BILLINGS, Mont. – Shaking off a slow first quarter on Saturday night at Alterowitz Gym, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team stormed to a 78-66 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory over visiting Simon Fraser University.
 
SFU (5-8, 1-3 GNAC) led 26-17 after the opening 10 minutes of play, with GNAC Preseason Player of the Year Jessica Jones scoring 20 points on 7-for-8 shooting in the period. The Yellowjackets adjusted defensively and limited the team's top scorer to just 1-for-12 accuracy the rest of the night however, and came alive offensively with their third-highest point total of the season. "Mostly it is our communication," junior guard Skylar Patton commented on the defensive adjustment the team made on Jones. "We have Kortney on defense and Chloe and Dani helped on her too, and they just had to know that they had to get out on her. It took a team effort to communicate and know where she was at all times."
 
Patton scored 11 points and had eight assists – her highest total in a Yellowjacket uniform – as she keyed the 'Jackets to victory with a gritty performance off the bench. "It's easy to get that many assists when you have teammates like mine," Patton said. "They are always in the right spots and always getting open, so really all I have to do is keep my eyes open and they are going to be there to knock it down."
 
"I am really happy for her," MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin commented on the second-year Yellowjacket. "She sparked us, and was a big key for us tonight. Offensively she scored, but she also distributed the ball and guarded hard."
 
MSUB improved to 8-7 on the season with the win, and is now 2-1 in conference play. The Yellowjackets won their second straight game dating back to Dec. 18, 2021, after having Thursday's tie with No. 7 Western Washington University postponed due to COVID-19 protocol. "It's definitely very satisfying and exciting," Patton commented on winning after a three-week layoff. "It was a waiting game and we had a lot of anticipation, but we just tried to stay prepared for anything."
 
Patton was 1 of 5 Yellowjackets to reach double figures in scoring, with senior Taryn Shelley leading the way at 19 points on 9-for-18 shooting. Shelley started the fourth quarter by scoring eight consecutive points, which elevated MSUB's advantage to an insurmountable 12 points. "Taryn was really key, especially early in the fourth quarter," Woodin commented on Shelley. "We went to her two or three times in-a-row, and she delivered for us."
 
Shayla Montague spread four important 3-pointers throughout the game, and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. "Shayla has really become consistent for us," Woodin said. "We all know that she can shoot the ball from the perimeter, but she is doing other things so much better. She is a good, solid defender, very smart player, doesn't turn the ball over, and offensively she is doing a tremendous job."
 
Kortney Nelson added a dozen points, while Cariann Kunkel finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. Nelson was also the primary defensive presence on Jones, helping limit her to seven points over the final 30 minutes of play. "It was a little rough at the start, and we really needed to just get going," Patton said on MSUB out-scoring SFU 61-40 over the final three quarters. "Once we got our heads in the game and started playing together, we got back into the groove."
 
Jones finished with 27 points on 7-for-14 shooting from 3-point range, while adding six rebounds and four assists in her third game of the season. Freshman Gemma Cutler just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Georgia Swant also reached double figures with 11 points in her 23 minutes on the floor.
 
A layup by Cutler gave SFU a 32-21 advantage at the 7:49 mark in the second quarter, as the visitors reached their largest lead of the evening. Threes by Montague and Natalie Andreas sandwiched a bucket by Patton, as MSUB embarked on a 10-2 run that began to shift momentum. "We started to settle in midway through the second quarter, and I felt fortunate to be down by five at halftime," said Woodin, whose team trailed 38-33 at the break. "Our team really worked hard in the second half, and our defense came alive. Everyone contributed, and it was a really good team win."
 
Another three from Montague midway through the third tied the score at 42-42, and a pair of free throws by Nelson gave MSUB its first lead at 46-44. The 'Jackets led the rest of the night, with Shelley's big start to the fourth quarter helping the hosts distance themselves down the stretch. "I'm really proud of our whole team," said Woodin. "I thought we had a good week of practice, and I was confident we were going to play well tonight. We have been down by double figures a couple of times this year, and luckily we have learned how to come back."
 
MSUB shot a solid 46.9 percent in the game (30-for-64), including a mark of 8-for-22 from 3-point range (36.4 percent). The 'Jackets knocked down 10 of 11 free throws (90.9 percent), and out-rebounded SFU 40-34. SFU meanwhile shot 42.2 percent (27-for-64) including 8-for-23 from long range (34.8 percent). The visitors made just four trips to the free-throw line, going 4-for-8.
 
"We were a little rusty, but give Simon credit," Woodin commented on the opening quarter. "Jessica Jones showed why she was preseason player of the year, especially in that first half. We started slow defensively and offensively, and part of that was the layoff and nerves."
 
THE BUZZ: Patton was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…her 11 points matched her season high in scoring…Montague was two points away from her season high in scoring (18), which she reached in the team's most recent game on Dec. 18…MSUB is now 12-12 all-time against SFU and is 8-4 in games played at Alterowitz Gym.
 
NEXT UP: MSUB embarks on an extended road trip with three games in five days from Jan. 13-17, which includes the makeup game at No. 11 Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 17. First, the 'Jackets play at Western Oregon on Jan. 13 and at Saint Martin's on Jan. 15. Live coverage for next week's games will be available online here.
 
SHELLEY, WOODIN HONORED PREGAME: Prior to tipoff on Saturday, Shelley was honored for reaching 1,000 career points and Woodin was recognized for becoming the winningest coach in the 95-year history of Yellowjacket Athletics. Shelley reached the career milestone during MSUB's game on Dec. 17, 2021 against West Texas A&M University, while Woodin claimed his record-breaking 281st victory in the most recent outing against University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Dec. 18, 2021.