HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team began the GNAC/PacWest Crossover in Hawaii with a victory, taking down University of Hawaii Hilo 63-54 in the team's first of two games this week.
 
The Yellowjackets (3-1) overcame a slow shooting start to defeat the Vulcans (0-1), using high scoring second and fourth quarters to help close out the game and pick up their third victory in a row.
 
"We picked up a good, hard-fought victory today," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "We didn't start the game great, and dug ourselves a hole early. But I thought we settled in well in the second quarter, and battled back well to pick up the win. Theres a lot of room for improvement tomorrow, but we're excited for the opportunity."
 
Kola Bad Bear led the 'Jackets with 20 points, adding six rebounds and a steal. Chloe Williams came off the bench to score 13 points, with seven rebounds and an assist. Shayla Montague finished with 12 points, while Dyauni Boyce chipped in seven.
 
"Our bench really helped us out tonight," said Woodin. "I thought they provided a huge spark for us, giving us 17 points in the first half. Chloe was big for us tonight, helping us get going on both ends of the court."
 
The 'Jackets struggled to just six first quarter points, shooting just 25% in the opening ten minutes without a made three pointer or free throw. But things turned around in the second, where MSUB would outscore the Vulcans 25-13, flipping a five point deficit to a seven point lead heading into halftime. Williams played a key role in the 'Jackets turnaround, scoring nine points in the second quarter, helping the 'Jackets increase their shooting percentage to 66.7% from the field in the quarter.
 
Hilo would come out looking to battle again in the second half, cutting into the lead to make it a two point game after the third quarter. But the Yellowjackets would regain their shooting touch in the fourth quarter, taking control of the fourth quarter as they outscored the Vulcans 24-17 over the final ten minutes of the game, finishing thing with a clutch performance from Bad Bear, who scored 12 points in the quarter.
 
Jeniece Harmon scored 15 points for Hawaii Hilo, adding three rebounds and two assists, while Kaile Cruz and Keirstyn Agonias each scored 12 points in the game.
 
THE BUZZ: Williams was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… Montague passed Bobbi Knudsen in all-time made three pointers for the Yellowjackets, moving into fifth place in program history.
 
UP NEXT: The 'Jackets finish off their Hawaii road trip with a game tomorrow, November 11, against Hawaii Pacific. Tipoff is set for 1 PM HDT (4 PM MDT). Live video will be available here, and live statistics will be available here.