ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team is set to compete on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's biggest stage, with the Yellowjackets (26-5, 16-2 GNAC) locking horns against Western Washington University Vikings (22-6, 14-4 GNAC) as the conference's top two seeds battle for the GNAC Championship Saturday evening.
 
2024 GNAC Women's Basketball Championships – Championship
No. 1 Seed Montana State University Billings vs. No. 2 Seed Western Washington University
Date: Saturday, March 9, 2024
Time: 5:00 PM PT/6:00 PM MT
Location: Nicholson Pavilion – Ellensburg, WA
Tickets: https://www.gnacsports.com/gnac/tickets/
Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DH__w5wAyE
Live Statistics: https://wildcatsports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
 
It's a rematch of last season's championship game, which saw the Vikings come out ahead on their home court by a score of 76-71.
 
"Western Washington is a great team," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "They're well coach, they have tradition, some great players. They don't beat themselves. Statistically when you look at our two teams, we share a lot of the same qualities. We both know each other well, and the last time we faced off went down to the wire. It's going to be a great game tomorrow, and we're ready for their best on the biggest stage."
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUPS: The 'Jackets and Vikings are set to square off for the sixth time in the past two seasons, with MSUB holding a 3-2 record in those matchups. This season the two teams split their regular season meetings, with Western Washington taking the first meeting in Bellingham 76-68 on Jan. 27, before the Yellowjackets would get revenge in Billings with a 48-46 win in a defensive battle on Feb. 22.
 
When meeting at the tournament however, the Vikings have historically had the upper hand. The Yellowjackets are 1-4 all-time when facing Western Washington in the GNAC Championships, with their last win coming in the 2016 semifinals.
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The Vikings have won three GNAC Championship titles since the tournament's start in 2011, including last year's title. But the Yellowjackets have a lot of recent experience in the GNAC Championships, making the title game for the fourth time in the past eight seasons, including a title in 2018.
 
HOW THE YELLOWJACKETS GOT HERE: MSUB played their way to the title game with a gritty 62-60 win over tournament host No. 4 Seed Central Washington. The Yellowjackets overcame a slow start from the field and a big first quarter run by the Wildcats, chipping away at the lead for the rest of the game until retaking the advantage late in the fourth quarter.
 
"The Central win was a gut-check win for us," said Woodin. We got behind early, and it's always tough to play in a playoff atmosphere in someone else's gym, but we showed great resilience to battle back into the game, and I thought we played a good second half on both ends of the court."
 
The 'Jackets had four players in double-digits for the game, with Kola Bad Bear leading the way for MSUB with 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Kortney Nelson finished with a double-double, collecting 19 points and ten rebounds to go with three assists and a steal. Aspen Giese added 12 points with six rebounds and four assists, while Dyauni Boyce had ten points, five boards, and two blocks. As a group the Yellowjackets shot 40.4% from the field, and made 14-18 from the free throw line despite a loud home crowd working against them. MSUB held the high-powered Wildcat offense to a 34.5% mark from the field in the game, and limited them to just five three-pointers, while holding the First Team All-Conference duo of Asher Cai and Valarie Huerta to 7-28 shooting in the game.
 
HOW THE VIKINGS GOT HERE: The GNAC's No. 2 Seed Western Washington advanced to the title game after besting No. 3 Seed Alaska Anchorage 75-60 behind an incredible stretch of first half shooting. The Vikings shot an impressive 11-18 from beyond the arc in the first two quarters, and finished the game with a 53.8% mark from three in the game. The Viking's attack was captained by Riley Dykstra, who tied the GNAC record for made threes in a conference championship game with an 8-9 tally from deep on her way to 24 points, and Stephanie Peterson, who finished with 17 points. Meanwhile First Team All-GNAC forward Brooke Walling nearly finished with a triple-trouble, totaling 12 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists.
 
HOW THE TEAMS STACK UP: Statistically speaking, the margin between the two squads is razor thin. Western possesses the GNAC's top offense, averaging 72.3 points per game, while MSUB ranks second, less than a full point behind them with 71.7 points per game. The inverse is true on defense, where the Yellowjackets rank top with 58.9 points allowed per game, and the Vikings sit second with 58.9 points allowed per game. Both teams rank among the top two or three in the majority of the conference's major stat categories.
 
The biggest difference and key to success may come in turnover margin, the one category where there is a significant difference. The Yellowjackets have typically taken excellent care of the ball, totaling a 3.35+ turnover margin on the season, while the Vikings rank ninth in the GNAC with a -2.00 turnover margin. Ball security has been the key factor in many of the Viking's losses this season, including their loss to the Yellowjackets in Billings, where MSUB forced 22 Viking turnovers.
 
REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS: This game holds extra weight outside of GNAC implications, with both teams battling for their positions in the NCAA West Regional, which the field for will be announced Sunday night at 8:30 PM MT. MSUB sat in second place in the most recent region ranking, while the Vikings were ranked in fourth place. A win for either team would be huge for both teams' standing, with both teams having spent the entire year jostling for position among the top teams in the west region.
 
It also holds the weight of a nationally ranked battle, like the previous two games this season. Currently Western sits at #24 in the most recent WBCA Poll, while ranking as the first team out in the D2CCA Media Poll, while the 'Jackets sit at #15 in the WBCA, and #18 in the region.