LACEY, Wash. - They just had to go the long the way around. After being voted in the preseason conference coaches' poll to finish tied for seventh, the MSU Billings women's basketball team ended the regular season with a 15-5 record, entering the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament as the third seed.
Fighting their way through the bracket, the Yellowjackets have earned a place in the conference championship game and will face defending champion Alaska Anchorage for the title and the GNAC's NCAA tournament automatic bid.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: On Thursday, MSUB fought their way through three quarters of being down to the sixth seed Northwest Nazarene before having a great fourth quarter, finishing with a 70-65 win in the quarterfinal matchup.
Alisha Breen put MSUB up with a jump shot at 7:42 left in the game. A 3-pointer from Breen two minutes later, sent the Yellowjackets ahead, 55-54, and from there MSUB held the lead to the end.
On Friday, MSUB went into the semifinal game against the second seed Western Washington and found themselves down again. The Vikings ran up the score 7-0 in the opening three minutes of play before the Yellowjackets stormed back using runs of 12-0 in the second quarter and 9-0 in the third quarter to sweep by the Vikings by a final of 78-60.
With their back-to-back wins, the Yellowjackets have earned a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament title game.
GNAC Tournament ScheduleMar. 3-5, hosted by Saint Martin's UniversityMarcus Pavilion, Lacey, Wash. | Game | Away | Home | Time | Score |
| 1 - Quarterfinal 1 | #6 Northwest Nazarene | #3 MSU Billings | 5:15 p.m. | NNU 65, MSUB 70 |
| 2 - Quarterfinal 2 | #5 Central Washington | #4 Simon Fraser | 7:30 p.m. | CWU 67, SFU 78 |
| 3 - Semi 1 | #3 MSU Billings | #2 Western Washington | 5:15 p.m. | WWU 60, MSUB 78 |
| 4 - Semi 2 | #4 Simon Fraser | #1 Alaska Anchorage | 7:30 p.m. | SFU 47, UAA 82 |
| 5 - Championship | #3 MSU Billings | #1 Alaska Anchorage | 7:30 p.m. | |
*All times are localTHE SEAWOLVES: Alaska Anchorage (32-2) comes into the game tonight the defending tournament champions. The Seawolves finished the regular season with an 18-2 conference record to earn the regular season title and the No. 1 seed at the tournament. Alaska Anchorage was ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation. This week the Seawolves are ranked sixth in the nation. UAA is ranked first in the NCAA west region poll and has the potential to host the west region tournament next week in Anchorage.
THIS SEASON'S GAMES: MSU Billings (21-9) lost both regular season games to Alaska Anchorage. During the first meeting, the Yellowjackets lost 70-50 in Anchorage. A 3-pointer from
Monica Grimsrud put MSUB six points back, 50-44, with 6:14 left in the game, but UAA ran through the final five minutes on a 20-6 run.
In Billings, UAA led 41-29 at half-time. In the fourth quarter, MSUB surged forward, closing to within three points, 61-58, with 5:53 left, but Anchorage closed strong again, punching back up to lead by 14, before closing at an 85-73 win.
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL: For all the information on the GNAC tournament, please visit tournament central
here.
HOW TO WATCH LIVE: Over the air, you can find the broadcast on KULR 8.2 Billings SWX or Channel 503 on Charter. It is not available on Direct TV or Dish Network.The GNAC will also be broadcasting its regular coverage on GNAC.tv.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: The NCAA announcement show is on Sunday, Mar. 6 at 8:00 p.m. Mountain time on ncaa.com. During the show, the 64-team national playoff field will be unveiled. The tournament runs Mar. 11, 12 & 14, at a site to be determined. Last week, MSU Billings was ranked eighth in the west region poll. The top-8 teams in all eight national regions advance to the tournament. In the west region, all three conference tournaments have an automatic berth for their tournament champion. The additional five spots are awarded as at-large bids. During the selection show, each region's matchups will be announced along with the host site.
| WEST | | | |
| Rank | School | Overall DII Record | In-Region Record |
| 1 | Alaska Anchorage | 28-2 | 26-2 |
| 2 | Azusa Pacific | 25-2 | 25-2 |
| 3 | UC San Diego | 23-3 | 23-3 |
| 4 | California Baptist | 27-1 | 27-1 |
| 5 | Academy of Art | 23-7 | 23-5 |
| 6 | Cal State East Bay | 23-4 | 23-4 |
| 7 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 20-8 | 19-7 |
| 8 | Montana State Billings | 18-9 | 17-8 |
| 9 | Western Washington | 20-8 | 19-7 |
| 10 | Point Loma | 19-9 | 19-9 |
