FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team finished off it's final road trip of the regular season with a dominant win over University of Alaska Fairbanks in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
Looking to rebound following a loss on Thursday, the #16 Yellowjackets (24-5, 12-3 GNAC) would do just that, leading by double-digits for the majority of the game as they proved to be too much to handle for the Nanooks (6-18, 1-15 GNAC). MSUB would be hard to break down defensively for the entire game, holding Fairbanks to just 29.1% shooting from the field, while the 'Jackets would shoot 46.8% in total, and would make 11 three-pointers at a 40.7% clip to blow past the Nanooks and head back to Billings with a win.
 
"Today was a great win for us," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "Great comeback win for us after Thursday's loss. We played an excellent team game on both ends. I really liked our defensive effort, especially in the first half. We knew rebounding was going to be a factor too, and plus 11 on that end is what we really needed."
 
The game would also feature a pair of impressive accolades for the Yellowjackets, with two seniors setting impressive career milestones. At the end of the first quarter, a corner three from Dyauni Boyce would put the senior forward above the 1,500 career points landmark. Now sitting at 1,510, Boyce became the ninth, and the 17^th player in the history of the GNAC to exceed that total.
 
"1,500 points is an amazing accomplishment," Woodin remarked in regard to Boyce's achievement. "Dyauni plays on a team that shares the ball, but she is a terrific scorer and can score from anywhere on the court. She's improved year-over-year here, and her ability to score from the inside, outside, and get to the free throw line shows how much her versatility means to us."
 
Then in the fourth quarter, back-to-back threes from Aspen Giese would see the senior guard break the MSUB record for three-pointers made in a single season with 89. Giese broke the record of 88 previously set by Alira Carpenter, a record that has stood since the 2006-2007 season.
 
"Aspen has had an incredible senior season," Woodin praised. "She's really come into her own as a shooter, and has become a go-to player for us. She puts in the time in practice to get better, and I'm excited for the weeks ahead for her as she keeps adding to her total."
 
 
Giese would finish the game with a double-double, totaling 17 points and 11 rebounds while adding a pair of assists and steals. She would shoot 5-9 from three in the game, and 6-13 overall. Boyce would score 14 points, adding eight boards, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Behind them, Chloe Williams would total 13 points on perfect 5-5 shooting from the field, adding six rebounds, two steals, and an assist. Chenoa Louie would also shoot perfectly from the field in the game, going 4-4 for eight points and three rebounds, and Layla Baumann would also total eight points to go with a rebound and an assist. Kortney Nelson would finish with six points, five assists, three rebounds, and a steal, while Kaitlin Grossman added five points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block. Indie Browning would get two points with an assist, and Bailey Finn would score one point.
 
"We shot the ball well, and shared the ball as a unit," Woodin said. "We were effective from the three-point line today, but I thought so much of that opened up for us because of the way got the ball into the paint, and attacked inside-outside offensively."
 
The first quarter would open with the Yellowjackets and Nanooks trading baskets, with the Yellowjackets taking a small lead at the 7:33 mark, which they would never give back for the remainder of the game. The Yellowjackets would truly assert control as the quarter ended however, with MSUB finishing the quarter on an 11-4 run, taking an 11-point advantage into the second quarter. The second quarter would follow a similar script, with a tightly contested, low scoring opening minutes giving way to an impressive run to end the quarter. This time it would be a 16-2 run across the last 5:39 of the period, with five different Yellowjackets getting in on the scoring down the stretch. MSUB would shoot an identical 47.1% across both quarters to open the game, while holding the Nanooks to just 20.7% shooting and one made three in the first half, helping MSUB head into halftime ahead 36-14.
  
The third quarter would see MSUB catch fire from beyond the arc, with the 'Jackets hitting 5-8 (62.5%) looks from long range, and shooting 8-14 (57.1%) overall in the quarter. While the Nanooks would begin to pick things up on the offensive end, they wouldn't be able to stop the Yellowjackets potent offense, falling behind by even more heading into the fourth quarter. From there is was simply a matter of time for the Yellowjackets, who would continue to make things difficult for Fairbanks on both ends of the court in the final period of action as MSUB would seal their 13^th victory in GNAC play this season, and head into the final week of regular season action with a win.
 
THE BUZZ: Giese was named the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… her now 89 three-pointers this season lead the GNAC, while her 41.6% shooting mark ranks second in the conference… Giese now ranks fifth all-time in GNAC history for three-pointers made in a season… Boyce ranks ninth in points scored in program history, just three points behind Taryn Shelley and nine behind Megan Mason-Dickerson for eighth and seventh respectively... with two games remaining in the regular season, MSUB sits in second place in the GNAC Standings, and will look to seal a bye in the first round of the GNAC Championships next week… MSUB is now 62-15 all-time in games against the Nanooks, including the past seven meetings between the two teams.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets return home to conclude the final week of regular season action, beginning things on Thursday, February 27 with a matchup against Simon Fraser University at Alterowitz Gym. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 PM, with live video available here, and live statistics available here. Tickets are available for purchase online here.