Friday, March 4, 2016

LACEY, Wash. – Montana State Billings opened the season picked to finish seventh in the preseason coaches poll. Now the No. 3 seed Yellowjackets will be playing for the GNAC Women’s Basketball Championships title after rolling past No. 2 seed Western Washington 78-60 in the semifinals at Saint Martin’s University’s Marcus Pavilion.

The Yellowjackets pulled away after a close first quarter, outscoring the Vikings 17-7 in the second quarter and 18-11 in the third quarter to build their winning margin. Montana State Billings closed the night shooting 45.2 percent from the field (28-62) while out-rebounding the Vikings 44-33. The Yellowjackets also scored 26 points off of 16 Western Washington turnovers.

Alisha Breen had another big game for Montana State Billings, finishing with a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds. Rylee Kane and Monica Grimsrud each scored 11 while Janiel Olson finished with 10 points.

Taylor Peacocke led Western Washington with 17 points as the Vikings shot 37.5 percent for the contest (21-56). Kiana Gandy added 16 points on 8 of 18 from the field.

Montana State Billings (21-9) will play against the winner of the second semifinal game between No. 1 Alaska Anchorage and No. 4 Simon Fraser. The title game will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed on GNAC.tv. The contest will also be aired by the American Sports Network as part of its Division II Basketball Showcase.

Western Washington bolted out of the gate, making three of their first four shots to take a 7-0 lead on Gandy’s lay-up less than two minutes in. Montana State Billings came right back to tie it at 9-9 on Breen’s jumper midway through the period and took a one-point lead late before Alyssa Evan’s free throw tied it at 16-16 at the end of the quarter. The second quarter belonged to the Yellowjackets, who bolted out on a 12-0 over the first five minutes of the period and took the 28-16 lead on Olson’s three-pointer. Montana State Billings outscored Western Washington 17-7 for the quarter and took a 33-23 game into halftime.

The Yellowjackets continued their tear in the third, opening with a 9-0 run over opening fourminutes and took a 42-25 lead on Breen’s lay-up at the 6:48 mark before Kayla Bernsen scored WWU’s first points of the period with her lay-in with 6:08 left. Gandy brought the back the Vikings back within 13 with her lay-in with 4L31 left, but the Yellowjackets kept the pressure on as Vanessa Stavish’s three-pointer allowed Montana State Billings a 51-34 lead by the end of the frame. Stavish and Breen hit back-to-back jumpers to give the Yellowjackets a 21-point lead, 55-34, with 8:24 left. The Yellowjackets built their lead up to 24 points late.