LACEY, Wash. – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team gutted out a hard-fought road victory against Saint Martin's University, collecting a 48-43 win in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
The #18 Yellowjackets (20-4, 9-2 GNAC) and Saints (12-9, 5-7 GNAC) both struggled to find continued momentum on the offensive end, with the two teams shooting 31.0% and 32.1% respectively from the field. But the Yellowjackets would hold a narrow rebounding advantage and despite three steals, would help force 17 Saints turnovers, while taking good care of the ball and avoiding mistakes on offense. Scoring wise, MSUB dominated in the paint, outscoring the Saints 30-22 from the inside to help grind out the win in a defensive battle.
 
"This was a real hard-fought conference win," said Yellowjacket head coach Kevin Woodin. "I was very proud of our team for hanging in there. We didn't shoot the ball very well tonight, especially from the three-point line, but we still found a way to come out on top. Our whole team did a great job of working together and executing on defense, and Alisha put together a great game plan. We did a great job on that end, especially in the middle two quarters."
 
Every player that entered the game for MSUB scored a basket, with Aspen Giese finishing as the Yellowjacket's leading scorer in the game. The senior guard scored 11 points with a trio of three-pointers, and added three rebounds and two assists. Kortney Nelson collected a double-double with ten points and 12 rebounds, knocking down 6-8 from the free throw line and not committing a single turnover. Dyauni Boyce scored eight with eight rebounds and four assists, while Chloe Williams did a bit of everything with seven points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals, and a block. Chenoa Louie scored six points with two rebounds and a block in her first trip back since transferring from Saint Martin's. Meanwhile Layla Baumann scored four points with a pair of rebounds, and Kaitlin Grossman had two points, six rebounds, and a block.
 
The first quarter saw both teams find some success offensively, with the two sides trading off baskets for the entire opening ten minutes. The Saints would jump out to an early 4-0 lead, but after two made layups by the 'Jackets, neither team would score in consecutive trips down the court until a pair of layups in the final minute of the period. MSUB and SMU would head into the second quarter tied 14-14, but it would be the Yellowjackets who would make the necessary adjustments in the second quarter. Despite shooting 0-7 from three and just 31.3% from the field in the quarter, the 'Jackets would build up a small advantage, outscoring the Saints 12-6 and limiting the Saints to just two made shots (2-14) in the period, giving MSUB the 26-20 advantage heading into halftime.
 
The second half would see the two squads continuing to struggle from the field, with neither team able to shoot higher than 30% in the quarter. But the Yellowjackets would expand their lead to eight, with MSUB's defense continuing to shine as they held the Saints to only three made baskets, and forced six turnovers. The Saints would manage to scrap back to make it close in the fourth quarter, with MSUB shooting just 2-11 down the stretch to pull the game back to within one basket. But the Yellowjackets would make enough free throws down the stretch to stay ahead, pulling out the win in a low-scoring game.
 
"Saint Martin's gave us a challenge all game," said Woodin. "They're a good team, and tough to beat at home. They guarded us well down the stretch, and we missed shots all game that usually go in for us. But I was proud of our team for finding a way to win, and we're looking forward to our next game on this road trip."
 
THE BUZZ: Nelson was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… the Yellowjackets clinched the program's third consecutive 20-win season, and the 16^th 20-win season in program history… Nelson's double-double was her first of the season, and the fifth of her Yellowjacket career… MSUB completed a season sweep of the Saints, and moved to 38-12 against Saint Martin's all-time, including eight consecutive wins.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB heads south to Monmouth, Oregon to face off against Western Oregon University next on Saturday, February 8. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 PM MT (2 PM PT). Live video will be available here, and live statistics available here.