BILLINGS, Mont. – Facing its toughest test of the season so far over the weekend, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team will face three NCAA Division II opponents at the Oahu Christmas Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii.
 
MSUB (9-0) will start off against No. 7 Drury University, which is off to a 9-1 start after going 30-4 a season ago. The 'Jackets will also face Harding University, which went 31-4 last year and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight. Both Drury and Harding had their seasons end last year at the hands of eventual national champion Ashland University, which went 37-0.
 
The Yellowjackets' third game at the tournament this weekend will be against Hawaii Pacific University, which competes in the PacWest Conference in the west region. "Our team is looking forward to this trip, and it is a great opportunity for us to bond by spending a lot of time together," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "We have an incredible challenge in the three opponents that we are playing. All three are perennial winning programs, so it is going to be critical that we play extremely well. We would like to continue with the momentum we have established over the last few weeks. Our depth will play an important role with having three games in four days in a hotter and more humid climate than we are used to. Our ability to play a lot of different people this year has helped us win many games, and it will be crucial this week too."
 
2017 Oahu Christmas Classic Tournament Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 16 – MSUB vs. No. 7 Drury – 9 AM (Noon MTN)
Sunday, Dec. 17 – MSUB vs. Harding – 9 AM (Noon MTN)
Tuesday, Dec. 19 – MSUB vs. Hawaii Pacific – 8 AM (11 AM MTN)
 
HOW TO FOLLOW LIVE: Live stats will be available for all three games of the tournament online through the Hawaii Pacific Stretch Internet portal here. Follow the MSUB women's basketball Twitter account @MSUBWBB for score updates at the end of each quarter and highlights throughout the games. "Some keys to our success will be adjusting to the early game times, and we need to play very good team basketball," Woodin said. "Protecting the ball on the offensive end and maximizing possessions will be big, while defensively not allowing easy buckets and rebounding consistently. If we can do those things, we can be successful."
 
LAST FIVE: W-W-W-W-W
 
WINNING WAYS: MSUB kept the best start in school history alive last week and improved to 7-0 in home games this year with a 62-57 win over Rocky Mountain College on Friday and an 87-65 triumph over the University of Providence the following night. The nine straight wins have this year's team tied for the sixth-longest winning streak in school history, with the record being 14 consecutive wins from Dec. 2, 2005-Feb. 4, 2006. The Yellowjackets are averaging 75.33 points during their winning streak, and hold a scoring margin of plus-13.67 during the season-long run of victories.
 
MSUB Women's Basketball Longest Winning Streaks (as of Dec. 15, 2017)

Year	Start	End	Games	Scoring Avg.	Defense Avg.	Margin
2005-06	12/2/2005	2/4/2006	14	77.29	56.29	21.00
2013-14	1/16/2014	2/20/2014	11	74.36	56.18	18.18
1990-91	1/22/1991	2/22/1991	11	67.73	48.36	19.36
1977-78	1/24/1978	2/22/1978	11	62.00	50.09	11.91
2000-01/2001-02	2/17/2001	12/1/2001	10	71.80	56.20	15.60
2017-18	11/10/2017	Current	9	75.33	61.67	13.67
2006-07	12/6/2006	1/7/2007	9	79.67	63.33	16.33
2001-02	12/28/2001	1/31/2002	9	72.22	51.00	21.22

 
RANKINGS REPORT: The 'Jackets stayed fifth in the latest D2SIDA west-region rankings, and are one of just two undefeated teams in the west region along with first-place University of Alaska Anchorage (9-0). MSUB also received votes in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association top-25 rankings for the second week in-a-row, with 25 points which was the third-highest total among unranked teams. The 'Jackets are second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, with UAA at 3-0 in league play while MSUB is 2-0.
 
BREEN HONORED AGAIN: For the second week in-a-row senior Alisha Breen was named the GNAC Player of the Week, after a pair of stellar performances that led MSUB to its wins last week. Breen has scored 20 or more points in four consecutive games, and has accumulated a total of 109 points during that time span. She is also averaging seven rebounds per game during the stretch, while shooting 66.0 percent from the field (35-for-53), 66.7 percent from 3-point range (12-for-18), and 93.1 percent from the foul line (27-for-29).
 
The GNAC Preseason Player of the Year's 22.3 points per game rank 11th in the nation, and her accuracy of 50.0 percent from 3-point range is tied for seventh-highest in the NCAA. Breen is also one of the top free-throw shooters in the nation, ranking 10th in total makes with 55 and 12th in free-throw percentage at 93.2 on the year (55-for-59).
 
NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Free-Throw Percentage Leaders (as of Dec. 12, 2017)

Rank	Player	School	Class	FTM	FTA	FT%	Games
1	Kaaliya Williams	Saint Augustine's	SO	25	25	100.00%	9
2	Aurreshae Hines	West Virginia State	SR	32	33	96.97%	9
3	Whitney Branham	Chico State	SR	31	32	96.88%	8
4	Barbara Cousino	Barry	SR	27	28	96.43%	9
5	Madi Greenwood	Angelo State	SR	25	26	96.15%	7
	Jessica Harvey	Chadron State	FR	25	26	96.15%	9
7	Mari Stewart	West Virginia Wesleyan	SR	24	25	96.00%	8
8	Sophie Swant	Simon Fraser	JR	22	23	95.65%	8
9	Courtney Robinson	Wingate	JR	21	22	95.45%	8
10	Kaitlyn Mahon	Queens (NY)	JR	20	21	95.24%	8
11	Maggie Mitchell	Gannon	SR	35	37	94.59%	10
12	Alisha Breen	MSU Billings	SR	55	59	93.22%	9

 
Breen achieved the MSUB career record for made free throws last week as well, sinking the 398th foul shot of her career in the second quarter of the game against Rocky. Entering this week she is No. 7 in GNAC history in made free throws.
 
MSUB Women's Basketball Free-Throws Top-10

Rank	Name	FT	Seasons
1	Alisha Breen	398	2013-17
2	Sherry McQuinn	392	1991-93
3	Tera Silvius	347	1992-95
4	Shelley Altrogge	310	1990-91
5	Kayla Ryan	308	2007-11
6	Alira Carpenter	306	2006-09
7	Bobbi Knudsen	293	2011-14
8	Michelle Lieber	289	2005-07
9	Natalie Visger	286	2000-03
10	Amy Winslow	280	1996-99

 
KANE HAS SEASON-HIGH IN ASSISTS: With nine assists in the win over Providence, senior point guard Rylee Kane reached her highest total of the year and boosted her season total to 59 in nine games. That ranks her ninth in the NCAA in total assists, and her average of 6.56 assists per game is tied for sixth-highest in the country. Kane is continuing her strong offensive output as well, as she is tied for second on the team with an average of 10.7 points per game. She is putting together her best rebounding season, as her 4.2 boards are third-most on the team and is the highest total in her career.

NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Assists Per Game Leaders (as of Dec. 12, 2017)

Rank	Player	School	Class	Assists	Games	APG
1	Ivy Wallen	North Alabama	SO	89	9	9.89
2	Nina Vukosavljevic	NYIT	SR	76	9	8.44
3	Markia Stacey	Lees-McRae	JR	46	6	7.67
4	Alexis Smith	Virginia State	SR	61	9	6.78
	Laney Lewis	Ursuline	SR	61	9	6.78
6	Rylee Kane	MSU Billings	SR	59	9	6.56
	Paige Salisbury	Ursuline	JR	59	9	6.56
8	Rachel Iozzia	San Francisco State	SR	52	8	6.50
	Renee Stimpert	Ashland	SO	65	10	6.50
	Brianna Logan	Lincoln (PA)	SR	52	8	6.50

 
STAVISH APPROACHES CAREER HIGH: Junior Vanessa Stavish has been a threat from 3-point range all season, and is coming off her best shooting performance of the year in the win over Providence. Stavish knocked down 4 of 5 threes and came within one point of her career high with 17 on the night. It was her fifth double-figure scoring effort of the year and her highest output thus far, as she is tied with Kane for second on the team with 10.7 points per game. Having started all nine games, Stavish is also second behind Breen in 3-point field-goal percentage at 38.5 (15-for-39), and is averaging 4.0 rebounds per game. 
 

TAYLOR'S TOUCH: The 'Jackets will look for junior Taylor Edwards to continue her accurate shooting in the coming weeks, as she has connected on her last three 3-pointers. Perhaps the most memorable shot of her career to date, Edwards drained an incredible 40-footer to beat the halftime buzzer on Saturday against Providence. She is shooting at a strong clip of 37.5 percent from the arc in 16 attempts, and has seen action in all nine games.
 
RACHEL RETURNS: After missing a pair of games with an injury, senior Rachel Koehler returned to the Yellowjackets' lineup for both games last week. She continues to be a force under the basket, ranking second on the team with 5.6 rebounds per game.
 
PREVOST HAS BEST WEEKEND YET: Scoring 19 points in last week's two games, senior Lexi Prevost had her top offensive weekend of the season. Like Stavish, she found the hot hand from the arc and knocked down 5 of 9 threes for the majority of her points. Her five rebounds against Providence on Saturday were the most she has had in a game this season. After averaging 6.2 points last year, Prevost is on pace for an even higher total with 6.9 points per game so far for the 'Jackets.
 
'JACKETS AMONG NATION'S BEST BALL PROTECTORS: Entering this week, MSUB ranks No. 2 in the NCAA with a team assist-turnover ratio of 1.53. Only Michigan Tech (1.61) has a higher margin, as the 'Jackets have 161 assists against just 105 turnovers. MSUB's 11.7 turnovers per game are the fourth-fewest in the entire NCAA.
 
No. 7 Drury University Panthers
Saturday, Dec. 16 – 9 AM (HST) – St. Francis High School
2017-18 Record: 9-1
Last Five: W-W-W-W-W
Head Coach: Molly Miller, 4th season
2016-17 Record: 30-4, 17-1 Great Lakes Valley Conference (West Division Champions, GLVC Tournament Champions, NCAA Sweet 16)
 
Located in Springfield, Mo., Drury has emerged as one of the top women's basketball programs in the NCAA Division II over the last few seasons, evidenced by a Sweet 16 run and 30-4 overall record last year under head coach Molly Miller.
 
The seventh-ranked team in the nation is off to a stellar start this year, with its only defeat being a 93-82 setback against Southwest Baptist University on Nov. 14. Since then, the Panthers have rattled off seven consecutive wins entering Saturday's matchup with the 'Jackets. Drury will also play Notre Dame College (Ohio) on Sunday during the Oahu Christmas Classic.
 
Three Panthers average in double figures in scoring, with Alice Heinzler leading the way at 15.6 points per game. Coming off an injury in 2016-17, the senior is the team's top perimeter shooter at 39.1 percent from the arc (25-for-64). Heather Harman is averaging 12.6 points per game, and Hailey Diestelkamp chips in 12.4 points as the other offensive leaders for DU. Diestelkamp is also the team's top rebounder at 6.4 boards per game, and Lucia Fernandez ranks second with 5.4 rebounds.
 
Drury is one of the top scoring teams in the NCAA, averaging 79.0 points per game to rank No. 29. The Panthers hold a narrow 34.2-32.0 edge in the rebounding department, and shoot 44.8 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from long range, and 73.9 percent from the foul line.
 
The Series: This will be just the second meeting between the teams, with Drury winning a neutral-site game in Las Vegas 76-75 on Dec. 20, 2013.
 
Last Time Out: The circumstances were similar, with the Panthers ranked No. 6 in the nation at the time of the only game between the teams. Then-senior Bobbi Knudsen hit a free throw with seven seconds left to give MSUB a 75-74 lead, but Annie Armstrong nailed a jumper as time expired to prevent the upset and help the Panthers hang on for the win. Breen is the only active Yellowjacket to have played in the game, and she had two points, three rebounds, and an assist in 11 minutes off the bench in the 12th game of her career.

Harding University Bisons
Sunday, Dec. 17 – 9 AM (HST) – St. Francis High School
2017-18 Record: 4-6
Last Five: W-W-L-L-W
Head Coach: Tim Kirby, 13th season
2016-17 Record: 31-4, 21-1 Great American Conference (GAC Tournament Champions, NCAA D2 Central Region Champions, NCAA Elite Eight)
 
The Bisons have had nothing but success under veteran head coach Tim Kirby, who has piloted the team to 11 straight conference tournament berths and is coming off a memorable run into the Elite Eight a season ago.
 
Harding started off the year with a tough 1-4 record, but has since won three of its last five games to pull to its current mark of 4-6. HU is coming off a dominant 61-37 win over Christian Brothers last Saturday, after dropping a matchup against No. 7 Drury 65-57 last Tuesday. While its record is sub-.500, Harding has been in every single game this year as none of its six losses has been by more than 11 points.
 
Caroline Hogue is the team's top scorer with an average of 12.0 points per game while also leading the team with 7.3 rebounds. Kellie Lampo is the squad's other double-figure scorer with 10.2 points per game. Sydney Layrock is a threat from 3-point range with a team-best 14 makes from the arc, while also ranking second on the team with 5.2 rebounds.
 
The Bisons have out-scored their opposition 70.9-67.9 this year, and hold an impressive rebounding margin of plus-10 at 42.7-32.7. The team shoots 44.4 percent from the field, 30.0 percent from 3-point range, and 61.5 percent from the free-throw line.
 
The Series: Sunday's game will be the first-ever matchup between the Yellowjackets and Bisons.

Hawaii Pacific University Sharks
Tuesday, Dec. 19 – 8 AM (HST) – Kilauea District Park Gym
2017-18 Record: 5-2
Last Five: W-W-W-L-W
Head Coach: Reid Takatsuka, 7th season
2016-17 Record: 21-7, 17-3 PacWest Conference (3rd place, NCAA West Region Championships 1st Round)
 
Hawaii Pacific's 2016-17 season ended the way its 2017-18 year began, with a loss to nationally-ranked Alaska Anchorage of the GNAC. The Seawolves ended the Sharks' successful 21-7 season last year in the opening round of the regional tournament, before dealing HPU an 82-74 loss in the opening game of 2017.
 
Since then, HPU has gone 5-1 and most recently defeated Chaminade 88-62 last Saturday. The Sharks will play Douglas (Canada) on Thursday night and Harding on Saturday, before Tuesday's game against the Yellowjackets.
 
HPU is being led by Jessi Reeves, who averages 13.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The post player is shooting 54.2 percent from the field while playing 23.3 minutes per game. Also in double figures is Janessa Manzano, whose 11.3 points per game come mostly on 3-point field goals where she is shooting a stellar 47.1 percent (16-for-34). Manzano is also a 94.4 percent free-throw shooter and is off to a 17-for-18 start from the line this season.
 
Samantha Lambrigtsen runs the offense, and is averaging 2.6 assists per game to go along with 8.7 points.
 
The Sharks are out-scoring their opponents 76.6-67.3, and hold a positive rebounding margin of plus-5.0 (43.3-38.3). HPU is shooting 41.3 percent from the floor, 35.5 percent from 3-point range, and 73.3 percent from the free-throw line.
 
The Series: The Yellowjackets are 2-1 all-time against the Sharks, with all three prior meetings coming in Hawaii. This will be the first game between the teams since the 2014-15 season.
 
Last Time Out: HPU rolled to an 82-59 win over MSUB on Nov. 25, 2014 the last time the teams played. Breen had 10 points and five rebounds in 24 minutes, while then-freshmen Kane, Stavish, and Prevost all saw court time in the defeat for the 'Jackets.