BILLINGS, Mont. - The MSU Billings women's basketball team finished a successful conference road trip and is now in a three-way tie for first-place in the GNAC standings. On Thursday, the Yellowjackets will host one of those teams as Western Washington enters Alterowitz Gymnasium with an identical record to MSUB at 11-5, 7-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Both of the games this week for MSU Billings will begin at 5:15 p.m. as the Yellowjacket men's basketball team will follow with games at 7:30 p.m.

The MSUB women's basketball team is on a 5-game win streak, not dropping a game since visiting No. 1 Alaska Anchorage (70-50) on New Year's Eve.

Defense has been the name of the game the last two weeks of competition for the Yellowjackets. Against conference opponents, MSUB is ranked No. 1 in the GNAC as a scoring defense with an average 55.1 points per game. The Yellowjackets are third-best in holding opponents from scoring at 37.2 percent. The 'Jackets are third in steals at 10.0 per game.

Montana State University Billings is also working hard at protecting the ball and is second behind Alaska Anchorage in turnover margin at 2.25.

Last week, MSU Billings took care of business on the road with a 67-61 win at Concordia (Ore.) and a 60-37 dominant performance at Western Oregon.

Concordia outscored the 'Jackets in the first and third quarters, but a high-scoring second quarter combined with a prodigious outing at the free-throw line pushed MSU Billings ahead down the stretch.

Junior Alisha Breen scored 26 points, shooting 7-11 for the game and 11-12 from the free-throw line. Senior Janiel Olson collected a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds. MSUB also picked up 19 points from its bench during the game, including a season-high 16 from junior Tiana Hanson who shot 12-13 from the free-throw line.

At Western Oregon, the Yellowjackets rocketed out to a 23-10 start in the first quarter. Senior Monica Grimsrud scored three 3-point shots in-a-row for MSUB to end the first frame and Olson began the second quarter with a 3-pointer. From the field, MSUB shot 21-47 for 44.7 percent and 9-21 from the 3-point arc for 42.9 percent. Grimsrud finished the game 5-10 from the field and 4-6 from 3-point territory for a team-high 14 points. Olson finished with 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

SHOOT-OUT FROM THE FIELD: With its defense locked in, the MSUB offense has been steadily growing in confidence and numbers. Against CU, MSUB shot 39.1 percent and against WOU, the 'Jackets finished at 44.7 percent. In their last three games, the Yellowjackets have been better than 35.0 percent shooting from the 3-point arc.

SHOOT-OUT FROM THE FREE-THROW LINE: The Yellowjackets stepped to the free-throw line 49 times in two games last week. Breen and Hanson took the brunt of the work, including a combined 23-25 at the line against Western Oregon.

BACK ON TOP: After leading the GNAC early in the season, Hanson returned to first place in the conference (11th nationally) from the free-throw line as the native of Shepherd, Mont., is currently a combined 52-58 for an 89.7 percent mark of efficiency.

BREEN'S BASICS: The junior scored 35 points on 11-17 shooting from the field last week. Breen is listed in every major category in the GNAC and is third-highest in scoring at 16.9 points per game and seventh in rebounding with 6.7 per game. For the season, Breen has scored 270 points and with last week's two games just passed the 900 mark with 923 for her career at MSUB. With her work at the free-throw line, Breen has registered 298 total makes which sends her to No. 5 all-time at MSUB, just ahead of Bobbi Knudsen (293, 2010-14) and eight back of Alira Carpenter (2006-09) who finished her career with 306.

BACK TO FIGHTING FORM: Week after week, Olson ascends the ranks in points and rebounds. Against Concordia, the senior posted her third double-double of the season and was just shy of her fourth against Western Oregon. The Billings West High School graduate has moved up to No. 4 in rebounding in the GNAC with 8.3 per game. She is also No. 11 in steals with 1.8 per game. Olson had four steals last week and has registered 28 total on the season - the same number she had her junior campaign. For her career, Olson has racked up 159 total steals, which ranks her No. 8 all-time at MSUB, 23 behind No. 7 Megan Mason-Dickerson at 182. Olson needs another 16 to enter the GNAC's all-time top-20. In rebounds, Olson has now collected 862, and has just passed Mandi Dinan (Western Oregon, 1998-02) at 860 for No. 6 all-time in the conference. She will need 51 more to catch the No. 5 all-time Danielle Dwello (Northwest Nazarene, 2003-07).

FROM THE ARC: Grimsrud added five 3-pointers to her total this season and has 28 on the year. She is now seventh in the conference in 3-point field goals made with 1.8 per game and 12thin 3-point field goal percentage at 35.0. She had her seventh double-digit game this year against Western Oregon and is now averaging 9.6 points per game.

WIN NO. 200: With the win at Western Oregon on Saturday, MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin earned his 200th career victory at the helm of the Yellowjacket women's basketball program. Coach Woodin is in the midst of his 12th season at MSUB, and now carries a 200-130 overall record at MSU Billings. This milestone is the second this season for Coach Woodin as he became the winningest women's basketball head coach at MSUB back on Dec. 3 at Alterowitz with the 61-51 victory against Central Washington.

YELLOWJACKETS TO BE FEATURED ON ROOT SPORTS FEB. 11: The MSUB women's basketball team will be featured during the GNAC's ROOT SPORTS Game of the Week in February, when the Yellowjacket welcome Western Oregon to Alterowitz Gymnasium. Tipoff during the basketball program's annual Pink Zone game is set for 7:00 p.m. Mountain time in a game televised on the ROOT SPORTS network throughout the western United States.

Thursday, January 21 - Western Washington University Vikings - 5:15 p.m.
2015-16 Record: 11-5, 7-1 GNAC
Head Coach: Carmen Dolfo, 25thseason

On Tuesday, Western Washington will host Simon Fraser two days before heading to Billings. The Vikings are riding a 5-game win streak and haven't lost a game since No. 23 Quincy (73-62) at the South Point Holiday Hoops Tournament in Las Vegas on Dec. 19.

Western Washington's one conference loss was to Central Washington at home 67-56. The Vikings are the single blemish on No. 1 Alaska Anchorage's 20-1 record this year, defeating the Seawolves at home, 71-62, back on Dec. 5.

Last week, WWU picked up two road wins with a 66-45 final against Saint Martin's and then needed overtime to defeat Seattle Pacific 70-67.

The Vikings have all five starters listed in the top-30 in the conference in scoring. Senior Taylor Peacocke (sixth, 15.1 ppg), senior Kayla Bernsen (19th, 11.2 ppg), junior Tia Briggs (21st, 10.8 ppg) and junior Kiana Gandy (23rd, 10.5 ppg) are all averaging double-digits while junior Aleisha Hathaway (29th) is averaging 8.7 per game.

Bernsen is second in the GNAC, shooting 58.1 percent from the field and sixth in rebounding with 7.2 per game. Hathaway leads the team in assists with 4.1 per game and is second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (51.2). Peacocke and Hathaway are both sixth in the GNAC in steals per game at 2.1.

Western Washington is shooting a conference-leading 46.9 percent from the field.

This Thursday's game sponsored by MSUB's Jackets and Co., is also Military Appreciation Night where all military personnel, and their families, receive free admission with military I.D.

In addition, all Billings Sandstone Elementary students, staff, and their families receive free admission with Sandstone Elementary I.D. card.

The Series: (12-20, H 7-7) The Yellowjackets are 12-20 overall against Western Washington, but in 14 meetings at Alterowitz are an even 7-7. MSUB is 2-2 the last two seasons against the Vikings.

Last Time Out: The Yellowjackets dropped their last meeting against the Vikings in an 82-71 decision at home.

Saturday, January 23 - Simon Fraser University the Clan - 5:15 p.m.
2015-16 Record: 7-6, 5-3 GNAC
Head Coach: Bruce Langford, 15thseason

After starting off its season 1-2 in the conference, Simon Fraser has gotten hot and is on a 3-game win streak. The Clan overran both conference opponents on the road last week with a 76-47 win at Seattle Pacific and an 84-54 victory at Saint Martin's.

En route to earning GNAC Player of the Week honors, sophomore Elisa Homer scored 47 points last week, including a 10-21 performance from the field, and 9-18 shooting from the 3-point arc for 32 points in the win at Saint Martin's. She leads the GNAC in 3-point field goals made per game (3.9) and is fourth in scoring (16.6).

Senior guard Ellen Kett poured in 29 points last week, including six 3-point buckets. She leads the conference in assists per game (6.2) and is ranked second in assist/turnover ratio (1.9), but maybe most importantly leads NCAA Division II in 3-point field goal percentage at 57.4 percent

Bolstering the guard play for Simon Fraser are 6-foot-3 sophomore Sam Beauchamp (52.0 FG, 6.2 rpg) and 6-foot-2 Rachel Fradgley (10.4 ppg, second in the GNAC with 8.6 rpg) who provide a solid interior base.

Simon Fraser is third as a scoring offense with 71.1 points per game, and is second in the league from the free-throw line at 72.8 percent. The Clan is also first in 3-point field goal percentage (38.3) and 3-point field goals made (9.5 pg), and first in defense of the 3-point shot (28.2).

The Series: (7-6, H 4-2) The Yellowjackets hold a slight 7-6 overall advantage against Simon Fraser. MSUB's last loss at home was a 61-55 game in 2013 when the Clan was ranked No. 8 in the nation.

Last Time Out: MSU Billings split its series last season with Simon Fraser, but won its last game at home 79-74.

THE BUZZ: This week marks the start of four straight home games for the Yellowjackets. Next week, MSUB continues its hosting duties, welcoming Alaska on Thursday, Jan. 28, and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, Jan. 30.