LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Montana state University Billings women's basketball team picked up it's first win over a ranked opponent on the season, defeating University of Texas at Tyler 57-52 in it's second of three neutral site games in Las Vegas this week.
 
In the first game of action as a part of the Holiday Hoops Classic hosted at South Point Arena, the #3 Yellowjackets (12-2, 2-0 GNAC) were able to get the better of the #16 Patriots (8-2, 4-1 LSC) in a defense-heavy affair. While both team's finished the game shooting in the 30% range, the Yellowjackets were boosted by a dominant performance on the boards, outrebounding UT Tyler 46-23, and scoring 16 second chance points, compared to just two by the Patriots.
 
"I'm very proud of our team today," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "We did a great job of bouncing back after a close loss on Tuesday to beat a very good UT Tyler team. The major key for our success in this game was our rebounding. We doubled them up on the boards, and only allowed them two offensive rebounds in the game, which was incredible. Our team showed a lot of effort and determination today, and our rebounding numbers were evidence of that."
 
Dyauni Boyce led MSUB in scoring while collecting her second double-double of the season, putting up 16 points and 11 rebounds to go with three assists and a steal. Behind her, Aspen Giese had 11 points and six rebounds with a pair of steals, while Layla Baumann scored ten points off the bench, adding three assists, a steal, and a rebound to her stat line. Kaitlin Grossman had eight points, seven rebounds, and a block, and Chloe Williams finished with six points, a team-high five assists, three rebounds, and a block and a steal each. Kortney Nelson tied Boyce's mark of 11 rebounds, adding four assists and two steals to go with her four points. Chenoa Louie rounded out the scoring for MSUB with two points, along with five rebounds.
 
The first quarter was a low scoring affair, with both MSUB and UT Tyler starting strong on the defensive side of the ball. Both sides would trade the lead back and forth over the first seven minutes of action, but after a jumper from Giese, the Yellowjackets would finish the quarter by outscoring the Patriots 7-4, holding onto a narrow 13-11 lead heading into the second quarter. And while the 'Jackets would once again struggle to find some offensive consistency in the second quarter, the defense more than made up for it. MSUB would hold UT Tyler to just a single made basket in the quarter, forcing the Patriots to shoot just 10% while five different players hit a bucket for the 'Jackets in the quarter. That defensive dominance would help MSUB expand it's lead heading into halftime, going into the break ahead of the Patriots 24-16.
 
"It was a low scoring first half," said Woodin. "We put in an outstanding defensive effort, and holding a quality team like them to just 16 points in the first half is very impressive. They defended us well too, but I thought we fought hard for our baskets and deserved to have the lead at halftime."
 
The Yellowjackets would begin to build some momentum as the third quarter opened, hitting some early shots to increase their lead to as much as 11. But UT Tyler would make their way back into the contest, finishing the quarter with a 63.6% mark from the field and cutting the MSUB lead to four heading into the final ten minutes. Both teams would then finish the game with their highest scoring quarters of the game, a shift from the defensive battle that preceded it. Despite a continued push from the Patriots, the Yellowjackets would always have an answer, shooting 46.2% in the final quarter and knocking down half of their looks from three (4-8). MSUB would never give up it's lead down the stretch, hitting clutch shots late to close out the victory, and collect a quality win over a ranked opponent.
 
"Give UT Tyler a lot of credit for how they battled," Woodin said. "They pushed us hard, but I really like the way our team responded. It was a one or two possession game for the final minutes, but we executed well on both ends to stay ahead, and come out with the hard-fought win."
 
THE BUZZ: Boyce was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… her double-double was her second in the past four games following her ten-point, 13 rebound effort on Dec. 11 against Rocky Mountain College… the double-double was also the fifth of Boyce's career… the Yellowjacket's defense has now held teams to under 40% shooting from the field in six of it's past eight games.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets conclude their road trip to Las Vegas with it's final game in 2024, facing off in a top ten matchup against #7 Lubbock Christian University on Friday, December 20. Tipoff is scheduled for 10 AM MT (9 AM PT), with live video available with purchase online here, and live statistics available here.