ELLENSBURG, Wash. – With the 2024 GNAC Championships completing it's slate of quarterfinal games today, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team now has it's matchup set for their opening game of the conference tournament Friday afternoon.
 
The Yellowjackets (25-5, 16-2 GNAC) finished the regular season tied for the most wins in program history, and their most GNAC wins in program history, on their way to clinching the GNAC's regular season championship and first seed in the tournament. Their standing provides the 'Jackets with a bye to the semifinals of the tournament, where they will square off against the No. 4 Seed and tournament host Central Washington University.
 
2024 GNAC Women's Basketball Championships – Semifinals
No. 1 Seed Montana State University Billings vs. No. 4 Seed Central Washington University
Date: Friday, March 8, 2024
Time: 2:15 PM PT/3:15 PM MT
Location: Nicholson Pavilion – Ellensburg, WA
Tickets: https://www.gnacsports.com/gnac/tickets/
Live Video: https://www.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUkZVNY1RGE
Live Statistics: https://wildcatsports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
 
The winner of the matchup will advance on to the championship, which is scheduled to take place Saturday, March 9 at 5 PM PT (6 PM MT). Full tournament schedules and information are available online here.
 
"We are excited to get our tournament started," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "It was nice for us to have a bye after a tough travel trip last week, but we're back at full strength, and know that our matchup against Central will be an exciting one. This time of year is what you play for all season. The team that executes the best and plays the most fundamentally sound will end up on top. I feel that my team is ready for the challenge at hand. We've got an experienced group who expects to do big things."
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUPS: The Yellowjackets were able to take care of business in both matchups during the regular season, by almost the same margin in both contests, but with two very different games. On Jan. 4, the Yellowjackets defeated the Wildcats 82-73, holding onto the lead for the majority of the game. In their second meeting in Alterowitz, the Wildcats led 38-27 going into halftime, but the Yellowjackets would rally back with an impressive second half to win 75-70 at home, and sweep the regular season series.
 
It'll be the third time that the Yellowjackets and Wildcats have faced off in a GNAC Championship contest, and the second year in a row the teams have squared off in postseason play. The Yellowjackets have taken both of those contests, defeating Central Washington 75-73 on their way to a GNAC Tournament Title in 2018, and surging past the Wildcats 75-62 in last season's semifinal matchup.
 
PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE: With a veteran group of returning players, MSUB's roster contains a wealth of playoff experience. Eight players return after the team's run to the GNAC Championship and second round of the NCAA West Regional Tournament, while seven of those players have competed in multiple GNAC Championships.
 
BAD BEAR BOOST: While it may be only her first year with the program, senior forward Kola Bad Bear holds more than her own fare share of experience on the big stage. Bad Bear, who was just named the GNAC's Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, along with a First-Team All-GNAC selection, competing in four Big Sky Tournaments as a member of Montana State. Bad Bear was the Yellowjackets leading scorer in the regular season, averaging 16.5 points per game and 6.2 rebounds for the 'Jackets, and leading the team in both steals and blocks on the defensive end of the floor.
 
Bad Bear has also had the Wildcats number in both of the season's previous meetings, scoring 23 points in the Yellowjackets first win, and increasing that total to 26 in MSUB's come-from-behind win in Billings. Bad Bear has averaged 24.5 points against the Wildcats on the year, to go with seven rebounds, five assists, and 2.5 steals per game.
 
NELSON SETS THE TONE: Junior guard Kortney Nelson is another Yellowjacket who brought home some individual hardware, being an All-GNAC Second Team selection and the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. She has been the floor general for the 'Jackets all season, averaging 8.9 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per contest, while being the lynchpin for the Yellowjackets defensive efforts, with the team finishing the season with the GNAC's top defense, averaging 58.8 points per game.
 
BOYCE BRINGS BALANCE: While Bad Bear was the Yellowjackets leading scorer, she's hardly the only player capable of big games inside. Dyauni Boyce had been an integral piece of the Yellowjackets attack, finishing with 14.7 points per game in a campaign that saw her voted to the All-GNAC Second Team. Boyce is another Yellowjacket capable of finding her shots from anywhere on the floor, shooting 43.1% overall, and 37.3% from three-point range. Boyce is also no stranger to performing in the clutch, just last week knocking down a clutch triple at the death to help the Yellowjackets send their contest against Alaska Anchorage to overtime.
 
SHOOTING APLENTY: As the second highest scoring team in the conference with 72.1 points per game, and seven players averaging 4.0 points a game or more, The Yellowjackets key to the offense this season has been balanced scoring from across the lineup. Their dominant duo of Bad Bear and Boyce on the inside forces teams to collapse the paint, opening things up out on the perimeter for a bevy of shooters. Aspen Giese finished the year shooting 40.3% from beyond the arc, and comes into the tournament hot, scoring over 20-points in two of her past three contests. Shayla Montague continues to certify herself as one of the best long-range shooters in the program's history, coming into the game just six triples off of second place in program history. Meanwhile, key role pieces like Danielle Zahn and Natalie Andreas are more than capable of providing a scoring spark when needed, with both seniors providing key minutes and baskets off the bench for the Yellowjackets this season.
 
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Yellowjackets top-ranked defense has given teams trouble all season, even when the offense slows down. MSUB has only been defeated one time this season by double-digits, with that loss needing overtime to take down the 'Jackets. Every player in the rotation is capable of shutting down an opposing player, a tenet of Woodin coached teams. The Yellowjackets succeed at throwing teams off on the perimeter, holding teams to just a 28.8% three-point mark, while limiting second chance opportunities as the best defensive rebounds team in the league, leading the conference in rebounding defense with just 31.3 boards allowed per game. MSUB also ranks four in steals, with Bad Bear, Boyce, Giese, Nelson, and Chloe Williams all averaging north on one per game.
 
Central Washington University Wildcats
2023-24 Record: 18-11, 10-8 GNAC
Head Coach: Randi Richardson-Thornley (7th season)
How they got here: 65-51 win over No. 5 Seed Simon Fraser
 
The Wildcats were ranked as the No. 4 Seed in the GNAC Championships after going 10-8 in the regular season in conference play. One of the premier scoring offenses in the league, Central Washington averaged 71.0 points per game on the year, while starting the top two scorers in the league in All-GNAC First Team duo Asher Cai and Valarie Huerta. Cai was the only player to average 20.0 points per game or more on the season to lead the GNAC in total scoring, while Huerta's 18.2 points per game finished right behind her in second place. In addition to the pair, the Wildcats has received big contributions from a young supporting cast, chief among them Honorable Mention All-Conference Capri Sims. The freshman has averaged 9.8 points per game, but increased her total 10.4 over the course of conference play, while averaging 8.4 rebounds per game. Players like Annalee Coronado, Shelby Blodgett, and Malia Smith round out the core of a Wildcat unit which defeated No. 5 Seed Simon Fraser 65-51 in their opening game of the tournament to advance to face the 'Jackets.
 
"Central is a very explosive team with a lot of talent," said Woodin. "We've had two competitive games against them already this season, and I expect them to be at their best for number three."
 
The Wildcats hold home court advantage for the tournament as hosts, and have gone 9-5 on the season at Nicholson Pavilion. Following their loss to the Yellowjackets at the beginning of February, Central finished the regular season on a 5-2 stretch, including a forfeit victory over Western Oregon.