and triumphs with living cancer-free."
 
To help support the EVA Project, pink game t-shirts are available for purchase now, and will also be available for purchase in the lobby prior to game on Thursday. For more information please contact the MSUB athletic department at 406-657-2369. Prior to and during the game, 50/50 tickets will also be available with proceeds to benefit the EVA Project.
 
As Thursday is a special event for MSUB and the athletic department, all women will be admitted to the game free-of-charge, with special reserved section seating available to all breast cancer survivors in attendance.
 
Saturday's game is the last regular season home game for the women's basketball team. Following the contest, the three MSUB seniors Goggins, Peoples, and Annie DePuydt will be honored.

 
"Our three seniors have really done a good job at playing at a high level," Coach Woodin said. "Kayleen Goggins has really established herself inside as our go-to player. She is able to put up great numbers on both ends of the floor. She put in a tremendous amount of time in the off-season and is now one of the top scoring threats in the league. I am very happy with her improved skills on the defensive end as well. Without her, I'm not sure where our team would be. She has been a huge factor for us this year, and is having an unbelievable senior season."
 
Goggins currently has 1,384 career points which ranks her No. 8 all-time at MSUB. She also has 565 rebounds, which places her in a tie for No. 15 with Evonne Goroski (1985-88).
 
"I was very proud of Quinn Peoples last week making her career-high 12 rebounds," Coach Woodin commented. "She really worked hard in the off-season to make herself a more complete player for this year. She has done a great job as the co-captain of our team, really elevating her game and playing the best she ever has. She has become more than just a 3-point shooter for us, she does a lot of things well. She's definitely earned my trust and confidence."
 
Along with Goggins, Peoples also reached the 1,000-point mark for MSUB this season. She now has 1,047 points and is just 19 points from making it onto the MSUB career top-20 list. Peoples also has made 223 3-point baskets in her career so far, No. 2 all-time at MSUB. 
 

"Annie DePuydt has had a great senior season for us," Coach Woodin said. "We have all been very inspired by her courage - to come back so fast from her injury last season, really says a lot about how tough she is." DePuydt was sidelined with a torn ACL last year, after beginning the team's first 20 games as a starting player.
 
"It says a lot about what kind of a person she is," Coach Woodin continued on DePuydt. "Annie I believe is just getting stronger and stronger as she recovers from her injury and to be a 4.0 honors student in her curriculum is just unbelievable to me. She's also become a much more vocal leader this year for us, and we are so proud of what she has been able to achieve both on and off the court as a Yellowjacket."
 
"I can't say enough about these three seniors," Coach Woodin said. "They are all honor roll students, they work incredibly hard for our team and for this program. I am so proud of them in the off-season as well, working to get better. Their work ethic is second to none. All three mean a lot to me as individuals. They are great people, and I am just very proud of what they have accomplished both on and off the court."
 
A short ceremony honoring the three seniors will be held after the conclusion of the game on Saturday, followed by cake which will be served from center court.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL	CONF	PCT	OVERALL	PCT	HOME	AWAY	NEUTRAL	STREAK
x-Alaska Anchorage	13-1	.929	23-1	..958	16-1	7-0	0-0	W11
x-Seattle Pacific	11-3	.786	19-3	.864	10-1	5-2	4-0	W5
x-Western Washington	11-4	.733	17-7	.708	9-2	6-3	2-2	W4
x-Simon Fraser	9-6	.600	13-10	.565	7-4	4-6	2-0	W1
Central Washington	6-9	.400	11-12	.478	7-4	2-6	2-2	L4
Alaska	5-9	.357	13-11	.542	6-6	3-5	4-0	L2
Montana State Billings	5-9	.357	13-11	.542	7-4	4-7	2-0	W1
Saint Martin's	5-9	.357	8-14	.364	4-4	2-8	2-2	L2
Northwest Nazarene	4-11	.267	6-18	.250	4-8	2-8	0-2	L1
Western Oregon	3-11	.214	6-16	.272	2-8	2-8	2-0	L1
x-clinched playoff berth