BILLINGS, Mont. – Facing a tough travel test with three Great Northwest Athletic Conference games over the course of four days this weekend, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team is back in action.
 
This Week's Schedule
Friday, Jan. 14 – at Western Oregon – 5:15 p.m. (PST)
Saturday, Jan. 15 – at Saint Martin's – 5:15 p.m. (PST)
Monday, Jan. 17 – at No. 9 Alaska Anchorage – 5:15 p.m. (AKST)
 
After playing its regularly-scheduled contests at Western Oregon on Friday and Saint Martin's on Saturday, the 'Jackets will continue to Anchorage, Alaska to face the No. 9 Seawolves in a makeup game for the originally scheduled Jan. 1 matchup between the teams. Live coverage for this weekend's games can be found online here. "This is a very important road trip," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "We have not had any GNAC games away from home yet so this week represents a tremendous challenge for us. Three games in four days will be difficult but we have decided anytime we get to play a game, it is worth celebrating."
 
After the Yellowjackets (8-7, 2-1 GNAC) endure the trying road stretch the team will be rewarded with four straight home games from Jan. 22-30 at Alterowitz Gym. The 'Jackets will have a brief reprieve after Monday's game in Anchorage, as their next contest won't be until the following Saturday, Jan. 22 against Seattle Pacific.
 
MSUB is coming off a 78-66 win over Simon Fraser last week, rallying at home to nudge its conference record north of .500. The Yellowjackets' other game last week, against No. 5 Western Washington, was postponed due to COVID-19 protocol and a makeup date has not yet been announced.
 
"It was sure nice to get a game in last week," said Woodin, whose team overcame an 11-point deficit in the victory. "I was pleased with how we improved throughout the game against Simon Fraser. They got us down big early but we continued to fight and eventually played a lot better. We were consistent for three quarters and now need to play consistently for four quarters. I thought we played good team basketball on the offensive end against SFU. Our 21 assists to 10 turnovers was a great ratio and we got balanced scoring from inside and out. I also felt our team depth played a key role in our win last week."
 
SHELLEY COMES UP BIG LATE: Senior forward Taryn Shelley led the way with 19 points, including a flurry of eight straight points to open the fourth quarter that was key in sealing the win over Simon Fraser. Shelley connected on nine field goals, equaling her second-highest total of the season. She is now averaging team highs of 13.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and is shooting 42.3 percent from 3-point range.
 
PATTON PLAYS TOP GAME OF SEASON: Junior point guard Skylar Patton had her biggest contribution of the season in last week's win, matching her season high with 11 points and turning in eight assists in the victory. Patton connected on 4 of 7 field goals while adding three rebounds and one steal in her 25 productive minutes off the bench.
 
KUNKEL UPS REBOUNDING AVERAGE: Cariann Kunkel grabbed seven rebounds in last week's win, and reached double figures in scoring for the third straight game with 11 points on 5-for-13 shooting. Kunkel is second on the team behind Shelley in both categories, averaging 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in her 26.8 minutes per game this season.
 
MONTAGUE CATCHING FIRE: Shayla Montague has made 10 of 18 3-pointers in her last two games, scoring 18 and 16 points, respectively. Not only has the weapon from the arc found her hot hand, but Montague has added 14 rebounds and five assists over that stretch, as she has contributed heavily on both ends of the floor. Montague ranks sixth in the conference this year with an average of 1.8 made 3-pointers per game.
 
NELSON SCORES A DOZEN: Second-year freshman Kortney Nelson had another good showing both offensively and defensively last Saturday, scoring 12 points while helping cool off SFU sharp shooter Jessica Jones over the final three quarters. Nelson has reached double figures in scoring in three of her last four games, a span during which she is shooting 50.0 percent (14-for-28).
 

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Western Oregon University Wolves
Friday, January 14 – 5:15 PM (PST) – New P.E. Building – Monmouth, Oregon
2021-22 Record: 6-5, 2-2 GNAC
Head Coach: Holli Howard-Carpenter, 9th season
2020-21 Record: 0-0, 0-0 GNAC
 
The Wolves enter Friday's game on the heels of two straight conference victories, knocking off Saint Martin's 68-64 on Jan. 8 and Alaska Fairbanks 80-68 on Tuesday evening. WOU's second game this week – against Seattle Pacific on Saturday – has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocol.
 
Meadow Aragon is Western Oregon's top scorer at 12.7 points per game, and leads the team with 7.7 rebounds. The dynamic post is shooting 59.7 percent from the floor this season, however she did not play in either of WOU's most recent two contests.
 
The team's other double-figure scorer is veteran Tresai McCarver, who averages 10.9 points per game to go along with 4.6 assists. McCarver is the lone Wolf to have started all 11 games this season, and 10 different players have been in the starting lineup.
 
WOU is out-scoring its opposition 67.7-64.9 and is out-rebounding its opponents 41.5-34.2. The Wolves are shooting 41.8 percent overall, 27.9 percent from 3-point range, and 68.3 percent from the free-throw line. "Western Oregon has a talented team and has been playing well as of late," said Woodin. "They played very solid against Fairbanks earlier this week and had a big fourth quarter to seal their win. They play a lot of people and are always tough in their gym."
 
The Series: MSUB is 28-8 overall and 14-5 in road games against WOU dating back to the inaugural meeting in 1999. MSUB has won eight of the last 10 encounters dating back to the 2015-16 season.
 
Last Time Out: MSUB won 87-75 at home on Feb. 6, 2020, after WOU claimed a 64-56 win in Monmouth on Nov. 11, 2019 as the teams split the 2019-20 season series.
 

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Saint Martin's University Saints
Saturday, January 15 – 5:15 PM (PST) – Marcus Pavilion – Lacey, Washington
2021-22 Record: 9-3, 1-2 GNAC
Head Coach: Christy Martin, 5th season
2020-21 Record: 7-6, 0-0 GNAC
 
The Saints had a four-game winning streak snapped with last Saturday's 68-64 loss to Western Oregon, and are off to a 1-2 start to league play. Thursday's tie with Seattle Pacific has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocol, so Saturday's matchup against the 'Jackets will be the only one of the week for SMU.
 
Reigning all-GNAC selection Claire Dingus leads SMU in scoring and rebounding, with her mark of 17.4 points per game ranking her fourth in the conference. Rian Clear is second on the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game, and is SMU's top threat from long range at 42.2 percent from the arc. Tierney DeDonatis is also in double figures at 10.3 points per game, and her 4.6 assists per game leads the squad.
 
SMU out-scores its opposition 65.8-59.1, and holds a 36.8-31.8 advantage in rebounding. SMU shoots 42.1 percent overall, 29.3 percent from 3-point range, and 69.0 percent from the free-throw line. "Saint Martin's is off to a great start this year," Woodin said. "Our games there always seem to be close and I expect another one this year. We need to limit their effectiveness on the glass while at the same time, we need to get the ball inside. Dingus is one of the premier players in our league and we have to limit her touches."
 
The Series: MSUB holds an all-time record of 30-12 against SMU, and the 'Jackets have managed a 13-10 record in road games against the Saints. MSUB has won 10 of the last 12 meetings dating back to the 2014-15 season.
 
Last Time Out: SMU snapped a six-game losing skid in the series with a 58-51 win in Lacey, Wash on Feb. 20, 2020. MSUB won 72-64 in Billings on Jan. 25, 2020, as the teams split the 2019-20 season series.
 

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No. 9 University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves
Monday, January 17 – 5:15 PM (AKST) – Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, Alaska
2021-22 Record: 9-1, 2-0
Head Coach: Ryan McCarthy, 11th season
2020-21: 3-0, 0-0 GNAC
 
The perennial powerhouse Seawolves have just one blemish on their record – a 76-73 defeat at Hawaii Hilo on Dec. 19. UAA ascended to No. 9 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association top-25, knocking off Northwest Nazarene 76-72 amid having 3 of 4 contests postponed since returning to play on Dec. 30. UAA will host Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday before the Monday night game against MSUB.
 
Nicole Pinckney leads the Seawolves with 10.7 points per game, and is shooting 48.8 percent from the field. The well-balanced Seawolves have eight different players who are averaging at least 5.0 points per game, with Jahnna Hajdukovich and Tennae Voliva joining Pinckney in starting all 10 games so far this year. The veteran Voliva leads the team with 5.6 rebounds per game, while Pinckney's 3.7 assists per game are most on the squad.
 
UAA's stingy defense – its 24.1 turnovers forced per game rank 15th in Division II basketball – has led to a healthy scoring margin of 73.1-55.8. The Seawolves out-rebound the opposition 36.4-34.4, while shooting 41.4 percent overall, 32.8 percent from 3-point range, and 66.3 percent from the free-throw line. "Anchorage is extremely good again," Woodin said. "They love to pressure the ball and they compete in their system so well. Rebounding will be key as well as limiting our turnovers so we can maximize our possessions. Offensively, they are very balanced so you can't key on one or two players – we must defend well as a team."
 
The Series: MSUB is 27-39 all-time against UAA and is 11-21 in games played in Anchorage. The Seawolves have won four in-a-row and 13 of the last 14 games dating back to the 2014-15 season. MSUB's last victory over UAA was a 71-70 triumph on March 12, 2018, in the NCAA D2 West Region Championship contest in Azusa, Calif.
 
Last Time Out: The teams last met during the 2019-20 campaign, when UAA won 80-33 in Anchorage on Jan. 18, 2020 before an 83-69 triumph in Billings on Feb. 13, 2020.