BILLINGS, Mont. – A last-ditch 3-pointer by Aspen Giese was off the mark on Saturday afternoon at Alterowitz Gym, as visiting Northwest Nazarene University held off Montana State University Billings 80-79 for a dramatic Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball victory.
 
Giese had already made a career-high four 3-pointers before her miss at the buzzer, leading the Yellowjackets in scoring with 18 points and shooting 7-for-11 in the game. Cariann Kunkel finished with 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting, while Taryn Shelley scored a dozen and Chloe Williams added 10 for the Yellowjackets. MSUB fell to 11-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play with its third straight defeat.
 
"Tonight was a much different game than Thursday for us," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin, referencing Thursday's 70-44 loss to Central Washington. "We were streaky tonight – we had some good runs but then we allowed them to have them back at us. In the end they made one more play than us, and that was the difference."
 
Cami Knishka led NNU with 17 points, Jordan Pinson was close behind with 16, and Danika Starr also reached double figures with 10 for the visitors, who improved to 7-5 on the season and 3-1 in conference play. Clare Eubanks led the Nighthawks with six rebounds, while adding eight points in her 23 minutes on the floor.
 
Giese and Montague hit back-to-back threes to start the game, and a second trey by Giese followed by a layup from Kunkel sparked the 'Jackets to an early 11-4 advantage. The Nighthawks spent the rest of the fast-paced first quarter getting back into the game, with a McKenna Castledine 3-pointer at the 3:19 mark pulling the score even at 16-16. The 'Jackets responded well over the final three minutes, re-establishing command and holding a 24-21 edge after the first 10 minutes of play.
 
Threes by Montague and Giese in the first two minutes of the second quarter put the 'Jackets ahead 33-24, but it proved to be the largest lead for the hosts in the first half. NNU pulled within three points on a pair of free throws by Pinson midway through the second, and a Loy Waid layup with 2:45 before halftime gave the Nighthawks their first lead of the game at 40-39. The teams combined for just one point in a shaky end of the second quarter, and went into halftime knotted at 40-40.
 
The back-and-forth action continued at the outset of the third quarter, with a jumper by Giese at the 5:16 mark pushing MSUB to a 51-46 advantage. Natalie Andreas hit a big three to make the score 54-48, and an ensuing jumper by Chloe Williams with 3:26 to go gave MSUB its largest lead of the half up 58-49.
 
A 12-0 run by NNU that consumed the final four minutes of the third quarter proved to be the difference however, as the Nighthawks rallied to grab a 61-60 lead heading into the final 10 minutes. Neither team led by more than a single possession in the fourth, and a pair of free throws by Dyauni Boyce with 13 seconds left put the 'Jackets ahead 79-78.
 
Pinson had the finishing touch however, making a layup with five seconds on the clock before Giese's try at the buzzer missed left. MSUB shot 44.1 percent in the game (26-for-59), while making 8 of 22 threes (36.4 percent) and 19 of 22 free throws (86.4 percent). NNU meanwhile shot 46.6 percent (27-for-58) while making 8 of 20 threes (40.0 percent) and 18 of 24 free throws (75.0 percent). The Nighthawks held a 34-28 advantage in rebounding, while each team committed 17 turnovers.
 
"It was nice to see Taryn be effective offensively," Woodin said on Shelley, who played her second game of the season after missing the first two months with an injury. "I know she will be a big key for us moving forward and she will make us better down the road. Losing close games is hard to swallow, but it was not one single play that decided the game. Give NNU credit – they played well."
 
THE BUZZ: Shelley was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…MSUB is now 22-21 all-time against NNU and is 12-7 in home games against the Nighthawks.
 
COMING UP: The Yellowjackets hit the road next week, facing Saint Martin's on Jan. 5 and Western Oregon on Jan. 7 on the West Coast. Live coverage for the games will be available online here.