BILLINGS, Mont.  – The #15 Montana State University Billings women's basketball team picked up their first victory of the young season Saturday night, taking down University of Mary 77-51 on day two of the D2CCA Tipoff Classic hosted at Alterowitz Gym.
 
The Yellowjackets (1-1) rebounded from a narrow defeat on day one, coming out of the gates on fire and never looking back, outscoring the Marauders (1-1) in all four quarters. MSUB shot 46% from the field in the game, with that percentage increasing to 50% from three, with the 'Jackets knocking down 11 triples on their way to a decisive victory.
 
"I thought we played a complete game on both ends tonight," said Yellowjacket head coach Kevin Woodin. "We shot the ball much better tonight, which opened up a lot for us offensively, and I thought Alisha (Breen) and Janiel (Begger) had a really good defensive plan for our team. We got it done tonight."
 
Kola Bad Bear led MSUB in scoring, totaling 17 points in just 19 minutes of play. The senior transfer went a perfect 3-3 from three-point range, adding five rebounds and an assist in the game.
 
"Kola was dominant early," said Woodin. "She did a great job finding her shots tonight, was a presence from both inside and outside. We love having her here, she's a phenomenal player and leader."
 
Shayla Montague had 12 points for the 'Jackets on four threes, passing Kami Malnaa for sixth all time in program history in made three-pointers with 173.
 
"Shayla is a great three-point shooter," said Woodin. "But she's so much more than that. She's versatile, she's always in the right spot, and is a great defender. She can score in so many different ways, and she's one of our team captains. She's a great leader on the floor, and her teammates really look up to her."
 
Behind them, sophomore Kaitlin Grossman had a breakout game, scoring 11 points on perfect 5-5 shooting. The Billings native added seven rebounds, along with a pair of blocks and a steal. Dyauni Boyce and Aspen Giese each had ten points, with Boyce grabbing a pair of rebounds and steals, while Giese had six boards and four assists. Also finishing with four assists for MSUB was Chloe Williams, who had three points and a team high eight rebounds. Kortney Nelson had eight points, five rebounds and three assists, going a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line.
 
The Yellowjackets opened the first half on fire, shooting 67% from the field and knocking down six threes. Three of them came from Bad Bear, who totaled 11 of MSUB's 22 first quarter points. While the offense slowed just a bit in the second quarter, the MSUB defense did not, limiting the Marauders to just 32% shooting in the first half as the hosts took a 37-24 lead into the break.
 
The 'Jackets would regain their shooting touch as the game went into the second half, in particular finding success at the free throw line, where they made 14-16 over the final two quarters. The Marauders would continue to find looks in the half, but were unable to turn their opportunities into points as the Yellowjackets took their first win of the season in front of their home crowd.
 
Lexie Schneider totaled 23 points for Mary, with six rebounds and a pair of assists. Ashton Kinnebrew added nine points, while Mariah McKeever had seven.
 
THE BUZZ: Bad Bear was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… in her first two games as a Yellowjacket, Bad Bear has averaged 19.5 points per game, shooting 66.7% from the field and 75% from three… Montague sits just five threes away from tying Bobbi Knudsen for the fifth most three pointers in MSUB history.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets finish off the Tipoff Classic with a matchup tomorrow morning at 10:45 AM at Alterowitz Gym against Florida Tech. Live video will be available here, with live statistics available here. The tournament homepage can be found online here.