BOZEMAN, Mont. – Taking its NCAA DI opponent down to the wire on Thursday night at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team lost 82-81 in double-overtime in an exhibition matchup against Montana State University.
 
Cariann Kunkel's layup at the last second was just off the mark, and the host Bobcats held on for the one-point victory after 50 minutes of thrilling play. "I was really proud of our team tonight, and I thought we came to play," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "We worked extremely hard against a really good team, and I thought we were more consistent tonight."
 
Katelynn Limardo made a layup at the 5:48 mark in the third quarter to give the Bobcats a 42-34 advantage, but it was the largest lead of the night for either team in the tightly contested affair. Neither team led by more than three points in the fourth quarter, and a layup by Kunkel with 34 seconds left in regulation proved to be the basket that forced overtime.
 
After a quiet 6-6 first overtime period, the 'Cats withstood the Yellowjackets in the second. Shayla Montague made her fourth 3-pointer of the night with 41 seconds to go to give MSUB an 81-80 lead, but Darian White capped off the game with a second-chance jumper with 15 seconds on the clock which proved to be the final bucket of the night. "It was a great game and was a tough one to lose, but we just fell one play short," Woodin said. "We executed well despite our foul trouble, and a lot of players had to come in and step up. We played to win tonight, to the final shot, and our players were locked in. We had a tough week of practice and I feel that we are getting better."
 
Kunkel, who reached 1,000-career points in Saturday's loss to Central Washington, led all players with 24 points on 8-for-14 accuracy including 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Kunkel also had seven rebounds and four assists, while making 5 of 6 free throws. Montague completed a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Kortney Nelson chipped in 12 points and Addison Gardner added 10. "Shayla is a good shooter," Woodin said. "The 3-point line is her bread and butter, but I was proud of her hitting a couple of big shots at big times and for getting 11 boards tonight. She was active on the glass and played some good defense for us. It was a good all-around game for her."
 
White led the Bobcats with 22 points including 10-for-12 from the free-throw line, and completed a double-double with a dozen rebounds. Kola Bad Bear added a 21-point, 17-rebound double-double, and Limardo also reached double figures with 12 points and eight boards. The Bobcats out-rebounded the 'Jackets 60-49, and limited their turnovers to 12 while the 'Jackets had 16 giveaways.
 
The Yellowjackets stunned the Bobcats with a 20-16 opening quarter, and after the hosts responded in the second the score line sat at just 36-34 in favor of MSU at the halftime break.
 
In addition to her 12 points, Nelson had five rebounds and three assists before fouling out. Aspen Giese added four boards and two assists in 22 hard-fought minutes off the bench. "They competed very hard, and this is just going to continue to make them better," Woodin commented on the contributions from Giese and Nelson. "It was difficult having Kortney foul out because she is our top perimeter defender, but other people stepped up and picked up the slack."
 
Dyauni Boyce chipped in seven points off the bench, while Taryn Shelley had four points and seven rebounds in her 24 minutes. The Yellowjackets shot 35.6 percent overall (26-for-73), while making 12 of 32 threes (37.5 percent) and 17 of 22 foul shots (77.3 percent).
 
Montana State won despite shooting just 29.4 percent (25-for-85), including a dismal mark of 4-for-30 from 3-point range (13.3 percent). The 'Cats made up for it from the foul line, making 28 of 32 free throws (87.5 percent).
 
The Yellowjackets remained at 6-5 on the season and MSUB stayed at 5-5 after Thursday's exhibition affair. "I was proud of how hard they worked today and all week," Woodin said. "We had a tough week of practice and just had a very physical game, and now we have 48 hours to get ready for a very good Rocky team that is playing at a high level. It will take a lot of mental and physical determination to be ready for Saturday, but I am confident we will be."
 
THE BUZZ: Kunkel was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game.
 
NEXT UP: The Yellowjackets are back in action at home on Saturday, hosting Rocky Mountain College in Game 2 of a doubleheader with the MSUB men. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m., with the game being televised live regionally on SWX Sports and live coverage available online here.