Box Score BILLINGS, Mont. – Big performances from sophomores Kortney Nelson and Dyauni Boyce helped lift the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team to a 62-53 exhibition win over Rocky Mountain College on Thursday night at the Fortin Center.
 
Nelson and Boyce each finished with a game-high 17 points, and the Yellowjackets overcame a slow first quarter to top their rivals in the exhibition affair. Both teams remained at 0-0 on the season after the non-counting contest. "I was really pleased with our win tonight," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "We played better throughout the game, but Rocky took the lead in the fourth quarter with a big run. Our players regrouped and played an excellent last five minutes to pull out the win."
 
Kloie Thatcher converted two free throws with 4:52 left on the clock, capping a 10-2 run by the Bears that elevated them to a 51-49 lead late in the fourth quarter. Boyce responded with a huge three on the next possession however, sparking a 10-0 run by the Yellowjackets that ultimately sealed the victory. "Our team did a nice job of sharing the ball around, and reading the defense over the last few minutes," said Woodin. "Dyauni and Kortney had big baskets, and Cariann and Shayla did as well down the stretch. It was a total team effort. This time of year if you can get a close game on the road, you can learn a lot from it. To be able to come out on top is a tribute to our players. They won that game late with some good execution."
 
Shayla Montague scored eight points while adding four rebounds, and Cariann Kunkel contributed eight points on 4 of 6 shooting to go along with six rebounds. Aspen Giese had a positive stat line of five points, five rebounds, and a steal, and Chloe Williams had a pair of baskets to go along with two rebounds, two assists, and a steal while making the start.
 
Thatcher led the Bears with 15 points, while Dominique Stephens also reached double figures with a dozen and Mackenzie Dethman hauled in a team-high eight rebounds. The Bears held a 15-12 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play, as they out-shot the 'Jackets 40.0 percent to 33.3 percent in the first quarter. "Early in the game we had a lot of first-game jitters, and we just didn't shoot the ball as well as we can," Woodin said on the Yellowjackets' first game against outside competition this year. "We didn't shoot very well from the free-throw line tonight, so that is definitely something we need to get better at. I thought our defense kept us in the game until we got better on offense, and we rebounded pretty well."
 
The Yellowjackets bounced back with a strong second quarter, out-scoring the Bears 19-11 to take a 31-26 lead into the halftime break.
 
MSUB shot a solid 43.9 percent overall in the game, and made 7 of 20 threes for 35.0 percent. The Yellowjackets made just 5 of 13 free throws (38.5 percent). Rocky comparatively shot 34.6 percent overall (18-for-52), 33.3 percent from the 3-point line (5-for-15), and made 12 of 15 free throws (80.0 percent). The Yellowjackets held a narrow 33-30 edge in rebounding.
 
THE BUZZ: Boyce was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game.
 
AHEAD: The exhibition portion of MSUB's schedule continues next week, with a Tuesday night road game at Carroll College in Helena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., with live coverage available online here.