BILLINGS, Mont. – Coming off a challenging road trip, the women's basketball team at Montana State  University Billings is in need of a couple quality wins to jump start their final push for the post-season. The Yellowjackets are home this week to host Western Oregon University Thursday, January 6 at 7 p.m., followed by Concordia University Saturday, February 8 at 7 p.m. Fans planning to attend can pick up tickets at Alterowitz Gymnasium on game day or call the athletics office at 406-657-2369. Both games will be streamed with live statistics through MSUB's stretch internet portal.
 
Nine games remain in the regular season and the 'Jackets open a four-game homestand beginning Thursday night. MSUB is currently clinging to the sixth and final playoff position in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, tied with Seattle Pacific University at 5-7. Meanwhile, Western Oregon and Concordia are tied for last place in the table and are looking to play spoiler against a Yellowjacket team, which has gone 7-2 at Alterowitz Gymnasium this winter.
 
Taryn Shelley continues to lead the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game. Shelley has started 20 of 21 games so far and averages 7.9 rebounds. She also holds the top spot on the team with a 44.8-percent overall shooting percentage and ranks fourth in the conference with 24 blocked shots.
 
Hannah Collins returned to the starting lineup last week and averages double figures at 11.6 points per game. She is making baskets at a rate of 39.5 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks first on the squad. Collins also is second on the team with 42 assists.
 
Little over a week since senior guard Jeanann Lemelin earned GNAC player of the week for her 30-point performance, Lemelin continues to play well for MSUB and averages 10.5 points per game, and has a team-best 56 assists. She is the only player to start all 21 contests this season.
 
MSUB averages 62.2 points per game along with 36.3 rebounds. MSUB also shoots 38.1-percent from the field and 70.3-percent from the free throw line. The 'Jackets fell 71-62 to Central Washington University in Ellensburg last Saturday and 72-64 to Saint Martin's last Thursday. Thursday will be a chance to surpass last year's home win mark of seven wins.
 
Scouting Western Oregon University
Thursday, February 6 – 7 p.m. – Billings, Montana – Alterowitz Gymnasium
2019-20 Record: 5-14, 2-10 GNAC, 4-6 home, 1-7 away, 0-1 neutral
2018-19 Record: 8-18, 5-15 GNAC, 4-8 home, 3-9 away, 1-1 neutral
Head Coach: Holli Howard-Carpenter (6^th season)
 
Following a two-game road swing, the Western Oregon University women's basketball team will return home for a game against Concordia this Tuesday at 7 p.m. before finishing the week in Montana on Thursday against MSU Billings starting at 6 p.m. (Pacific).
 
The Wolves are coming off of a near big win on the road last week in Bellingham as Western Oregon nearly erased a 17-point deficit, falling by four to the Vikings. WOU got as close as a point with three minutes to play before Western Washington was able to hang on. Keyonna Jones led the way with 13 points, while Tresai McCarver added 10 points. WOU came close in the first game of the week against Simon Fraser as the Clan had to make a late push in the fourth quarter to hold off the Wolves and win by nine. Meadow Aragon led the way with 12 points and six rebounds, while fellow freshman Cali McClave added 11 points.
 
In the win over MSU Billings in Monmouth back on Jan. 11, Shariah Green led the way with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Jones added 15 points in the 64-56 victory.
 
WOU, currently tied with Alaska and Concordia in the conference standings, sit just three games back of a possible GNAC Tournament spot currently occupied by MSU Billings and Seattle Pacific at 5-7. Saint Martin's is a game back at 4-8.
 
MSU Billings holds a 25-7 record against WOU in the series since 2001 with the teams splitting the previous four meetings. WOU has split their past two visits to Billings falling in 2019 (53-65), after picking up a 77-65 win in 2018.
 
Scouting Concordia University
Saturday, February 8 – 7 p.m. – Billings, Montana – Alterowitz Gymnasium
2019-20 Record: 3-17, 2-10 GNAC, 1-7 home, 1-6 away, 1-4 neutral
2018-19 Record: 16-13, 11-9 GNAC, 7-4 home, 7-6 away, 2-3 neutral
Head Coach: Sean Kelly (6^th season)
 
Currently on a seven game losing streak, the Cavaliers dropped a pair of conference games on the road last week, falling 77-53 at the hands of Western Washington University last Thursday before a 69-58 loss against Simon Fraser University last Saturday. CU also played Western Oregon on Tuesday evening. This week marks the end of a four-game road stretch, after which the Cavs will have just two more away contests over the final three weeks of the regular season. CU is at home next weekend against Saint Martin's University (Feb. 13) and Seattle Pacific University (Feb. 15).
 
Concordia averages 56.1 points per game and 68.5 points per game to its opponents. The Cavs shoot 35.9-percent from the field and 28.7-percent from long range. Olivia Vezaldenos leads the team with 10.8 points per game. She also has 17 steals, 41 rebounds, and shoots 74.2-percent from the foul line. Riley Friauf ranks second with 9.6 points per game and a team-high 6.0 rebounds per contest.
 
MSU Billings defeated Concordia 66-58 in Portland on January 9. Shelley scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for a double-double. Friauf led CU with 17 points, nine rebounds in the loss.

FEATURED GUESTS: Thursday night's game features honorary guest coach Lorie Haacke. Saturday night's honorary guest coach is Lynne Fitzgerald.