BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team would continue it's run of wins on Saturday afternoon against Seattle Pacific University, using a shutdown defensive performance to run away with a dominant 74-39 victory in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
The Yellowjackets (13-10, 5-5 GNAC) would extend their winning streak to three in a row, using an impressive defensive effort to guide their way to victory. MSUB would hold the Falcons (6-13, 3-7 GNAC) to just 14-58 (24.1%) shooting in the game, and 3-23 (13%) shooting from three-point range, while forcing 21 turnovers as they made life difficult for the Falcons all game offensively.
 
"It starts with preparation," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin when asked about his team's defensive efforts. "Alisha, Janiel, and Kortney do a great job of scouting and helping us implement a gameplan. And our players do a great job of studying that and working on it. We switched some defenses up because SPU had been playing well offensively coming into this one, we needed to guard the three-point line, and we did that really well today which was key."
 
On offense, MSUB shot 28-73 (38.4%) from the field and 6-18 (33.3%) from three. The 'Jackets would also find success from the free throw line, hitting 12-14 (85.7%) of their chances. The 'Jackets would also continue their trend of dominating on the glass, outrebounding the Falcons 50-39 overall, and 15-9 on the offensive boards, turning those chances into 14 second chance points. The 'Jackets would also dominate in the paint, outscoring the Falcons inside 42-16.
 
"I thought we started a little slow on the offensive end," Woodin said. "Give SPU their credit for keeping it close and hitting tough back-to-back threes, but I thought we responded well offensively to pull away. Then in the second half we played really good team basketball to keep our foot on the pedal."
 
Cassie Chesnut would collect her seventh double-double of the season, with the freshman grabbing 21 points and 11 rebounds. Chesnut would go 6-13 from the field and 3-6 from beyond the arc, while also grabbing a pair of blocks. Kyla Momberg would post 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Allison Kunze scored ten points with a pair of rebounds, an assist, and a block. Kaitlin Grossman grabbed ten rebounds to go with seven points, while Rae Smart would put in a great all-around performance with six points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Katelyn Hamilton would score five points with two rebounds and an assist, while Tailey Harris and Avery Burkhart each scored four points, with Harris adding three rebounds, three steals, and two assists, and Burkhart grabbing a rebound and a steal. Alli Ligocki would score three points with three rebounds, Brooklynn Brennan scored two points with three rebounds, assist, and steals each, while Lauren Kuhbacher scored one point with a pair of boards.
 
The game would start off in an even battle, with the teams trading the lead back-and-forth through the first quarter of action. After five straight points from Chesnut would help the 'Jackets take the lead a three-point lead with 2:47 remaining, it would spark a 12-4 run to end the first quarter, with MSUB leading by six going into the second quarter. The Falcons would make a push to rally back as the second quarter began, pulling back to tie the game twice in the period. But the Yellowjackets would lock back in on both sides of the ball in response, pushing the gap back open with a 17-2 run across the final 5:13 of action in the first half, quickly flipping the game script around and taking a 39-24 lead into halftime.
 
In the second half, the Yellowjackets would put their foot on the gas and never let up. Despite a sluggish start to the third quarter on the offensive end of the floor, MSUB would hold the Falcons to just six points in the third, holding the visitors to just 2-14 (14.3%) shooting and forcing five turnovers to continue and add to their lead. Then in the fourth quarter, MSUB would respond by putting together it's highest scoring period of the game, putting up 23 points on 58.8% shooting down the stretch as they continued to run away from the Falcons, allowing the Falcons to score just 15 minutes across the final 20 minutes on their way to a 35-point victory, reaching the .500 mark in GNAC play for the first time this season.
 
THE BUZZ: Chesnut was named the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… MSUB's 39 points allowed were the least a team has scored on the 'Jackets this season… The Yellowjackets clinched a season sweep in conference play against Seattle Pacific, while moving to 11 consecutive wins against the Falcons, the longest winning streak MSUB holds against any GNAC team.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB will pack Alterowitz Gym in pink on Thursday, February 5 at 7:30 PM, as MSUB hosts Saint Martin's University for the Yellowjacket's annual Pink Game. Live video can be found on the GNAC Network, while live statistics can be found online here. Tickets are available for purchase online here.