BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team were given their first conference loss of the season, falling just short on the road against Western Washington University 76-68 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
In a battle between the top two teams in the GNAC, and #9 and #17 in the WBCA National Poll, it would be the Vikings (16-3, 8-1 GNAC) who would emerge victorious at home, using a strong shooting night to take down the Yellowjackets (17-4, 8-1 GNAC). The hosts would shoot 56.9% overall in the game, and 52.6% from three-point range, giving them the cushion to see off a late MSUB rally to even things up at the top of the standings.
 
"It was a tough game tonight," said Yellowjacket head coach Kevin Woodin. "I thought Western played very well. Their three-point shooting was key for them, they came out shooting right away, which is something we know they're capable of. We were a little bit sloppy on offense, but I really liked the fight of our team tonight. We came back in the second quarter to get back into the game, they just played a great third quarter to help pull away from us. We'll learn from this loss as a team, and we're excited to have two games coming up at home next week."
 
Kola Bad Bear and Dyauni Boyce would each score 17 points to lead the 'Jackets in scoring, with Bad Bear adding three assists and two steals, while Boyce had six boards, a steal, and a block. Kortney Nelson also finished in double figures with ten points, along with three rebounds and a pair of steals. Shayla Montague added nine points and four rebounds, and Aspen Giese scored six points, while totaling four rebounds and steals each.
 
Both teams shot the ball well throughout the first quarter, but it was the Vikings who would hold a lead following the first ten minutes of play. While the 'Jackets shot 50% from the field and 60% from three, Western Washington shot a staggering 76.9% from the field, and went 100% from deep with four made three-pointers, taking a 24-15 lead after one. The second quarter would be a different story, with both teams finding a rhythm defensively as scoring became more scare. The 'Jackets would force seven turnovers on defense, and would finish the half on an 8-2 run, trailing by just four at halftime.
 
The third quarter is where Western Washington would truly gain control of the game's momentum, doubling the Yellowjackets score 22-11. They would score at an impressive clip, shooting 71.4% in the quarter to bring a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. The Yellowjackets would battle back in the fourth quarter, making a dent in the lead with their highest scoring quarter of the game with 28 points. But it wouldn't be enough, with the Vikings seeing out the game to pick up a hard-fought victory, and match the Yellowjackets at 8-1 in GNAC play.
 
Brooke Walling led the Vikings in scoring with 18 points, grabbing eight boards to go with two assists. Mason Oberg had 14 points, while Aspen Garrison and Maddy Grandbois each had 11. Stephanie Peterson finished with ten points for Western Washington, adding nine rebounds, six assists, and six steals.
 
THE BUZZ: Boyce was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets return home to kick off the second half of conference play next week, facing off against Northwest Nazarene in MSUB's annual Pink Game for Breast Cancer Awareness. The game is scheduled for Thursday, February 1 in Alterowitz Gym, with tipoff set for 5:15 PM. Live video will be available here, while live statistics will be available here.