NAMPA, Idaho – The most important six points of Taryn Shelley's game-high 24 came in the final three minutes of action on Friday night at Johnson Sports Center, as the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team held on to defeat host Northwest Nazarene University 80-79.
 
With the score tied at 72-72 and 3:32 left on the clock, Shelley knocked down her second trey of the night to put the 'Jackets ahead for what proved to be the final time. The junior drained another shot from the arc with 2:01 to go, which was enough to help MSUB close out the narrow victory.
 
"Taryn was open, and she was just very determined tonight," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "Give her a lot of credit for stepping up and taking those shots. It gave us the separation in the final minute and we finished the game the way we wanted to."
 
Although the game was decided by a single point, the victory was slightly more comfortable than the final score line would suggest. The Yellowjackets held an 80-76 lead with just 1.8 seconds left on the clock, and played loose defense on the final possession when NNU's Nyalam Thabach hit a last-second 3-pointer that brought the final margin to one.
 
"We just couldn't give up 4-point play, and we talked about not getting caught into a pump fake and foul," Woodin said on the final play of the game. "We worked on that this week, and I thought we executed very well in last few minutes. To do that on road was very gratifying. I am proud of our team and coaches, and this was a complete and excellent win for our program."
 
Shelley made 9 of 15 shots in the game – including 3 of 4 threes – while adding six rebounds, three assists, and a blocked shot to lead the Yellowjackets. Cariann Kunkel added 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Shayla Montague also reached double digits with 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting. MSUB improved to 5-2 overall on the season with the victory.
 
Thabach matched Shelley with 24 points for the hosts, as she made 10 of 17 shots and grabbed seven rebounds while also notching four blocks in the game. Erin Jenkins was the other Nighthawk to reach double figures, as she made 9 of 14 shots and just missed a double-double with 22 points and nine boards on the evening. NNU slipped to 6-7 on the season with the loss.
 
A jumper by Thabach with 1:33 to go before halftime gave the Nighthawks a 46-33 lead, which proved to be the largest advantage of the game for either team. Montague hit a three and Shannon Reny closed the half by making a free throw, as the Yellowjackets settled for a 46-37 deficit at the break.
 
"Foul trouble hurt our rotations in the second quarter, and NNU took it to us," Woodin said on a period in which his team was out-scored 28-15. "We were struggling on both ends, and having a hard time guarding them. Our offense got stagnant, and we didn't play a good quarter, but we did rally towards the end and we finally settled down."
 
NNU's advantage stayed as high as 12 points midway through the third quarter, before the Yellowjackets made their move and cut it to a one-possession game. Back-to-back layups by Shelley capped off a 9-0 MSUB run, which put the Yellowjackets down just 59-56 with 3:14 to go in the third. "We talked at halftime about the importance of coming out in the third and getting back into the game," Woodin said. "We did that very well right away, and it was close throughout the second half."
 
Kunkel hit a jumper to end the third quarter and make it a 66-62 game, and the score remained within two possessions for the rest of the night. "I was really pleased with our effort tonight, and we were ready to go in the first quarter," Woodin said. "It was a fun game to be a part of, and it was back-and-forth in the fourth quarter. We just overcame a lot tonight, and we kept fighting. We found a way to win that game."
 
MSUB shot 47.6 percent overall (30-for-63), while making 8 of 21 threes (38.1 percent) and 12 of 15 foul shots (80.0 percent). NNU meanwhile made 31 of 68 shots (45.6 percent), while connecting on 5 of 26 threes (19.2 percent) and 12 of 16 free throws (75.0 percent). The Yellowjackets also held a 38-35 advantage in the rebounding department.
 
THE BUZZ: Shelley was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…it was Shelley's third 20-point game of the season and her second-highest scoring total…it was the third time in Shelley's career she has made three 3-pointers in a single game…MSUB is now 20-18 all-time against NNU and is 7-11 in road games.
 
NEXT UP: The teams close the 2020-21 season on Saturday with a 2 p.m. tipoff at Johnson Sports Center. Live video will be available online here and live stats will be available online here.