BILLINGS, Mont. – For the third time in the last five seasons the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team has earned a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships, which kick off on Thursday at the Alaska Airlines Center and are hosted by the University of Alaska Anchorage.
 
MSUB finished the 2017-18 regular season with a record of 19-11, and earned the No. 4 seed into the championship tournament by going 12-8 in conference play. The Yellowjackets will open the tournament against No. 5 seed Central Washington University (15-13, 11-9 GNAC), a team MSUB defeated twice during the regular season on its playoff run.
 
"We are looking forward to the tournament, and it is great to be back after our last appearance in 2015-16," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "We have a strong senior class, and I definitely think it's a special time of year for our whole team. I've been very impressed with our players' attitudes during this tough road stretch we have been on at the end of the year. I think we are fresh mentally, and we are excited about the tournament."
 
2017-18 GNAC Women's Basketball Championships Schedule (all times Alaska Standard Time - AKST)Thursday, March 1, 2018 – Quarterfinals

5:15 PM – No. 5 Central Washington vs. No. 4 MSU Billings
7:30 PM – No. 6 Simon Fraser vs. No. 3 Seattle Pacific
 
Friday, March 2, 2018 – Semifinals
5:15 PM – Quarterfinal 1 Winner vs. No. 1 Northwest Nazarene
7:30 PM – Quarterfinal 2 Winner vs. No. 2 #9 Alaska Anchorage
 
Saturday, March 3, 2018 – Championship Game
7:30 PM – Semifinal 1 Winner vs. Semifinal 2 Winner
 
LIVE COVERAGE: All quarterfinal and semifinal games will be streamed live on GNAC.tv, with play-by-play commentary by Rob Lowery and color analysis by Keaton Homer. Saturday's championship game will be streamed live on Watch ESPN, as part of the NCAA Division II College Basketball Showcase.
 
Live statistics will be available for all games of the tournament online through GNAC.tv. "In tournament play your focus becomes the single game in front of you, and you have to be focused all in on your one opponent," said Woodin. "The strengths of our team all year have been our 3-point shooting, and that will be a key again for us along with limiting our turnovers."
 
REGIONAL RANKINGS: The Yellowjackets appeared at No. 8 in the most recent NCAA D2 west region rankings, released last week. With the next rankings due out Wednesday, MSUB will look to hang on to the final spot in the regional championship tournament which will run March 8-10. The winner of the GNAC Championships will receive an automatic berth into the regional tournament as well. The NCAA D2 Women's Basketball Championships selection show is scheduled for 8 p.m. Mountain time on Sunday, March 4, and can be viewed live online here. 

'JACKETS AGAINST THE FIELD

No. 1 Northwest Nazarene (0-2)
Game 1 – NNU 66, MSUB 52 (1-11-18 at Billings, MT)
Game 2 – NNU 85, MSUB 71 (2-10-18 at Nampa, ID)
 
No. 2 Alaska Anchorage (0-2)
Game 1 – #6 UAA 81, MSUB 60 (1-6-18 at Billings, MT)
Game 2 – #8 UAA 73, MSUB 63 (2-1-18 at Anchorage, AK)
 
No. 3 Seattle Pacific (0-2)
Game 1 – #25 SPU 70, MSUB 61 (12-28-17 at Seattle)
Game 2 – SPU 66, MSUB 50 (1-27-18 at Billings, MT)
 
No. 5 Central Washington (2-0)
Game 1 – MSUB 86, CWU 84 (1-13-18 at Billings, MT)
Game 2 – MSUB 78, CWU 58 (2-8-18 at Ellensburg, WA)
 
No. 6 Simon Fraser (1-1)
Game 1 – MSUB 70, SFU 61 (12-2-17 at Billings, MT)
Game 2 – SFU 77, MSUB 74 (2-22-18 at Burnaby, BC)
 
MSUB Women's Basketball All-Time Results at GNAC Championships

Year	Seed	Opponent	Result	Location	Host
2012-13	No. 3	No. 6 Seattle Pacific	L, 63-60	Lacey, WA	Saint Martin's
2013-14	No. 1	No. 4 Simon Fraser	L, 85-74	Lacey, WA	Saint Martin's
2014-15	xx	xx	xx	Billings, MT	MSU Billings
2015-16	No. 3	No. 6 Northwest Nazarene	W, 70-65	Lacey, WA	Saint Martin's
2015-16	No. 3	No. 2 Western Washington	W, 78-60	Lacey, WA	Saint Martin's
2015-16	No. 3	No. 1 Alaska Anchorage	L, 77-57	Lacey, WA	Saint Martin's
2016-17	xx	xx	xx	Lacey, WA	Saint Martin's
2017-18	No. 4	No. 5 Central Washington	W, 75-73	Anchorage, AK	Alaska Anchorage
2017-18	No. 4	No. 1 Northwest Nazarene	W, 76-69	Anchorage, AK	Alaska Anchorage
2017-18	No. 4	No. 3 Seattle Pacific	Sat. 7:30 PM	Anchorage, AK	Alaska Anchorage

Since the inception of the single-site tournament in 2012-13, MSUB has taken part in four of the six events and has an all-time record of 2-3. The Yellowjackets' best showing at the event was in 2015-16, when they won twice to advance to the championship game before falling to No. 1 Alaska Anchorage. All five of MSUB's previous tournament games were played at Saint Martin's University in Lacey, Wash.
 
EXPERIENCED PLAYOFF VETERANS: The Yellowjacket roster features several key veterans who have both conference and regional playoff experience in their back pocket.

MSUB Women's Basketball Playoff Experience

Player	GNAC Tourneys	GNAC Record	NCAA Tourneys	NCAA Record	Total Playoff Record
Alisha Breen	3	2-2	2	2-2	4-4
Rylee Kane	2	2-1	1	0-1	2-2
Lexi Prevost	2	2-1	1	0-1	2-2
Vanessa Stavish	2	2-1	1	0-1	2-2
Taylor Edwards	2	2-1	1	0-1	2-2
Brina Hull	2	2-1	1	0-1	2-2

LAST WEEK: MSUB finished the regular season on a positive note, downing Western Washington University 76-63 last Saturday on the road. The win put a stop to a two-game skid, as the 'Jackets lost their 2017-18 home finale 77-65 against Western Oregon before a narrow 77-74 loss at Simon Fraser last Thursday.
 
BREEN CONTINUES STELLAR SENIOR CAMPAIGN: Showing no signs of slowing down as she finishes one of the top careers in GNAC history, senior Alisha Breen had a season-high 32 points in MSUB's win over Western Washington on Saturday. It was the second-highest scoring game of Breen's illustrious career, and it pushed her season total for points to 625 which is fifth-most in GNAC history.
 
Most Points, GNAC Women's Basketball Single-Season History (as of Feb. 28, 2018)

Rank	Player	School	Points	Games	Average	Season
1	Taylor Peacocke*	WWU	745	32	23.28	2016-17
2	Erin Chambers*	SFU	692	30	23.07	2013-14
3	Autummn Williams	UAA	682	32	21.31	2016-17
4	Erin Chambers*	SFU	657	28	23.46	2014-15
5	Alisha Breen*	MSUB	625	30	20.83	2017-18
6	Alira Carpenter*	MSUB	601	27	22.26	2008-09
7	Leada Berkey*	WOU	570	27	21.11	2006-07
8	Bobbi Knudsen	MSUB	569	33	17.24	2013-14
9	Jordan Wilson	UAF	567	27	21.00	2016-17
10	Kayleen Goggins	MSUB	560	28	20.00	2014-15

 
Breen also broke the GNAC career record for free-throw attempts last week, pushing her total to 644. She also passed Bobbi Knudsen for No. 2 in MSUB history and No. 3 in GNAC history for career points, as she now has 1,835 entering the championship week. Among NCAA D2 women's basketball leaders, Breen ranks 12th in the nation in scoring and fourth in free-throws made with 181.
 
Most 30-Point Games, GNAC Women's Basketball Career History (as of Feb. 28, 2018)

Rank	Player	School	30 Gms	Career
1	Erin Chambers	Simon Fraser	9	2011-15
2	Leada Berkey	Western Oregon	8	2004-08
3	Alisha Breen	MSU Billings	7	2013-18
4	Adrienne Taalak	Alaska Fairbanks	6	2001-05
5	Megan Hingston	Northwest Nazarene	5	2010-14
	Jordan Wilson	Alaska Fairbanks	5	2013-17
	Taylor Peacocke	Western Washington	5	2013-17
8	Beth Layton	Saint Martin's	4	2003-06
	Sheena Brown	Alaska Fairbanks	4	2005-09
	Bobbi Knudsen	MSU Billings	4	2010-14

 
KANE REACHES CAREER-HIGH, PEAKING: Rylee Kane is also finishing her stellar career with a bang, as she netted a career-best 28 points in the loss to Simon Fraser last week. Kane matched a personal best with 12 made field goals in the game, and added nine total assists on the weekend to pass Knudsen for No. 2 in MSUB history and No. 4 in GNAC history.
 
GNAC Women's Basketball Career Assists Leaders (as of Feb. 28, 2018)

Rank	Name	School	Assists	Seasons
1	Kiki Robertson	Alaska Anchorage	700	2013-17
2	Ellen Kett	Simon Fraser	692	2013-17
3	Jasmin Edwards	Central Washington	562	2014-18
4	Rylee Kane	MSU Billings	533	2014-18
5	Bobbi Knudsen	MSU Billings	532	2010-14
6	Beth Christensen	Seattle Pacific	501	2004-08
7	Melanie Wagoner	Alaska	500	1998-2002
8	Kerie Hughes	Seattle Pacific	498	1999-03
9	Mallory Whipple	Northwest Nazarene	466	2005-09
10	Kristy Eggen	Western Washington	412	1994-96, 2002-03

 
Kane enters the week second on the team and No. 11 in the conference in scoring, with 12.9 points per game. She is also tied for first in the league with 5.0 assists per game, and she is No. 3 in GNAC history with 118 career starts.
 
STAVISH BOUNCES BACK: After snapping a streak of five straight games reaching double figures in scoring on Thursday, junior Vanessa Stavish responded with a key 13-point game against Western Washington. She knocked down three 3-pointers to push her season total from the arc to 48 makes, and she remains at third on the team with 9.3 points per game. Additionally, she notched a career-high nine rebounds against the Vikings, and is second on the team with 4.9 boards per game.
 
KOEHLER KEY: Another senior coming on strong at the end of the year is Rachel Koehler, who is coming off a season-high nine points against Simon Fraser. She also had nine boards in the game as she just missed a double-double, and she totaled 15 rebounds overall in the two games to lead the team. Koehler will be crucial off the bench for MSUB, as she played her most minutes last week (35) since a 37-minute performance a month earlier.
 
PREVOST PACES DEFENSE: Starting all 30 games this season along with Breen, Kane, and Stavish, senior Lexi Prevost also had a pair of solid games for the 'Jackets on their final road trip of the regular season. Prevost had seven points and six rebounds against the Clan, before chipping in six points and grabbing five more boards against the Vikings. Defensively, she totaled four steals and a pair of blocks as well, while committing just a pair of turnovers in 49 minutes on the court.

Central Washington University Wildcats
Thursday, March 1 – 5:15 PM AKST – Alaska Airlines Center
2017-18 Record: 15-13, 11-9 GNAC
Head Coach: Randi Richardson-Thornley (2nd season)
 
The Wildcats held on to the No. 5 seed despite ending the regular season on a bit of a skid, as CWU won just one of its final six games down the stretch. Last week, the Wildcats stopped a four-game losing streak with an 84-74 win over the University of Alaska, before falling to GNAC co-champion Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.
 
"We play a good Central Washington team, and they are very talented," Woodin commented on MSUB's first opponent. "This is the time of year that you have to trust your fundamentals, and I am confident that we are going to play well. We have become more consistent in the last three or four weeks, and I look for us to play well."
 
Thursday's contest will feature a trio of GNAC greats, and the matchup between CWU senior point guard Jasmin Edwards and MSUB's Kane will be one to watch. Entering the tournament, Edwards (4,096), Breen (3,897) and Kane (3,718) rank first, second, and sixth, respectively in GNAC history for career minutes played. Additionally, Edwards is third in conference history ahead of Kane with 562 assists in her four years as a starter.
 
GNAC Women's Basketball Career Minutes Played Leaders (as of Feb. 28, 2018)

Rank	Name	School	Minutes	Seasons
1	Jasmin Edwards	Central Washington	4096	2014-18
2	Alisha Breen	MSU Billings	3897	2013-15, 17-18
3	Bobbi Knudsen	MSU Billings	3838	2010-14
4	Erin Chambers	Simon Fraser	3752	2011-15
5	Rebecca Kielpinski	Alaska Anchorage	3751	2005-09
6	Rylee Kane	MSU Billings	3718	2014-18
7	Taylor Peacocke	Western Washington	3566	2013-17
8	Ellen Kett	Simon Fraser	3477	2013-17
9	Sara Zahler	Western Oregon	3306	2007-11
10	Janiel Olson	MSU Billings	3303	2011-13, 15-16

 
This season, Edwards is second on the team in scoring with 12.2 points per game, and is third behind Kane in the conference with 4.7 assists per game. The 'Jackets have been able to keep her relatively quiet in her two games against them this year, as she scored eight points in each and had six total assists.
 
Sadie Mensing is CWU's leading scorer, as she enters the tournament with 12.5 points per contest. She is also third on the team with 4.3 rebounds per game, and is one of three players to have started all 28 games. Taylor Baird is the top rebounder for the Wildcats at 7.3 boards per game, and is also a double-figure scorer with an average of 10.2 points.
 
Alexis Pana ranks fourth on the team with 10.1 points per game, but she has not played since exiting the Wildcats' home game against MSUB on Feb. 8 with an injury. CWU will look to Rachel Lorentson and Beverly Verduin to supplement Pana's absent 3-point production, as the duo ranks third and fourth on the team with 28 and 23 made threes, respectively.
 
Overall the Wildcats average 71.3 points per game while allowing 70.1, and hold a slight edge in the rebounding department at 38.5-38.0. CWU shoots 42.1 percent from the field, 33.0 percent from 3-point range, and 67.6 percent from the foul line.
 
The Series: MSUB is 24-11 all-time against the Wildcats, and has a 3-1 record in neutral-site games between the teams. Though this will be the first-ever conference tournament matchup between the long-time opponents, MSUB claimed victory in the only playoff game between the teams. The 'Jackets topped the 'Cats 91-69 on March 14, 2003 in the NCAA west region quarterfinals hosted by Seattle Pacific University.
 
Last Time Out: MSUB ran away with the victory in Ellensburg, Wash., as Breen had a 21-point, 16-rebound double-double. Stavish added 17 points and Kane had 16 to go along with seven assists. Things were much closer in the game played in Billings, when the 'Jackets held on for a wild two-point victory. Mensing had 20 points for the 'Cats in the game, but five 'Jackets scored in double figures including a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double by Breen.