BILLINGS, Mont. – Hosting it's annual Pink Night on Thursday, the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team was upended by Saint Martin's University, falling 68-47 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
The Yellowjackets (13-11, 5-6 GNAC) and Saints (13-8, 9-3 GNAC) would keep things close in the first half, but Saint Martin's would blow past the Yellowjackets with a huge second half effort, outscoring MSUB 38-24 across the final two periods of action to claim victory. The Saints would be boosted by a strong effort from beyond the arch, hitting 11-23 (47.8%) of their shots from three-point range, while the 'Jackets struggled to generate much offensive momentum in the game following the first quarter, shooting 18-55 (32.7%) overall in the game and scoring just 15 points between the second and third quarters.
 
"Saint Martin's played a great game tonight," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "They were great on the defensive end, and shot the three-pointer very well. Over the course of this season one of our strengths has been our ability to outrebound an opponent, and they beat us on the glass by 13. I think that was the key to the game. We just didn't make enough open shots, and a lot of that was due to their great defense. I thought we had some opportunities to cut further into that lead in the second and third quarter, but just couldn't overcome some of our offensive inefficiencies. Defensively I thought we hung in there and guarded well despite some struggles on the perimeter. We just couldn't overcome a tough middle stretch, and that's why we fell short."
 
Kyla Momberg finished as the lone Yellowjacket in double figures for scoring, posting 13 points to go with two rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Cassie Chesnut scored nine points while grabbing 13 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. Kaitlin Grossman and Allison Kunze each finished with six points, while Rae Smart scored five points with three boards. Tailey Harris scored three points with four assists and a pair of steals and blocks each, while Alli Ligocki likewise scored three points with two rebounds, and Lauren Kuhbacher scored two points with three rebounds.
 
A hot start to the game would see MSUB open up an 8-2 lead after the first two and a half minutes of action, with back-to-back threes from Chesnut and Harris highlighting the run. But the Saints would come storming back to close the gap with a 9-0 run of their own to retake the lead. From there, the two squads would trade shots in an evenly contested first quarter, with the Saints appearing to take the lead with a pair of free throws with :16 seconds remaining before a last-second layup from Momberg tied the contest back up at 17-all going into the second quarter. That period would belong to the Saints though, who outscored the Yellowjackets 13-6 across a low-scoring second, helped by a 10-2 run over the first 6:35 of the third quarter, holding a 30-23 lead over the 'Jackets going into the second half.
 
A defense-heavy start to the second half would see the team's trade baskets across the first half of the third quarter, but Saint Martin's would catch fire down the stretch with a 9-3 run to conclude the quarter, using that stretch to push their lead to 47-32 going into the fourth quarter. The Saints would continue to put their foot on the gas from there, opening the fourth quarter by sparking another 9-2 run and building up a sizable cushion down the stretch as they closed out the Yellowjackets to collect the win.
 
THE BUZZ: Momberg was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… despite it's struggles from the field, MSUB took good care of the ball, committing a season-low seven turnovers.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets conclude a three-game homestand on Saturday, February 7 when they take on Western Oregon University at Alterowitz Gym, with tipoff scheduled for 4:15 PM. The game will be the Yellowjacket's annual Red Out, hosted in conjunction with the MSUB Native American Achievement Center, with a remembrance walk set for halftime of the game. Live video will be available on the GNAC Network, and live statistics will be available here. Tickets will be available online here or at the gate, with $5 off for any fans wearing red to the game.