BILLINGS, Mont. – Heading into the second half of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this weekend, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team has a pair of road matchups as it continues to fight towards postseason play.
 
The Yellowjackets (8-8, 4-6 GNAC) play at Seattle Pacific University on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time/8:30 p.m. Mountain time, and then at Saint Martin's University on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. Pacific/6:15 p.m. Mountain. The Seattle Pacific game will feature live video online here and live statistics online here. For the Saint Martin's game, both live video and live statistics will be available online through the MSUB Stretch Internet portal here.
 
"These two games are very important ones," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "SPU is one win ahead of us and Saint Martin's is one win behind, so we need to be focused and ready to play our best basketball of the season. We came out on top with both of them in Billings earlier this month, but now have to face them on the road."
 
MSUB enters the week in a tie for seventh place in the GNAC standings, and with 10 regular-season games left is jockeying for position into a top-six spot to earn a berth into the conference tournament. The Falcons (6-12, 5-6) and Saints (5-14, 3-8) are on either side of the 'Jackets among a cluster of teams that are in the hunt for the playoffs.
 
Last week, MSUB split a pair of home games with a 65-59 loss to Concordia and a 65-53 win over Western Oregon at Alterowitz Gym. After this week's road trip, MSUB has six of its final eight games of the year on its home court
 
ROUND 2: The 'Jackets had success against this week's opponents in the first meeting of the year, topping Saint Martin's 75-67 on January 3 and Seattle Pacific 72-64 two nights later in the Magic City. Those two wins helped MSUB pull its early-season conference record even at 2-2, and continue to stand as crucial victories among their overall record.
 
"Both teams have impressive overall team speed," Woodin said on this week's opponents. "They like to play at an up-tempo pace, so our transition defense will be critical. I also think we need to execute well in the half court on offense, and find some points on the offensive boards and at the free-throw line."
 
SHELLEY ECLIPSES DOUBLE FIGURES: Freshman Taryn Shelley totaled 34 points in her two games last week, upping her season total to 10.1 points per game to become the fourth Yellowjacket averaging in double figures in scoring. Shelley narrowly missed a double-double in each game, as she had nine rebounds against both the Cavaliers and Wolves. She is up to 8.1 rebounds per game on the season, a figure that ranks third in the conference.
 
On the defensive end, Shelley has taken advantage of her size and has been one of the top shot blockers in the league. Totaling nine blocks in last week's games, she matched Samantha Beauchamp of Simon Fraser for the most blocks in a weekend by a GNAC player this season. Overall Shelley has 33 total blocks and 2.1 per game, both of which rank second in the conference to Beauchamp. She also joins Beauchamp as the only other player to reach double digits in multi-block games with 10 total on the season.
 
Shelley needs just four more blocks to break into the MSUB top-10 in single-season history in that category.
 
COLLINS REACHES 20 AGAIN: Sophomore point guard Hannah Collins recorded her fourth 20-point game of the season last week against Concordia, scoring 21 on 6 of 17 shooting. She also matched her season high with four rebounds in the game, and had a pair of steals in 34 minutes. She followed that with 15 points against the Wolves, pushing her back to the top spot in the GNAC at 15.4 points per game on the season.
 
CUNNINGHAM REMAINS IN ELITE COMPANY: Junior Taylor Cunningham influenced the Yellowjacket offense last week in multiple ways, perhaps most importantly with her two highest assist totals of her career. She set a personal best with seven helpers against Concordia last Thursday, and followed that with six more against the Wolves last Saturday.
 
Cunningham filled up the stat sheet once again, keeping her name among the four players in the GNAC to have at least one point, rebound, and assist in every game they have played this season. Joining Cunningham in that category are Alexis Pana and Sadie Mensing of Central Washington, and Sala Langi of Alaska Anchorage.
 
STAVISH LEADS STRONG REBOUNDING EFFORT: Senior Vanessa Stavish blew past her career high in rebounding, leading her team with 15 boards in the win over the Wolves. The personal best also tied Shelley for the most rebounds in a game by a Yellowjacket this season, and it boosted Stavish's average to 5.6 rebounds per game which is second best on the team. Stavish's rebounding mark this year is the highest of her career, and she is the lone Yellowjacket to have started all 16 games.
 
LEMELIN FILLING IMPORTANT ROLE: Junior Jeanann Lemelin has eaten up valuable minutes this season, and has become a key presence on the court since assuming her current role as a starter. Last week, she totaled 11 rebounds in the two games to go along with four assists and two steals. She also turned the ball over just once during her time on the court, and contributed to the Yellowjackets' sound defensive effort in the win over Western Oregon.
 
FIRST QUARTER KEY: The first quarter has been the strongest of the year for the Yellowjackets, with the team out-scoring the opposition by a margin of plus-1.06 in the opening 10 minutes of play. MSUB has also played strong defense in the opening quarter, with three of the five quarters in which they have allowed fewer than 10 points this season being the opening frame.
 
WHERE THERE'S A REBOUND, THERE'S A WAY: Though MSUB enters as the bottom team in the conference in rebounding, it has had success when it does win the battle of the boards. The Yellowjackets have out-rebounded their opposition by more than one in three games this season, claiming victories in all three affairs. By contrast, MSUB is 4-9 when it gets out-rebounded by more than one. That was the theme last week, as the 'Jackets were minus-five on the boards in the loss to Concordia and plus-five in the win against Western Oregon.
 
Seattle Pacific University Falcons
Thursday, January 31 – 7:30 PM – Brougham Pavilion – Seattle, WA
2018-19 Record: 6-12, 5-6 GNAC
Head Coach: Mike Simonson, 1st season
2017-18 Record: 23-8, 15-5 GNAC (3rd place)
First Meeting: MSUB 72, SPU 64 (1-5-2019 at Billings, MT)
 
Seattle Pacific enters Thursday's game having lost three of its last four and six of its last eight dating back to the first meeting against MSU Billings. The Falcons slipped up 91-70 on Tuesday evening at the hands of Saint Martin's University, and remain at home next week to host Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene after Thursday's game against the 'Jackets.
 
Riley Evans is the top scorer for Seattle Pacific, averaging 14.3 points per game to rank sixth in the conference. Evans is a threat from the arc at 42.6 percent from 3-point range, and is also shooting 90.6 percent from the free-throw line which is second in the conference.
 
Cici West and Jaylee Albert join Evans as the only other Falcons to have started all 18 games this season. West is second on the team with 9.7 points per game, and leads the squad and the conference with 8.8 rebounds. Though she is not a threat from the arc, West has had success under the basket with a field-goal percentage of 54.5 to rank fourth in the conference. Albert checks in with 8.3 points per game, and leads the team with 73 assists as the point guard.
 
Hailee Bennett is another top player for the Falcons, as she averages 9.5 points and is second on the team with 33 assists in 15 games played.
 
The Falcons are being out-scored 72.8-65.8 on the season, and out-rebounded 38.1-34.6. SPU shoots 41.0 percent overall, 35.3 percent from 3-point range, and 71.9 percent from the free-throw line.
 
"SPU is very deep on the perimeter and attacks the rim well," said Woodin. "We need to keep them in front of us, and their offensive scoring is very balanced."
 
The Series: MSUB is 22-31 all-time against SPU, and has a record of 5-21 in road games against the Falcons. MSUB has won the last two games in the series.
 
Last Time Out: Shelley had a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Cunningham added a dozen and Lemelin matched a career best with 10 points.
 
Saint Martin's University Saints
Saturday, February 2 – 5:15 PM – Marcus Pavilion – Lacey, WA
2018-19 Record: 5-14, 3-8 GNAC
Head Coach: Christy Martin, 2nd season
2017-18 Record: 8-20, 4-16 GNAC (9th place)
First Meeting: MSUB 75, SMU 67 (1-3-2019 at Billings, MT)
 
The Saints have broken free from an eight-game losing streak, with back-to-back GNAC wins for the first time this season. SMU topped the University of Alaska 83-74 last Saturday, before rolling past Seattle Pacific earlier this week. The Saints are at home next week as well, taking on Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington after Saturday's affair against the 'Jackets.
 
SMU's Saniah Simpson-Patu is one of the top players in the league, ranking ninth in scoring with 13.8 points per game and chipping in 4.9 rebounds per game as well. The reigning GNAC Freshman of the Year is shooting 40.5 percent overall from the field, while averaging 28.1 minutes per game and starting all 19 contests so far.
 
Also in the starting lineup every night has been freshman Claire Dingus, who is third on the team with 12.7 points per game to go along with a team-high 7.3 rebounds. Dingus paces her team with a field-goal percentage of 50.5, and is averaging 33.2 minutes per night in her debut collegiate season.
 
Makenna Schultz is another Saints player in double figures, as she has matched Simpson-Patu with 13.8 points per game. The 'Jackets will be aware of her ability from 3-point range, as she shoots 37.5 percent and has the third-most attempts in the league at 128.
 
The Saints have been out-scored 73.3-69.3, but hold an advantage in rebounding of 38.6-34.9. SMU is shooting 40.0 percent from the floor, 33.0 percent from long range, and 70.1 percent from the foul line.
 
"Saint Martin's is explosive and they played their best game of the year on Tuesday at SPU," said Woodin. "We must limit the 3-point looks for Schultz, and also try to keep Simpson-Patu from getting into the paint."
 
The Series: MSUB is 28-11 all-time against SMU and has a 12-9 record in games played at Marcus Pavilion. MSUB has won four in-a-row and seven of the last eight games in the series dating back to the 2014-15 season.
 
Last Time Out: Collins turned in 20 points while Shelley had an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Also in double figures for MSUB were Cunningham with 16 points and Stavish with a dozen.