NAMPA, Idaho – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team would come up short against Northwest Nazarene University on the road, falling 75-69 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
Despite an electric start and holding a lead for more than half of the game, the #6 Yellowjackets (16-3, 5-1 GNAC) would be unable to hold on as the Nighthawks (10-5, 4-2 GNAC) would be able to rally back behind a hot shooting second half. Northwest Nazarene would shoot 51.9% in the second half, and would receive an additional boost from the free throw line, where they would shoot 18-27, while the Yellowjackets would only attempt ten in the game.
 
"I give NNU a lot of credit for tonight's win," said head coach Kevin Woodin. "They're a good team who played us tough. We know the GNAC is tough, and the margin for error in winning on the road is slim. We're looking forward to regrouping ahead of our game on Saturday."
 
Leading the way in scoring for the 'Jackets was Dyauni Boyce, who scored 22 points on 7-14 shooting. The senior forward was 4-8 from beyond the arc, and would add four rebounds, three steals, and an assist to her stat line. Aspen Giese would follow with 15 points, adding nine rebounds, five assists, and a pair of blocks. Chloe Williams would total a career-high six steals, and added nine points, four rebounds, and three assists. Also finishing with nine points was Kaitlin Grossman, who added five rebounds. Kortney Nelson had seven points and seven rebounds, also collecting four assists, two steals, and a block. Chenoa Louie had four points, three steals, and an assist, while Layla Baumann had three points and a pair of rebounds and assists.
 
The Yellowjackets got off to a hot start from the field, with Giese opening the game with back-to-back threes to commence an 11-2 MSUB run to open the first quarter. They would extend that lead to an 18-4 advantage after just over five minutes, with the 'Jackets knocking down seven of their first ten shots, going a perfect 4-4 from three in that stretch. The Nighthawks would settle into the game as the first quarter wore on, but a combined 17 points from Boyce and Giese would keep the Yellowjackets ahead by six as the second quarter commenced. The second period would be closer from the start, with the teams scoring almost evenly. The 'Jackets would cool off from the field, but their ability to convert second chance opportunities would provide scoring opportunities, with MSUB holding onto a 38-33 halftime lead.
 
"We got out to a great start today," said Woodin. "We shot the ball very well in the first quarter to build a lead, but NNU deserves a lot of credit for chiseling away at that lead and getting back into it by halftime."
 
But the third quarter would see the Nighthawks grab the momentum, outscoring the 'Jackets 22-12 to begin the second half. NNU shot the ball well, scoring 56.3% of their attempts and going 4-7 from three to grab the lead. They would hold onto that lead heading into the fourth quarter, where the Yellowjackets would battle hard to try and make up the deficit. But despite a strong push, cold shooting and foul trouble would hinder the 'Jackets down the stretch, while the Nighthawks would make 10-17 free throws in the final ten minutes to help the home team see out the victory.
 
"We didn't shoot the ball well compared to the first half," said Woodin. "And they made it tough on the boards for us in the second half. I thought we executed well down the stretch and our players worked hard, we just came up a bit short."
 
THE BUZZ: Boyce was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… Boyce now sits one point away from passing Amy Winslow's career scoring total of 1358, and moving into 13^th place on the program's all-time scoring records… Nelson now sits at 992 career points, while Giese sits at 991 career points, with both seniors on the verge of becoming the 27^th and 28^th players to score over 1,000 points in Yellowjacket women's basketball history.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB will look to avenge it's loss on Saturday, January 18 when the 'Jackets take on Central Washington University. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 PM PT (4 PM MT) in Ellensburg, Washington, with live video available online here, and live statistics available online here.