AZUSA, Calif. – For the second time in school history, Montana State University Billings is the NCAA Division II West Region Champion as the Yellowjackets defeated No. 13 University of Alaska Anchorage 71-70 in the regional title game at the Felix Event Center on Monday night.
 
MSUB tied the school record for wins in a season, improving to 25-11 with the historic victory and claiming the first regional championship since the 1998-99 season. The Yellowjackets advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, scheduled for March 19-23 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
 
West Region Championship Most Valuable Player Rylee Kane hit the biggest shots of her career, as she made two free throws with 9.3 seconds left on the clock to give the 'Jackets the one-point edge. MSUB withstood a final possession by UAA, and all-tournament selection Alisha Breen stuffed a shot by the Seawolves' Hannah Wandersee as time expired.
 
Junior Vanessa Stavish had the best game of her career, with her first-ever double-double as she scored 17 points and grabbed a personal-best 10 rebounds. Her 4-for-4 performance from the arc in the opening half kept MSUB alive as it shot just 32.3 percent in the first 20 minutes.
 
The raucous final minute of play went back-and-forth, as MSUB refused to give in despite trailing by as much as 10 points early in the third quarter. After a turnover by the 'Jackets with 10 seconds to go, UAA squandered the opportunity with a turnover of its own to set up Kane's clutch foul shots.
 
MSUB avenged a pair of losses to UAA during the regular season, and extended its winning streak to seven games since Feb. 24. The Yellowjackets' last three victories have come against nationally-ranked opponents, after they started the year 0-4 against top-25 teams.
 
Breen finished with 16 points, Kane added 14 with four assists and four rebounds, and freshman Hannah Collins scored a dozen in 33 minutes on the court.
 
Wandersee led four Seawolves who reached double figures, as she had 18 points while adding a team-best seven rebounds. Rodericka Ware scored 12 points, and Tara Thompson and Sydni Stallworth each had 11 to lead UAA. The Seawolves forced 15 turnovers that resulted in 22 points, but were out-rebounded by the 'Jackets 39-32 in the defeat. UAA finished its season with a record of 27-5, and was the GNAC regular-season champion.
 
Stavish hit an early three, but the 'Jacket offense got off to a sloppy start with four missed shots and a pair of turnovers in the first three minutes of play. UAA turned its stellar defense into a 10-3 lead, and MSUB's cold shooting continued as it started the game just 3-for-11 from the floor.
 
Stavish answered a trey by Ware with her third three of the game, keeping MSUB in it down 28-25 with 2:45 before halftime. The 'Jackets trailed 38-32 at the break.
 
The Seawolves burst out of the halftime break on a 4-0 run, establishing their first double-digit lead of the night at 42-32. Back-to-back threes by Kane and Stavish brought MSUB back to life, and after an ensuing UAA turnover Breen hit her first field goal to make it 42-40.
 
The 'Jackets finally took their first lead of the game on a layup by Rachel Koehler with 3:20 to go in the third quarter, and Breen's first three made it 53-52 with a minute to go in the third as MSUB kept pace leading into the dramatic fourth quarter.
 
Overall MSUB shot 38.2 percent from the field (21-for-55), and made 9 of 17 treys (52.9 percent). After going 15-for-15 from the foul line in Saturday's semifinal win over No. 23 UC San Diego, the 'Jackets took care of business again going 12-for-14 from the line on Monday. The Seawolves meanwhile shot 41.9 percent (26-for-62), and made 7 of 19 threes.
 
THE ELITE EIGHT: MSUB will be up against some of the top competition in the nation next week, and will find out in the coming days its seeding among the field of eight remaining teams in the NCAA. Seeding and first-round matchups will be established on Tuesday.
 
2018 NCAA D2 Women's Basketball Elite Eight (with regional tournament seed listed)
1 Seed Stonehill University (defeated University of the Sciences 71-61 in regional title game).
1 Seed Carson Newman University (defeated North Georgia 75-71).
3 Seed Indiana University of Pennsylvania (defeated Bowie State 75-60).
1 Seed Union University (defeated Valdosta State 74-73).
2 Seed Central Missouri University (defeated Augustana 81-42).
1 Seed Ashland University (defeated Drury University 79-73).
1 Seed Lubbock Christian University (defeated West Texas A&M 56-53).
7 Seed Montana State Billings (defeated Alaska Anchorage 71-70).
 
THE BUZZ: Stavish was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…Breen broke the GNAC career record for minutes played, as she has 4,135 in her four seasons…Breen's GNAC record streak of 12 consecutive games with 20 or more points came to a close…Breen has been a part of 85 wins during her four seasons at MSUB, the most ever by a Yellowjacket…MSUB defeated UAA for the first time since March 1, 2014, snapping a nine-game losing streak in the series.
 
MSUB is now three wins away from a national championship.