BILLINGS, Mont. – Hosting its annual Elementary School day on Monday at Alterowitz Gym, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team topped Montana Tech 70-54 in exhibition play.
 
Three Yellowjackets reached double figures in scoring in the triumph, MSUB's final tune-up before the start of the 2022-23 regular season. "The girls came out ready to play right from the jump," said MSUB associate head coach Alisha Breen. "We played all 11 players and got great minutes from every one of them. Tech was an athletic, scrappy team. Two things we talked about were out-rebounding them and needing to be better from the free-throw line, and we met both of our goals in those aspects."
 
Sophomore Chloe Williams led the way 13 points, while adding five rebounds, two steals, one assist, and one block in 22 productive minutes off the bench. "Chloe was a huge spark for us off the bench, leading us in scoring, and I loved to see how balanced our offense was," Breen said after Williams made 5 of 10 field goals.
 
Kortney Nelson chipped in 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting, and added six rebounds and a pair of steals. Dyauni Boyce also reached 11 points, and Cariann Kunkel had a team-high seven rebounds to go along with nine points, two blocks, three assists, and a steal. The Yellowjackets enjoyed a 37-30 advantage in rebounding, and created 18 turnovers while committing just 12.
 
Dani Urick led Montana Tech with 13 points, while Tavia Rooney also reached double figures with a dozen points and five rebounds. Challis Westwater led the team with six rebounds and also scored six points. The Orediggers shot 37.5 percent in the game (18-for-48), while making 5 of 17 threes (29.4 percent) and 13 of 18 free throws (72.2 percent).
 
MSUB started the game on fire with an 11-2 run, and parlayed that into a 24-8 opening quarter. The 'Jackets never trailed in the game, carrying a 45-21 lead into halftime and managing things from there. The Orediggers played better in the second half but never got closer than within 16 points down the stretch.
 
MSUB shot 41.8 percent (23-for-55) overall, including 6-for-20 from 3-point range (30.0 percent), and it made 18 of 21 free throws (85.7 percent). The Yellowjackets did well to limit their turnovers to 12 in the game, while coming away with nine steals.
 
Skylar Patton contributed a team-high four assists, while adding six points in 25 minutes off the bench. Aspen Giese added six points, three assists, and three rebounds, and Kaitlin Grossman chipped in a bucket and two rebounds in 10 minutes off the bench.
 
THE BUZZ: Williams was tabbed the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game.
 
NEXT UP: The regular season begins with a three-game trip to Hawaii, as the Yellowjackets take on Hawaii Pacific (Nov. 11), Chaminade (Nov. 12), and University of Hawaii Hilo (Nov. 13). Live coverage will be available online here.