BILLINGS, Mont. – Squaring off against a Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent for the first time this season, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team will host a pair of games against Northwest Nazarene University this weekend.
 
The Yellowjackets (3-1) and Nighthawks (5-5) will tip off at 7 p.m. on Friday evening at Alterowitz Gym, before reconvening on Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m. start time. Live video for the games will be available online here and live statistics will be available online here. Per GNAC mandate, no fans are allowed at MSUB home basketball games this season.
 
"It will be great to play a GNAC team and see where we are at," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "They have been a great program over the last couple of years, and it should be a great test for us."
 
The teams will play another set of games next weekend at NNU, scheduled for March 5 at 7 p.m. and March 6 at 2 p.m. at Johnson Sports Center in Nampa, Idaho. "I think we are all really excited to be able to play a GNAC game this year," said sophomore Shayla Montague. "They're a very intense, high-pressure team, and they'll just make us better. When we play them we just need to stick to playing our game and doing what we do best."
 
MSUB last played on Feb. 17, emerging with a convincing 69-57 win over Rocky Mountain College to complete a season sweep against the crosstown rival. The victory gave MSUB four wins in its last five games overall, as the team enters this weekend's contests with momentum. "We had a really strong third quarter and put ourselves in position to win by double figures," Woodin said. "Hopefully we can keep some momentum there. NNU really extends the floor, presses you, and makes you play fast. We are going to really have to share the ball and find open people to be successful against them."
 
KUNKEL WITH HER BEST GAME YET: Junior newcomer Cariann Kunkel continues to impress in her debut season with the 'Jackets, and is coming off her best performance of the year last week. Kunkel made 6 of 11 shots – including 3 of 4 threes – and 8 of 10 free throws en route to a game-high 23 points to lead MSUB's offense in the win. Kunkel also had eight rebounds, four assists, and a steal in the well-balanced performance. She enters Friday's game ranked second on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game and second on the team in rebounding at 7.3 boards per game.
 
SHANNON SHOWS UP BIG: Junior Shannon Reny had her best statistical game as a Yellowjacket last week as well, making 4 of 7 shots for 10 points and approaching double-double territory with eight rebounds. Both figures were career single-game bests for Reny, who added two assists and two steals which played a key role in the team's victory.
 
'JACKETS BIG ON BOARDS: Junior forward Taryn Shelley had another big performance on the glass against Rocky, hauling in 11 rebounds to lead all players in the game. Her effort helped MSUB dominate the glass 51-28, as the season-long theme of winning the rebound battle continued. Overall on the year MSUB is out-rebounding its opposition 41.8-31.3. Freshman Dyauni Boyce and sophomore Kali Gulick did their part on the glass last Wednesday as well, with eight and five rebounds, respectively.
 
FIVE'S FIRST BUCKET: True freshman Marie Five checked off a milestone last week, scoring her first collegiate bucket on her only shot attempt against the Bears. Earning 10 minutes off the bench, Five also chipped in a rebound and an assist as she continues to build towards increased playing time.
 
GARDNER JUST MISSES DOUBLE-DOUBLE: A week after hitting the biggest shot of her life and leading MSUB in scoring in the team's 82-81 road win at Lewis-Clark State, junior Addison Gardner contributed a career-high nine rebounds while scoring 10 points in the win over Rocky.
 
MONTAGUE MAKES RETURN: Having missed each game this season with an injury, sophomore Shayla Montague is poised to make her season debut in this week's games against NNU. Her presence on the arc will be a welcome addition to the Yellowjacket lineup, as she ranks second on the team among returners with last season's marks of 6.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. "I definitely got to see a lot of things that I don't notice while I'm on the court," Montague commented on being sidelined with injury this season. "I think it will help me going into a game just in seeing how open the court is and things like that."
 
Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks
Friday, February 26 – 7 PM
Saturday, February 27 – 2 PM
 
The Nighthawks enter this week's games coming off back-to-back wins. The team split a pair of games at Seattle Pacific University last weekend, winning the latter 61-47 before knocking off Eastern Oregon University 75-64 on Tuesday at home. All four of NNU's remaining games on the schedule are against the Yellowjackets.