MONMOUTH, Ore. – Chloe Williams elevated at the buzzer on Saturday afternoon at the New P.E. Building to deny a game-winning shot by Western Oregon's Cali McClave as Montana State University Billings held on for a 59-58 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball victory.
 
The Yellowjackets (13-4, 4-2 GNAC), and Wolves (7-6, 1-4 GNAC) battled all game, with MSUB finding themselves fighting from behind for much of the game. But the 'Jackets were able to turn on the jets late, finishing the game on a 10-2 run to overcome a seven-point deficit in the last 4:50 of the game.
 
The 'Jackets were led in scoring by Shayla Montague, who scored 11 points to go with two rebounds and three steals. Cariann Kunkel, Dyauni Boyce, and Taryn Shelley each followed her up with each player scoring 10 points. Boyce finished with seven rebounds and a career high four blocks, while Kunkel collected eight boards, while nailing 8 of 10 from the free throw line. Kortney Nelson scored eight points and collected nine rebounds.
 
The first half found Western Oregon and MSUB battling for control. Both teams swapped the lead between the two quarters, neither team jumping out to a large lead. The second quarter had both teams shooting over 50 percent from the field, an aberration in a game where neither team shot higher than 36.4 percent in any other quarter. The 'Jackets were leading by two with about a minute and a half to go until halftime, but the Wolves scored eight points down the stretch to go up 34-30 going into halftime.
 
The second half was similarly close, with the 'Jackets capitalizing on fouls by Western Oregon to hang with the Wolves. The 'Jackets shot 11-for-14 from the free throw line in the second half, while the Wolves went 4-for-5. Despite that, the 'Jackets found themselves down 56-49 with under five minutes to go. The 'Jackets needed to rally and found help from Kunkel and Williams. Kunkel hit 5 of 6 free throws in the last four minutes of the game, and Williams hit a pair of big shot to put the 'Jackets in the lead with one minute to go. But despite a pair of free throws by the Wolves' McClave, her last second attempt would be blocked by Williams as the 'Jackets would escape with the win.
 
THE BUZZ: Williams was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…the Yellowjackets are now 30-9 all time against WOU, and 7-3 in their last 10 games against the Wolves.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets return home to face off against Seattle Pacific University, with tip off scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 14 at Alterowitz Gym.