Lady Yellowjackets Keep Rolling with Win at Western New Mexico (Jan. 9, 2004) 
Box Score

SILVER CITY, NM – With four players scoring double figures, MSU Billings defeated Western New Mexico Friday night, 69-52, for the Lady Jackets’ third-straight win and fifth in their last six games.  Tanya Petersen and Jenny Langford scored 13 apiece to lead all scorers.  

The Yellowjacket defense held the Mustangs to just 31-percent shooting from the field and didn’t allow a double figure scorer.  WNMU’s Ivanna Stojkovic, who averages 18 points and 12 rebounds a game, was held to just eight points and eight boards.

The Lady Jackets’ stingy defense kick started their offense as they shot 51-percent from the field and 47-percent from 3-point range.  As a team, it was the second-best shooting night of the season for MSU Billings.  The Yellowjackets shot 56-percent in a win over Humboldt State two weeks ago.

The game was tight for much of the first half before MSU Billings broke to a 34-25 halftime advantage.  Western New Mexico led by five with 7:32 remaining in the first half before back-to-back 3-pointers from Jenny Auer and Shannon Harvey erased the lead by the 5:17 mark of the half.  The Yellowjackets closed the half with a 14-6 run, and the Mustangs weren’t able to get any closer than four after halftime.

After Western closed the Jackets’ lead to 37-33 on a Nichole Ruegsegger free throw with 17:20 to play, MSU Billings used an 18-5 run to open a 17-point lead by the midway point of the second half.  Ruegsegger led all Mustang scorers with nine points, three coming at the free throw line.  The Yellowjackets built their lead to as many as 22 in the final four minutes of the game before an 8-0 Mustang run closed the gap to 14 in the final minute.  Langford’s third 3-pointer of the game ended the scoring with 20 seconds left.

Langford and Auer combined for five of the Yellowjackets’ seven 3-pointers.  Auer finished with 10 points and a career-high five assists.  Harvey was 4-of-6 from the field for 11 points.  Robyn Milne added eight points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots while playing a key role in shutting down Stojkovic.  Jamie Barker and Jessica Bratton contributed six points each..

After relying on Milne to carry the load both offensively and defensively early in the season, the Yellowjacket now have three players averaging double figures.  Milne still leads the way with 12.9 points and 12 rebounds a game.  After scoring double figures in eight of her last nine games, Petersen is averaging 11.9 points a game.  Langford is adding 10.1 points a night and leads the team with 34 three-pointers.

The Yellowjackets and Mustangs will meet again on Saturday night in Silver City.  MSU Billings improved to 8-6 overall after beginning the season 3-5.  Western New Mexico had its three-game winning streak snapped to fall to 7-8.  The loss was the Mustangs’ first at home in six starts this season.