LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team won it's fourth consecutive game on Saturday, collecting a 63-55 upset victory over nationally-ranked Daemen University to round out the Holiday Hoops Classic.
 
The Yellowjackets (8-7, 0-2 GNAC) rounded out non-conference play with a bang, taking down the #25 Wildcats (9-2, 4-0 ECC) to hand their opponents just their second loss of the season. MSUB would take the lead in the first three minutes of the game and would never trail again, maintaining their lead and heading home with a 2-0 record from the weekend in Las Vegas. The Yellowjackets would dominate the battle on the boards, outrebounding Daemen 50-35 in total, including a total of 20 offensive rebounds. The 'resulting 15 second chance points would prove pivotal in keeping the game in the Yellowjacket's favor.
 
"Today was another great win for our program," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "I'm really proud of our team on getting back-to-back wins on this road trip. We've improved a lot over the past two weeks, and that's a testament to our players and our assistant coaches and all the hard work they've put in."
 
Cassie Chesnut would lead the team in scoring for the second game in a row, posting 27 points and 11 rebounds for her second career double-double. The freshman would set a new career-high scoring mark for the second time in as many days, while also tying a career-best and setting a new career-best in blocks with three each, along with two assists.
 
"Cassie played amazing all night," praised Woodin. "She scored the ball well at all levels, but she also just played really hard on both ends, and nearly played the entire game. It was a great way to cap off a great weekend for her.
 
Fellow freshman Rae Smart would also collect a double-double, the first of her career, posting 12 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Brooklynn Brennan scored nine points behind them, going 2-3 from three-point range and chipping in with a career-best four steals, three assists, and a rebound. Kyla Momberg, Kaitlin Grossman, and Tailey Harris would each finish with five points to round out the scoring, with Momberg totaling six rebounds and one assists and block, Grossman posting five rebounds, two assists and one steal, while Harris added seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
 
After conceding the game's opening basket, an and-one play from Momberg would put the Yellowjackets ahead with their first points of the game, helping to spark a 10-4 run across the first 5:42 of the first quarter to open up an early lead. Behind a trio of three-pointers, and an impressive defensive effort that held the Wildcats to 3-14 (21.4%) shooting in the first half, MSUB would go on to ride that momentum to a ten-point lead heading into the second quarter. The 'Jackets would continue to find success early in the second quarter, opening the period on a 7-2 run to build up a 23-8 lead with 5:45 remaining in the first half. But Daemen would tighten up defensively, holding the 'Jackets scoreless for the remainder of the half and finishing the second on a 7-0 run to close the gap to 23-15 heading into halftime.
 
"Our first quarter was really impressive," said Woodin. "I thought we played efficient on offense and our defense was smothering. We struggled a little offensively late in the second quarter, but our defense continued to play tough, and we felt that we deserved to be leading at halftime."
 
The Yellowjackets would recover in the third quarter though, putting together the team's highest scoring quarter of the game. MSUB would score 22 points on 9-20 (45%) shooting from the field, knocking down a trio of three-pointers and restoring their double-digit advantage, leading by as much as 15 in the third. Chesnut would carry much of the scoring load in the quarter, scoring 13 of MSUB's points and nailing two three-pointers to pace the 'Jackets. The fourth quarter would see Daemen cut the game back to single-digits as the game wound to a close, but never truly threaten to take the lead away from MSUB, who would see out the game with minimal issue to collect it's second win in as many days, and fourth in a row.
 
"Daemen made a run at us early in the third, but I thought we responded well," Woodin said. "I thought Rae Smart and Brooklynn Brennan really helped spark us defensively with some key steals that turned into points. All in all, our team was really focused and really wanted to get this win and go 2-0 this weekend. Over the past six weeks we've had a hard time putting together quality games back-to-back, and we were able to do that today. Hopefully this gives us the momentum we need heading into the break, and when we come out of it, we'll hit the ground running in the GNAC. I'm extremely proud of our entire team."
 
THE BUZZ: Chesnut and Smart were both named Intermountain Health Players of the Game… Chesnut's 27 points are now the most scored by any Yellowjacket in a game this season, and the most scored in a single game by a freshman in the GNAC this year… over the 'Jackets two games in Las Vegas, Chesnut averaged 25.0 points per game, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks, shooting 46.7% from the field and 38.5% from three… on their four-game winning streak, the Yellowjackets are holding teams to an average of 47.8 points per game defensively.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets will be back in action after the calendar turns to 2026, heading west to resume GNAC play against Seattle Pacific University on Saturday, January 3 at Brougham Pavilion. Tipoff is set for 3 PM MT (2 PM PT), with live video available on the GNAC Network, and live statistics available here.