BILLINGS, Mont. – Making a return to the NCAA Division II West Region Women's Basketball Championships for the third time in the last five seasons, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team enters familiar territory this week in the latest playoff push of the program's rich history.
 
This marks the 14th time a Yellowjacket women's basketball team has made a regional championship appearance since the university moved to the NCAA Division II in 1980. The team's recent trips to the national tournament in 2015-16 and 2013-14 both extend directly to this year's run, as six of the 12 active players on MSUB's roster enter the tournament with prior playoff experience.
 
Just as the NCAA atmosphere will feel familiar, so will the competition as MSUB has played four of the other seven teams in the regional at least once already this season. The Yellowjackets' first-round matchup is Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. Pacific time, against No. 2 seed and No. 19 nationally-ranked Hawaii Pacific University, whom the 'Jackets lost to 79-52 on Dec. 19 in Honolulu.
 
Also among the regional playoff field are three Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents in No. 4 seed Northwest Nazarene University, No. 5 seed University of Alaska Anchorage, and No. 6 seed Seattle Pacific University. Though the 'Jackets went a combined 0-6 against those three opponents during the regular season, MSUB defeated both NNU and SPU last week in Anchorage, Alaska to claim the 2018 GNAC Women's Basketball Championships title.
 
2018 NCAA D2 West Region Championships Schedule
Felix Events Center | Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, California | All Times Listed as Pacific Standard Time
Friday, March 9 – Quarterfinals
Game 1 – 12 PM – #6 Seattle Pacific vs. #3 UC San Diego
Game 2 – 2:30 PM – #7 MSU Billings vs. #2 Hawaii Pacific
Game 3 – 5 PM – #5 Alaska Anchorage vs. #4 Northwest Nazarene
Game 4 – 7:30 PM – #8 Humboldt State vs. #1 Azusa Pacific
 
Saturday, March 10 – Semifinals
Game 5 – 5 PM – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
Game 6 – 7:30 PM – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner
 
Monday, March 12 – Championship
Game 7 – 7 PM – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner
 
HOW TO FOLLOW: All seven games of the championship tournament will be streamed live and will feature live statistics, available for free online through the Azusa Pacific Stretch Internet portal here. Tournament progress and information can also be found on the Tournament Central page online here.
 
HOW TO ATTEND: All seven games will be played at the Felix Events Center on the campus of Azusa Pacific University. Tickets may be purchased in advance online here, or at the gate on the day of the game.
 
THE COMPETITION
No. 1 Seed #18 Azusa Pacific University
Conference: PacWest Conference
2017-18 Record: 27-4, 18-2 PacWest
Path to the Regional: PacWest Regular-Season Co-Champion, At-Large Berth
All-Time Against MSUB: 1-0
Last Meeting: APU 83, MSUB 75, March 11, 2016 (at Azusa, CA, NCAA West Region Championships)

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No. 2 Seed #19 Hawaii Pacific University
Conference: PacWest Conference
2017-18 Record: 26-3, 18-2 PacWest
Path to the Regional: PacWest Regular-Season Co-Champion, PacWest Tournament Champion, Automatic Berth
All-Time Against MSUB: 2-2
Last Meeting: HPU 79, MSUB 52, December 19, 2017 (at Honolulu, HI)

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No. 3 Seed #23 UC San Diego
Conference: California Collegiate Athletic Association
2017-18 Record: 27-4, 21-1 CCAA
Path to the Regional: CCAA Regular-Season Champion, CCAA Tournament Runner-Up, At-Large Berth
All-Time Against MSUB: 1-3
Last Meeting: UCSD 88, MSUB 60, November 11, 2016 (at San Diego, CA, UCSD #17 nationally)
 

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No. 4 Seed Northwest Nazarene University
Conference: Great Northwest Athletic Conference
2017-18 Record: 22-4, 18-2 GNAC
Path to the Regional: GNAC Regular-Season Co-Champion, At-Large Berth
All-Time Against MSUB: 13-18
Last Meeting: MSUB 76, NNU 69, March 2, 2018 (at Anchorage, AK, GNAC Championships)

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No. 5 Seed #13 University of Alaska Anchorage
Conference: Great Northwest Athletic Conference
2017-18 Record: 25-4, 18-2 GNAC
Path to the Regional: GNAC Regular-Season Co-Champion
All-Time Against MSUB: 35-26
Last Meeting: UAA 73, MSUB 63, Feb. 1, 2018 (at Anchorage, AK, UAA #8 nationally)

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No. 6 Seed Seattle Pacific University
Conference: Great Northwest Athletic Conference
2017-18 Record: 24-6, 15-5 GNAC
Path to the Regional: GNAC Tournament Runner-Up, At-Large Berth
All-Time Against MSUB: 31-21
Last Meeting: MSUB 71, SPU 61, March 3, 2018 (at Anchorage, AK, GNAC Championships title game)

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No. 8 Seed Humboldt State University
Conference: California Collegiate Athletic Association
2017-18 Record: 18-12, 14-8 GNAC
Path to the Regional: CCAA Tournament Champion, Automatic Berth
All-Time Against MSUB: 0-11
Last Meeting: MSUB 77, HSU 45, December 18, 2004 (at Billings, MT)
 

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CONFERENCE STANDINGS
2017-18 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Standings
2017-18 PacWest Conference Women's Basketball Standings
2017-18 California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Basketball Standings
 
BREEN AT HER BEST IN POSTSEASON: The Yellowjackets will continue to rely on GNAC Player of the Year Alisha Breen in the regional playoffs, after she claimed GNAC Championships MVP honors with 77 points in the three tournament games. The senior is on an unprecedented streak of 10 straight games with 20 or more points, a feat that has never before been achieved in GNAC history. She also became the second player in GNAC history to reach 700 points in a single season, while breaking the MSUB school record in that category when she scored 24 in the GNAC title game.
 
GNAC Women's Basketball Consecutive 20-Point Game Streaks (as of March 5, 2018)

Rank	Player	School	20-Pt Games	Start	End	Total	Average	High
1	Alisha Breen	MSUB	10	2/3/2018	Current	249	24.90	32
2	Erin Chambers	SFU	8	3/7/2014	11/24/2014	232	29.00	34
3	Erin Chambers	SFU	7	1/23/2014	2/13/2014	178	25.43	34
4	Adrienne Taalak	UAF	6	2/12/2004	3/4/2004	166	27.67	37
	Alira Carpenter	MSUB	6	11/28/2008	12/18/2008	165	27.50	31
	Taylor Pecocke	WWU	6	11/11/2016	11/26/2016	145	24.17	30
	Jordan Wilson	UAF	6	12/3/2016	1/12/2017	144	24.00	30
	Erin Chambers	SFU	6	12/6/2014	1/8/2015	139	23.17	28
	Autummn Williams	UAA	6	1/24/2017	2/11/2017	134	22.33	34

 
Breen also became just the ninth player in GNAC history to reach 300 rebounds in a season, and her 16 double-doubles this year are tied for fifth-most in conference single-season history. Breen broke the GNAC single-season record for made free throws, and her 202 entering the tournament are the most in all of Division II. In her return to the court after missing the entirety of the 2016-17 season with an injury, Breen also set the GNAC record for minutes played in a season as she has 1,179.
 
GNAC Women's Basketball Single-Season Rebound Records (as of March 5, 2018)

Rank	Player	School	Rebounds	Games	Average	Year
1	Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe*	Simon Fraser	385	31	12.42	2012-13
2	Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe*	Simon Fraser	371	28	13.25	2011-12
3	Carli Grant*	Seattle Pacific	332	33	10.06	2004-05
4	Rebecca Kielpinski*	Alaska Anchorage	312	29	10.76	2006-07
	Rebecca Kielpinski*	Alaska Anchorage	312	35	8.91	2007-08
6	Alisha Breen#	MSU Billings	310	32	9.69	2017-18
7	Bailey Cartwright^	Concordia	302	28	10.79	2017-18
	Hanna Johansson	Alaska Anchorage	302	35	8.63	2011-12
9	Rebecca Kielpinski#	Alaska Anchorage	290	35	8.29	2008-09
10	Kamie Jo Massey*	Alaska Anchorage	286	26	11.00	2002-03
	Carli Grant#	Seattle Pacific	286	30	9.53	2005-06

 *-Led league in total rebounds & rebounds per game
 #-Led league in total rebounds only
 ^-Led league in rebounds per game only
 
Breen is one of just seven players in MSUB history to be involved with 80 or more wins as a 'Jacket (82), and has played the most games of anyone in school history with 126 entering the week. She is the only Yellowjacket in the top-10 in school history in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, and MSUB has a cumulative four-year record of 82-44 (.651) when she is on the court. Two of those wins came at the 2014 NCAA D2 West Region Championships, when Breen helped the Yellowjackets reach the regional title game as a true freshman. Breen also competed in the regional tournament two years ago in California, and had one of her best career games with 31 points in the loss to top-seed Azusa Pacific.
 
KANE RISES TO THE OCCASION: Playing the best basketball of her career down the stretch this season, senior point guard Rylee Kane piloted the 'Jackets to last week's tournament title. The senior leads the GNAC and ranks 11th in the nation with 161 assists this year, the highest assist total of her career. Kane has started all 121 of MSUB's games during her remarkable career, one of just two players in GNAC history to start 100 percent of her team's games in a four-year career. Kane's 545 career assists are fourth-most in GNAC history and are second-most in MSUB history.
 
GNAC Women's Basketball Career Assists (as of March 5, 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	568	2014-18
4	Rylee Kane	MSU Billings	545	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

 
Similar to Breen, Kane has been locked in offensively as she has scored in double figures in each of her last 12 games and is averaging 16.7 points since the end of January. Overall on the year Kane is averaging 13.4 points per game, while leading the team with 58 steals and ranking second with 20 blocked shots. Kane has been a work horse throughout her career, as her 3,823 total minutes played are fourth-most in GNAC history.

GNAC Women's Basketball Career Minutes Played Leaders (as of March 5, 2018)

Rank	Name	School	Minutes	Seasons
1	Jasmin Edwards	Central Washington	4134	2014-18
2	Alisha Breen	MSU Billings	4016	2013-15, 17-18
3	Bobbi Knudsen	MSU Billings	3838	2010-14
4	Rylee Kane	MSU Billings	3823	2014-18
5	Erin Chambers	Simon Fraser	3752	2011-15
6	Rebecca Kielpinski	Alaska Anchorage	3751	2005-09
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

 
COUNT ON COLLINS, KOEHLER: The pressure of an accelerated role on the court didn't bother freshman guard Hannah Collins one bit, as she set personal season highs on back-to-back nights with 34 minutes played in the semifinal game and 35 in the title game. Collins was instrumental in all three of the Yellowjackets' victories, protecting the ball well and helping her team break strong defensive presses throughout the weekend. Collins' 13 points in the title game were her second most this year, and she was a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line overall on the weekend.
 
Like Collins, senior Rachel Koehler had a profound impact on the title run for the 'Jackets, with her two longest stints of the year off the bench. Koehler had a season-high 11 points to go along with six rebounds in 21 minutes against NNU, and followed with an eight-rebound, four-assist performance in 25 minutes against the Falcons.
 
LEXI LINES UP CLUTCH THREES: One of the biggest shots of the weekend came with the 'Jackets trailing by five points late against the Falcons. Senior Lexi Prevost knocked down a huge triple from the corner, which commandeered momentum back to the Yellowjackets for the rest of the game. Prevost went 4-for-9 from the arc on the weekend, breaking loose from a 1-for-8 slump she had been in over the previous five games.
 
No. 19 Hawaii Pacific University Sharks
Friday, March 9 – 2 PM Pacific – Azusa, California
2017-18 Record: 26-3, 18-2 PacWest Conference (Regular-Season Co-Champion, Tournament Champion)
Head Coach: Reid Takatsuka, 7th season
Last Five: W-W-W-L-W
First Meeting: HPU 79, MSUB 52 (Dec. 19 at Honolulu, HI)
 
Fresh off a PacWest Conference tournament title, the Sharks enter the NCAA tournament on a roll. HPU has lost just once since Dec. 2, 2017 – to PWC co-champ Azusa Pacific – and enters Friday's regional tournament having won 22 of its last 23 games overall.
 
A big factor in Friday's game will be how well the 'Jackets contest the 3-point line, as Hawaii Pacific ranks No. 11 in the NCAA from range at 37.2 percent.
 
PacWest Coach of the Year Reid Takatsuka has a lineup with four players averaging in double figures, led by first-team all-conference selection Jessi Reeves. The senior forward is a force under the basket with a shooting percentage of 49.8, and is also the top rebounder on the squad with 7.3 boards per game.
 
Freshman Alysha Marcucci has had a stellar debut campaign, ranking second on the team with 12.2 points per game thanks to a mark of 60-for-163 from 3-point range (36.8 percent). Fellow sharp shooter Janessa Manzano is among the best in the NCAA, as she ranks No. 2 in the nation at 48.6 percent from the arc (69-for-142).
 
HPU's fourth-leading scorer is Samantha Lambrigtsen, who averages 11.4 points per game to go along with 4.8 rebounds. Spencer Gray has started the last seven games for the Sharks, and leads the team with 3.5 assists per game. She is an excellent ball protector, with an assist-turnover ratio of 2.09 which is 31st in the country.
 
Hawaii Pacific holds a commanding scoring margin of plus-14.84, out-scoring the opposition 76.4-61.7 to rank No. 20 in the NCAA. The Sharks also hold a strong rebounding margin of plus-5.8, with an advantage of 42.6-36.4. Overall HPU shoots 42.2 percent from the field, 37.2 percent from 3-point range, and 72.5 percent from the foul line.
 
The Series: The teams are an even 2-2 in the all-time series, with HPU winning the last two meetings. All four games have been played in Honolulu, as Friday will mark the first playoff contest between the west-region opponents.
 
Last Time Out: On the heels of a three-game trip to Hawaii, the Sharks got the best of the 'Jackets during an 8 a.m. contest on Dec. 19 earlier this season. MSUB shot just 29.8 percent (17-for-57), including a 5-for-25 mark from 3-point range in the loss, while HPU lit up the court at 46.9 percent (30-for-64) and a 12-for-25 mark (48.0 percent) from 3-point range. Breen had team-highs of 19 points and six rebounds, but no other Yellowjacket reached double figures in the loss. Marcucci led HPU with 20 points on 6-for-11 accuracy from the arc, and three other Sharks scored in double figures.