Lady Jackets Survive OT Scare from ‘Lopes (Feb. 19, 2005)
Box Score

BILLINGS, MT – Just one day after a 21 point win, Montana State-Billings needed overtime Saturday night to dispatch Grand Canyon University.  The Lady Yellowjackets outscored the Antelopes 10-7 in the extra period, winning 80-77 to improve to 17-6. 

Senior Robyn Milne capped off her final home game by hitting the game winning basket with 18 seconds left in overtime.  The Yellowjackets swung the ball from left to right around the perimeter, setting up guard Jenny Langford’s entry pass into Milne who had sealed her defender in the paint.  Milne made the layup and was fouled; her free throw gave the Jackets their final margin of victory.

“We were fortunate to get to overtime,” said Yellowjacket coach Kevin Woodin.  “It would be easy to say we struggled tonight, but I think it was more Grand Canyon played well.  I was proud of our effort, but it seemed like at times we played not to lose rather than to win the game.  But we found a way to win, and it was nice for Robyn to get the game winning basket in her final home game.”

After having little success in the paint in Friday’s 67-46 loss, the ‘Lopes (10-13) went to the perimeter game on Saturday.  They were a blistering 10-of-18 from 3-point range in the first half and hit their first four attempts of the game.  Stacey Alvarez’s triple just 3:11 into the contest gave Grand Canyon a 14-7 lead. 

Back-to-back baskets from reserve forward Jessica Bratton ended an 11-3 Yellowjacket run that gave MSUB an 18-17 lead and slowed the ‘Lopes momentum.  Bratton’s second basket with 13:32 to play in the first half erased Grand Canyon’s final lead of the game, but the Jackets were never able to put the game away.

“I’ll give them a lot of credit,” said Yellowjacket junior Tanya Petersen.  “They played a tough game.  We let them have some threes.  Number 15 was hard to guard.”

The ‘Lopes number 15 was guard Jennifer Cobb, who was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in the first half.  She combined with Erin Yiakos to score 27 of the ‘Lopes 38 first half points, with Yiakos knocking down three 3-pointers and 15 points. 

Behind 12 points from Milne, the Yellowjackets were able to build a tenuous 44-38 halftime lead.  Petersen scored eight first half points, and Langford added nine.

“The biggest thing was their perimeter shooting,” said Woodin.  “Give them credit.  [At halftime] we made an emphasis to stop the three in the second half, but they were still able to hit some shots.  It’s difficult to guard Cobb and [Kelly] McRee.  They’re big and able to get their shots off.”

MSU Billings found an answer for Cobb for most of the second half, holding her to just six points on a pair of 3-pointers.  But McRee made up the difference.  She scored 15 of her 23 points in the second half, including three of her five 3-pointers.  She was a perfect 5-of-5 from 3-point range in the game, and Grand Canyon hit 16-of-33 as a team.

The Yellowjackets had their opportunities to pull away midway through the second half.  Michelle Lieber’s put back at 12:59 gave MSUB a 55-47 lead.  The Jackets held eight point leads on four different occasions over the next three minutes, but the long ball pulled the ‘Lopes back into the game. 

Cobb’s 3-pointer with 4:01 to play tied the game for the fifth time, 63-63.  Jenny Langford hit a 3-pointer for the Jackets two possessions later, putting MSUB ahead 68-65 with some momentum.  But McRee answered Langford with another 3-pointer at the 1:06 mark to tie the game. 

Both teams had their chances to win in the final seconds of regulation.  Milne converted two free throws to give the Yellowjackets a two point lead with 43 seconds to play, but the defense wasn’t able to hold.  McRee’s jumper with 25 ticks on the clock tied the game at 70.

Following McRee’s basket, Alvarez came up with a steal on the inbound pass, setting up Grand Canyon with a chance to win the game.  The Yellowjackets had three fouls to give, and used all three to run the clock down, leaving the ‘Lopes with only a desperation shot as time expired.

“We had a couple chances to get four or five point leads, but we missed some shots,” said Woodin of the final minutes of regulation.  “Then they got that steal and we had only three team fouls.  We told the players in the huddle to foul when they got the ball out high, but not on a shot.  Jenny Langford did a good job.”  Langford committed back-to-back fouls in the final five seconds, essentially wasting any play the ‘Lopes had set up.

The Jackets struck first in overtime and never trailed.  Milne scored on a layup on a nice feed from Petersen to give MSUB a 72-70 lead.  On the next two Yellowjacket possessions, Lieber and Milne converted four straight free throws, giving the Jackets a 76-72 advantage with 3:27 to play.

Grand Canyon responded with a Sherlyn Hatch jumper to cut the lead to two.  After Langford hit one of two free throws, Cobb struck again with her sixth 3-pointer to tie the game at 77-77 with 39 seconds on the clock.  That set up Milne’s game winner end on the next possession.  Grand Canyon had a chance to tie the game with time running out, but Lieber blocked Cobb’s 3-point attempt from the baseline and Lisa Jellum corralled the rebound.

Milne finished the night with 26 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.  Her three blocks moved her to No. 17 on the NCAA Division II all-time list.  She was 12-of-17 from the free throw line and made her last seven attempts.

Petersen netted 17 points, and Langford finished with 15.  Lieber and Shannon Harvey each added six points off the bench.

Grand Canyon’s Yiakos ended with 22 points, including four 3-pointers.  Cobb finished the night with 18 points.  Alvarez had nine points and a game-high seven assists.

The Yellowjackets end the season with four road games.  They play at Western Oregon next Tuesday and at Rocky Mountain College next Friday.  They’ll finish with two games at Western New Mexico the following week.  MSU Billings was ranked eighth in the most recent NCAA West Region poll, and four wins would likely guarantee an NCAA Tournament berth.

“We are just looking at one game at a time,” said Petersen.  “We need to stay mentally focused.  We’re not thinking ahead of the Western Oregon game on Tuesday.  We have to get that win, then we’ll focus on the next one.”