LACEY, Wash. – Snapping a three-game losing skid on Thursday evening at Marcus Pavilion, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team emerged victorious over Saint Martin's University 66-58 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference Play.
 
The Yellowjackets (12-4, 3-2 GNAC) used a strong first half and withstood a furious rally by the hosts in the fourth quarter to secure their third conference victory of the 2022-23 season. Cariann Kunkel scored a team-leading 14 points, while Dyauni Boyce added 13 points and Aspen Giese scored 11 with a team-best seven rebounds. "This was a real nice win for us tonight," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "We battled hard in the first three quarters and built a nice lead, but give Saint Martin's credit for making a rally in the fourth quarter. Our team responded well down the stretch, and anytime you can get a road win in our league we celebrate that."
 
The Saints (4-8, 0-4) were led by Kiana Rios who scored 19 points, and Sarah Lamet who chipped in 18. Lauryn Morris added 11 points and a team-best eight rebounds, but no other Saints player scored more than four points in the defeat. The Yellowjackets by comparison received scoring contributions from eight different players on Thursday. "The key tonight was that we were able to get the ball inside to a variety of players," Woodin said. "We didn't shoot it too well from the 3-point line, and that's something we need to do a little bit better."
 
MSUB shot 43.1 percent in the game (22-for-51), while making 6 of 19 threes (31.6 percent) and 16 of 22 foul shots (72.7 percent). The Saints meanwhile shot 39.6 percent overall (21-for-53), while making 4 of 18 threes (22.2 percent), and 12 of 16 free throws (75.0 percent).
 
After getting off to a hot start with a 14-8 lead by the end of the first quarter, MSUB finished the first half strong and carried a 31-22 edge into the halftime break. Buckets from Kortney Nelson and Kunkel early in the third quarter boosted the advantage to 11 at 40-29, and the 'Jackets combined steady offensive play with sound defense to grow the lead. SMU's Madelyn Brown made two free throws at the 4:53 mark in the third, but the hosts didn't score for almost four minutes after that as MSUB jumped out to a 51-34 lead. Giese capped the third with a three to push the 'Jackets to their largest lead of the night up 18.
 
Rios converted a three-point play at the outset of the fourth quarter however, foreshadowing an ensuing rally that nearly led the Saints to an improbable victory. During a scoreless stretch by MSUB that consumed the first five minutes of the quarter, the Saints rallied to make it a two-possession game down 54-50 with 5:04 to go. A Taryn Shelley jumper finally got the 'Jackets back on the scoreboard, and MSUB did just enough to hold off SMU which got as close as 56-53 with 3:50 to go.
 
"At halftime we talked about the boards," said Woodin with the teams standing 17-17 after 20 minutes of play. "In the second half we out-rebounded them by 12 including nine offensive rebounds which was really important for us. We shared the ball well, and Shayla, Aspen, and Dyauni combining for 15 assists was very impressive."
 
MSUB finished the game with a 39-27 advantage on the glass, while each team had 15 turnovers. MSUB enjoyed a 17-2 advantage in points off the bench – five of which came from senior Danielle Zahn who made her first appearance of the season after recovering from injury.
 
Shelley wound up with eight points and three boards, while Shayla Montague had a team-high six assists to go along with three points. Nelson finished with five points and six rebounds, and Natalie Andreas added four points and two boards in 12 minutes off the bench.
 
THE BUZZ: Boyce was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…Montague's six assists were a career high, topping her previous best of five which she set on Feb. 15, 2020 against Alaska…MSUB is now 33-12 all-time against SMU and is 15-10 in road games.
 
NEXT UP: The 'Jackets return to the court on Saturday, with a 2 p.m. tipoff at Western Oregon University. Live coverage will be available online here.