BILLINGS, Mont. – After last week's return to the court was postponed, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team is set to jump back into its Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule at Alterowitz Gym this weekend.
 
The Yellowjackets (7-7, 1-1 GNAC) host No. 7 Western Washington University on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m., before welcoming Simon Fraser University on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be on the back end of doubleheaders with the Yellowjacket men's basketball team, which plays at 5:15 p.m. each night. Live coverage for this weekend's games will be available online here.
 
"We are excited to get back into action after the long layoff," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "It was a bummer not being able to play last week in Alaska. I am concerned with how we respond after not playing in 19 days but then again, it is just awesome to be playing and especially at home. Our challenge is to become more consistent both within a single game and over an entire week.  Our team has been very good at times but unfortunately our inconsistency has been a thorn in our side as well."
 
ALASKA GAMES RESCHEDULED: Inclement weather as well as COVID-19 protocol prevented the Yellowjackets from making last week's scheduled trip to Alaska, but the GNAC office announced the rescheduling of both of the postponed games. MSUB will play at No. 11 University of Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 17 at 5:15 p.m. (AKST), which will connect a string of three road games in five days after MSUB plays at Western Oregon on Jan. 13 and at Saint Martin's on Jan. 15. After the 'Jackets host University of Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 29, the teams will play again at 1 p.m. on Jan. 30 at Alterowitz Gym. Amid a flurry of GNAC basketball postponements on both the women's and men's sides, the rescheduled games will ensure MSUB completes its 18-game conference schedule.
 
The 'Jackets were last in action on Dec. 18, picking up a 72-58 win over University of Wisconsin Parkside. Prior to the win over UW Parkside, MSUB fell 59-46 to West Texas A&M University in its other game at the Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas on Dec. 17. The split contests were the Yellowjackets' final two non-conference matchups of the year.
 
WOODIN BECOMES WINNINGEST COACH: With MSUB's victory over UW Parkside, Woodin became the winningest head coach in the 95-year history of Yellowjacket Athletics. It was the 18th-year head coach's 281st career victory, as he passed Hall of Famer Mike Harkins who won 280 games as the Yellowjacket men's basketball head coach from 1960-76.
 
SHELLEY REACHES 1K, NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT: Senior Taryn Shelley earned all-tournament recognition at the Holiday Hoops Classic, after leading the 'Jackets to the win with a 17-point performance against UW Parkside. That came after a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double against West Texas A&M, and she also became the 25th player in school history to reach the 1,000-career points plateau. The double-double was the third of the season and the 21st of Shelley's career, and she enters the week leading the team in both scoring (13.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg).
 
MONTAGUE UNLOADS FROM RANGE: Sophomore Shayla Montague was the driving force in MSUB's victory last time out, as she knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers en route to 18 points against the Rangers. The Billings native also hauled in six rebounds, as she missed her career high in scoring by just two points. The big burst of scoring lifted her to third on the team with 7.0 points per game.
 
KUNKEL POSTS FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Cariann Kunkel led MSUB with 11 rebounds, while adding 15 points in the win to complete her first double-double of the year. It was her second double-double in an MSUB uniform and the 15th overall in her collegiate career. Kunkel ranks second on the team with 11.7 points per game, and leads the squad with a field-goal percentage of 53.8.
 
NELSON NOTCHES FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Second-year freshman Kortney Nelson completed the first double-double of her collegiate career last week, scoring 10 points and adding 10 rebounds in the victory over the Rangers. Nelson also had a career-high seven assists in the victory, and her assist-turnover ratio of 2.5 ranks her fourth in the conference this season.
 

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No. 7 Western Washington University Vikings
Thursday, January 6, 2022 – 7:30 PM – Alterowitz Gym – Billings, Montana
2021-22 Record: 10-0, 2-0 GNAC
Head Coach: Carmen Dolfo, 31st season
2020-21 Record: 6-0, 0-0 GNAC
 
The Vikings have ascended into the top-10 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll, after starting the season with a perfect 10-0 record. The Vikings last played on Dec. 30, with a 70-52 victory over Western Oregon to extend the winning streak to double digits. After Thursday's game in Billings, WWU plays at Seattle Pacific on Saturday afternoon.
 
Emma Duff is WWU's leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 14.0 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game. Also scoring in double figures is Mollie Olson at 11.2 points per game, and veteran point guard Dani Iwami is close behind at 9.0 points while leading the team with 2.8 assists per game. Avery Dykstra is the other Viking to have started all 10 games this season, and she is averaging 7.4 points per game.
 
WWU has out-scored its opponents 71.8-49.7, with its points allowed per game ranking No. 3 in all of Division II basketball. WWU has also commanded the glass, out-rebounding the opposition 41.0-29.5 which leads the GNAC at plus-11.5. WWU shoots 47.5 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from 3-point range, and 68.8 percent from the free-throw line.
 
"Western Washington is an impressive and complete team," said Woodin. "They lead our conference in every defensive statistical category so it will be very important for us to execute and generate good shots and offensive balance. Their plus-22 point scoring differential is ridiculously good and it is easy to see why they are undefeated and considered the top team in our league and region at this point of the season. The Vikings are deep and talented and return a wealth of experience. We must be fundamentally sound defensively as you can't key in on one or two players. Seven of their players score at least six points per game and a lot of their players have had double-digit scoring games."
 
The Series: MSUB is 16-27 all-time against WWU and is 9-10 in games played at Alterowitz Gym. The Vikings have won five in-a-row and seven of the last 10 meetings dating back to the 2015-16 season.
 
Last Time Out: WWU swept the series during the 2019-20 season, which featured a 69-54 triumph at the GNAC Championships on March 5, 2020.
 

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Simon Fraser University
Saturday, January 8, 2022 – 7:30 PM – Alterowitz Gym – Billings, Montana
2021-22 Record: 5-6, 1-1 GNAC
Head Coach: Bruce Langford, 22nd season
2020-21 Record: 0-0, 0-0 GNAC
 
Saturday will mark Simon Fraser's second trip to the Magic City this season, after the team opened its campaign going 1-2 at the D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead at the outset of November. After falling to Western Washington 82-60 on Dec. 4, SFU enters the week with the momentum of two straight wins including an 84-71 GNAC triumph over Western Oregon on New Year's Day. SFU will play at Seattle Pacific on Thursday before heading east to Montana on Saturday.
 
GNAC Preseason Player of the Year Jessica Jones played her first game of the season in the team's last appearance, scoring 212 points while adding five assists and four rebounds in the win over the Wolves. Jessica Wisotzki is the team's leading scorer at 17.5 points per game, and her mark of 40.7 percent from 3-point range ranks her fourth in the conference. Claudia Hart is another weapon from long range at 40.0 percent from the arc, and she averages 9.8 points per game.
 
SFU has out-scored its opposition 73.3-69.0 this season, and has maintained a positive rebounding margin at 36.6-35.2. SFU shoots 41.5 percent overall, 32.4 percent from 3-point range, and 68.3 percent from the free-throw line.
 
"Simon Fraser has great depth and team speed," said Woodin. "Jessica Jones is now back in their lineup and consequently, their team is playing much better. They like to play up-tempo and statistically they shoot a lot of threes. We need to have excellent transition defense and we need to get out to their shooters."
 
The Series: MSUB is 11-12 all-time against SFU and holds a 7-4 record in games played in Billings. The teams have split the last six meetings 3-3 dating back to the 2017-18 season.
 
Last Time Out: MSUB beat SFU 73-70 in Burnaby, B.C., before SFU returned the favor with a 72-66 triumph in Billings as the teams split the 2019-20 season series.