SEATTLE. – The Yellowjackets kept it close in the opening half, withstanding two major scoring droughts and making a double-digit run to close the gap to single digits in the fourth quarter before the No. 15 Falcons pulled away late delivering Montana State Billings a 67-50 conference road loss on Thursday at Brougham Pavilion.
 
Within two points, 19-17, with in the second quarter, MSUB went cold in the last three minutes before the break as the Falcons engaged on a 6-0 spurt to take a 33-23 lead into half time. SPU's Julie Haining earned four straight points on a jump shot and free throws to draw out a 22-point, 51-29, advantage at the 2:56 minute mark in the third quarter.
 
A jumper from MSUB's Brina Hull sparked a 13-point scoring run for the Yellowjackets capped by a jump shot from Tiana Hanson that closed the gap to nine points, 51-42 with 8:12 remaining in the game. Pushing back, the No. 15 Falcons delivered their own 9-0 scoring surge to move back ahead by 18, 63-45, finishing on four straight points.
 
"I was proud of our effort tonight," MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin said. "I thought we played harder and better than we did last week at home. We got beat by a good SPU team, but we continued to battle in the second half, catching up to within single digits and just fell a little short at the end."
 
"Overall we need to shoot the ball better," Woodin continued. "I thought we missed some open looks. I think if we get a few of those to go in we would have been right there. Tonight, Marissa led our team well offensively and Tiana and Rylee contributed solid games. From the bench, Brina, Jeanann, and Grace contributed quality minutes for the team. We are encouraged despite the loss, and we are looking forward to playing Saint Martin's on Saturday."
 
Marissa Van Atta scored 10 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had one assist and a team-high three steals. Hanson posted a team-high 16 points, adding-in six rebounds and two steals. Rylee Kane finished with 11 points, six rebounds and six assists.
 
Off the bench, Grace Weeks had five points, and Brina Hull four points in 11 minutes.
 
In a game well-matched in other areas, Montana State Billings (4-9, 1-4 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) finished shooting 18 for 57 from the field for 31.6 percent. They were 2 for 13 from the 3-point arc and just 12 for 17 from the free-throw line.
 
The Yellowjackets did commit fewer turnovers (13-15) and matched the Falcons in both steals (eight) and offensive rebounds (eight). MSUB also posted a game-matching 26 points in the paint and scored more points off of turnovers, 17-13.
 
Seattle Pacific (13-1, 5-1 GNAC) shot 24 for 53 from the field and 7 for 14 from outside for 45.3 percent for the game. The Falcons were an efficient 12 for 14 from the free-throw line and led the game in rebounds, 39-31.
 
Courtney Hollander poured in 17 points and eight rebounds. Haining added 14 points and Brianne Lasconia 11. Rachel Shim posted five points and five assists.
 
After opening the game down 8-2, the 'Jackets rallied to take the lead, scoring 11-6. A jump shot from Kane and a 3-pointer from Weeks kicked-off the offense. Van Atta made a big play with a steal under SPU's rim. She missed the layup, but Weeks was there for the offensive rebound and put-back. Van Atta made another big steal, passing the ball to Kane who found Van Atta open for MSUB's second 3-pointer. Hanson gave the Yellowjackets their first lead of the game on a short jump shot just inside the key for 14-13.
 
The Falcons clipped the MSUB lead with back-to-back 3-pointers.  A quick pass from Hanson to Van Atta for a reverse layup resulted in a 3-point play for the 'Jackets. Three fouls from SPU within 45 seconds sent MSUB into bonus and Van Atta to the free-throw line. She made both shots to close the gap to 23-19 with five minutes remaining in the first half. Hanson earned two free-throws and Kane a driving layup to close the deficit to four.
 
A sluggish shooting percentage from MSUB began to draw the SPU lead out at the end of the half. The Falcons closed the second quarter on an 8-0 run as the Yellowjackets failed to score on their remaining five possessions to give Seattle Pacific a 33-23 lead at the break.
 
The Yellowjackets finished the first half shooting 26.7 percent while the Falcons opened at a 53.5 percent clip. MSUB was 2 for 7 from outside while SPU was 5 for 7 from the 3-point arc.
 
Seattle Pacific opened the second half pulling ahead by 22 points. Finding their fight, the Yellowjackets began their rally with just under two minutes left in the third quarter. Hanson and Hull both made a pair of free-throws and Jeanann Lemelin a jump shot. Four more points from Hanson in the paint moved the deficit to under 10 points, 54-45, with 7:14 left. SPU's Hollander scored a 3-pointer, but Hanson countered a 3-point play on a layup and point after.
 
From there, SPU controlled the game for the remaining six minutes to close out with four straight points.
 
THE BUZZ: Van Atta named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB travels to Lacey, Wash., for a game against GNAC opponent Saint Martin's on Saturday, Jan. 7, for a 5:15 p.m. Pacific time tip-off.