Tuesday, April 1, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. – Following a record-breaking senior season by Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year and All-American Bobbi Knudsen, Montana State Billings won the women’s basketball regular season title and advanced to the title game of the NCAA Division II West Regional championships.

Knudsen was named a Daktronics and DII Bulletin third-team, and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association honorable mention All-American, after averaging 17.2 points per game and leading the conference with 5.8 assists per game.

The senior guard finished her four-year career as the GNAC’s all-time leader in points (1,831), assists (532), field goals made (680), field goal attempts (1,617) and minutes played (3,838).

Joining Knudsen on the all-conference first-team was GNAC Defensive Player of the Year Janiel Olson. The junior led the GNAC in rebounds per game with 9.7 and also had 7.8 points per contest. 

Senior center Chelsea Banis was the unanimous GNAC Newcomer of the Year, averaging 10.8 points and 5.8 rebounds after transferring to MSUB from Montana State.

Kayleen Goggins was the Yellowjackets’ second-leading scorer with 11.2 points per game, and earned honorable mention all-conference selection.

MSUB finished the season 25-8 overall including a perfect 15-0 record at home. The Yellowjackets won the regular season title with a record of 15-8 in GNAC play, and set a new conference single-season record for made 3-point field goals (258) and 3-point field goal attempts (795). 

MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin earned GNAC Coach of the Month honors in January and was voted the 2013-14 Coach of the Year.

Simon Fraser junior Erin Chambers was named a WBCA honorable mention all-American, after she led the GNAC in scoring with 23.1 points per game. Chambers set five GNAC single-season records, including points (692), scoring average (23.1), field goals made (220), free throws made (191) and free throw attempts (231). 

Chambers’ efforts helped the Clan to a record of 20-10 and an appearance in the semifinals of the West Regional tournament. SFU finished the regular season tied for third place at 12-6 in conference action.

Finishing the regular season in second place in the conference standings, Western Washington (19-10, 13-5 GNAC) successfully defended its 2012-13 GNAC Championships title with a 78-74 win over SFU in the conference tournament championship game.

Junior Katie Colard led the Vikings in scoring with 14.7 points per game, and senior Sarah Hill was No. 3 in the GNAC in rebounding with 9.0 per contest.

Jenni White was named GNAC tournament MVP as she helped WWU earn a berth in the West Regional tournament. The Vikings’ season ended with a first-round 77-70 loss to SFU in Pomona, Calif.

Also earning a West Regional berth this season was Alaska Anchorage, as the Seawolves picked up the No. 8 seed after tying with SFU for third place in the GNAC standings at 12-6.

UAA fell to No. 1 overall seed and host Cal Poly Pomona 60-56 in the first round of the regionals.

Led all season by second-team all-conference selections Kylie Burns and Kiki Robertson, the Seawolves set a new GNAC single-season record for steals (400) and steals per game (14.3).

Robertson’s 90 steals on the season were the most in the conference, and Burns tied with Alli Madison for the team lead in scoring with 12.4 points per game. Second year head coach Ryan McCarthy was named GNAC Coach of the Month for December. 

Finishing in a tie for fifth place in the GNAC standings was Seattle Pacific (18-9, 11-7), which was led by WBCA honorable mention all-American Katie Benson. The senior ranked second in the GNAC in scoring (19.3) and rebounding (9.1), and led the conference in double-doubles with eight.

Benson finished her career as the fifth-leading scorer in GNAC history, totaling 1,645 points over her four seasons.

Junior Suzanna Ohlsen led the conference in free-throw percentage at 91.7, and assumed the No. 1 spot in the GNAC record books with a career percentage of 89.5.

Ohlsen will take a current streak of 42 made foul shots into the 2014-15 season, and is 36 shy of tying the all-time GNAC and Division II record of 76, set by Jamey Gelhar of Saint Martin’s from Dec. 18, 2008-Feb. 28, 2009.

Earning a berth in the conference championship tournament for the first time since it was moved to a single location in the 2011-12 season, Saint Martin’s finished tied with Seattle Pacific for fifth place in the regular season standings at 11-7 in conference action.

The Saints earned a 58-48 victory over Alaska Anchorage in the quarterfinals of the tournament before falling to eventual champion Western Washington 81-71 in the semifinals. 

SMU was led by second-team all-conference selection Chelsea Haskey, who averaged 13.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The Saints led the conference defensively, holding opponents to a GNAC-low 60.7 points per game. 

SMU also set a GNAC single-season record for made free throws (591) and free throw attempts (803). Head coach Tim Healy was named the GNAC Coach of the Month for February.

Finishing in seventh place in the GNAC standings was Northwest Nazarene, which was led by first-team all-GNAC honoree Megan Hingston. The senior was the conference’s fifth-leading scorer with 16.0 points per game, and she also led the Crusaders with 7.5 rebounds per contest.

Hingston set a new GNAC standard for most made field goals with one miss in a single game, as she made 15 of 16 shots for 30 points against Cal Baptist on Nov. 30, 2013.

Senior Chelsie Luke was an honorable mention all-conference selection after averaging 15.0 points per game and shooting 89.7 percent from the foul line.

Taylor Simmons led the conference in steals per contest with 3.3, and she tied a GNAC single-game record for made free throws (16) and attempts (20) against Cal Baptist. The Crusaders’ 38 made free throws against Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 2, 2014 were a new conference single-game record. 

Led by GNAC Freshman of the Year and honorable mention all-conference pick Jordan Wilson, Alaska Fairbanks finished in eighth place in the conference standings at 3-15 in GNAC play. Wilson averaged 15.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and ranked third in the conference in field goal percentage at 55.2. 

Beginning in her first-ever collegiate game, Wilson converted 19 consecutive field goals from Nov. 8-17, 2013 to set a new conference record.

Western Oregon tied for eighth place with Alaska Fairbanks with a conference record of 3-15 during the regular season.

The Wolves’ Dana Goularte was a second-team all-GNAC standout, after ranking third in the conference in points (17.8) and fourth in rebounds (8.2) per game. Goularte also had seven double-doubles and led her team with 53 blocks and 51 steals.

Rounding out the GNAC standings in 10th place was Central Washington, finishing 2-16 in conference play. Wildcat senior Jessica VanDyke was an honorable mention all-conference selection after leading her team with 13.5 points per game.

Senior guard Ally Schmitt was second in the GNAC in assists per game with 5.0, and sophomore Jasmine Parker paced the conference in blocks per game with 2.1.

For a comprehensive 2013-14 season recap, including statistical leaders, new conference records, and team-by-team season recaps, check out the full season recap report.