BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team earned a 78-53 exhibition win over Montana Tech during EMC Throwback Night Friday at Alterowitz.
 
The Yellowjackets opened the double-header between MSUB and Montana Tech, pounding out a double-digit lead in the opening quarter and carrying it through the second half.
 
Junior Marissa Van Atta played an impressive game for the Yellowjackets leading four MSUB players in double-figures with a game-high 15 points. Van Atta was unstoppable in the first half scoring 14 points on 4-5 from the field and 3-3 from the arc and the foul-line. The Yellowjackets finished with eight 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes and added two more in the back half to finish with 10.
 
Junior Grace Weeks was 2-2 from the outside arc, collecting six rebounds with two blocks. Weeks and Tiana Hanson contributed 12 points apiece with Hanson leading the team in rebounds with eight. Van Atta and Hanson also had two steals each.
 
The two teams went to the free-throw line a combined 49 times. Hanson was 4-4, Van Atta 4-5, with Rylee Kane shooting 6-8. Kane had eight assists in the game and eight points.
 
Sophomore Taylor Edwards shot 4-9 for the 'Jackets, contributing 10 points and two steals. Edwards brought-in four rebounds and added two steals in 23 minutes on the floor.
 
Montana Tech was led by 15 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals from Martha Dembek. Monica Landdeck added 13 points and Kaylee Zard 10. The Orediggers shot 25.9 percent in the game and were 21-25 from the free-throw line.
 
MSUB opened the first 10 minutes shooting 10-15 from the field for 66.7 percent, ending on 45.5 percent for the game. The 'Jackets were 18-24 from the free-throw line and shot 10-21 for 47.6 percent from the 3-point arc. It was a balanced night for MSUB with 10 players recording points, and 11 a rebound.
 
"I liked the way we started the game," MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin said. "We shot the ball very well from the 3-point line in the first half and offensively we shared the ball and made the extra pass. Defensively, we had great intensity and other than too much fouling, it was a solid performance." 
 
"Give Montana Tech a lot of credit, we got them down 15-20 early and we could not pull away," Woodin continued. "Our bench really stepped-up tonight. We were able to play everyone and I felt they all contributed and our team intensity was good."
 
The MSUB bench provided 33 points in the win. Lexi Prevost scored six, Taylor Cunningham and Abbie Lohof each had five, Brina Hull added a 3-point bucket, and Jeanann Lemelin a jump shot.
 
A 3-pointer from Van Atta closed out the first quarter with a 13-point, 24-11, MSUB lead. The Yellowjackets drew that out to 20 points on a pair of free-throws from Kane. Rachel Harris from Montana Tech earned a jumper, before a 3-pointer from Lohof moved MSUB ahead by 21. The Orediggers rallied to drop the deficit down to 16 at half-time on two free-throws from Dembek.
 
Continuing their rally into the third quarter, back-to-back 3-pointers from Landdeck and Dembek closed the gap to 15. Cunningham grabbed an offensive board and was fouled as she went back up. She delivered a free-throw and Edwards one at the foul-line and jump shot to pull MSUB away.
 
In the fourth period, Prevost made a 3-point shot on an assist from Hanson.  Lohof scored the last two points of the game for MSUB, sinking both of her free-throws.
 
THE BUZZ: MSUB collected 35 rebounds to 28 from Montana Tech…MSUB delivered the Orediggers their first loss of the season as Montana Tech falls to 4-1 on the year.
 
UP NEXT: Montana State University Billings begins regular season action with three games in California. First up for the Yellowjackets is last year's NCAA Division II west region runner-up UC San Diego on Nov. 11.