Lady Jackets Stunned by No. 4 Oklahoma Panhandle (3/1/06)
Box Score              Game Photos

BILLINGS, MT – The first round game of the Heartland Conference Playoffs was a story of two different halves.  Montana State-Billings was solidly in control of the game, or so it seemed.  Oklahoma Panhandle came out of the locker room to score 49 second half points taking the surprise win over the No. 1 seed Lady Jackets 80-71. 

The Lady Jackets built themselves a 15-point lead by the 2:56 mark of the first half on solid shooting both on the inside and on the perimeter.  Back to back baskets by the Aggies and a pair of free throws dwindled the Jackets lead to nine with under a minute to play.  Jenny Langford (Sr., Reed Point, MT) knocked down a 3-pointer giving the Jackets a dozen-point lead.  At the half, the Jackets took the 41-31 lead into the locker room.

Whatever the Aggies did in the locker room at the half proved positive.  Oklahoma went on a 12-point run to tie the game 47-47 with 15:48 to play.  A Michelle Lieber (Jr., Gillette, WY) lay-up put the Jackets back on top, but only temporarily.  Aggie Bridgett Boykin nailed a three at 15:05 giving the Aggies the lead.  The Aggies hit four 3-pointers in the next three minutes and were up by six.  The Lady Jackets were unable to keep up the pace and a Taneisha Rogers 3-pointer seemed to have put the game away for the Aggies.  Langford made a lay-up with less than five minutes to play inspiring the Jackets to go on an 8-point run.  Trying to stall the clock, the Jackets sent the Aggies to the line where they shot 24-of-27 from the charity stripe to end the Lady Jackets hopes of a NCAA Tournament appearance.

The leading scorer was the ever-impressive Lieber.  Lieber notched her fourteenth double-double on the season and earned two career-highs in the process with 31 points and 19 rebounds.  Tanya Petersen (Sr., Billings, MT) also had a double-double racking up 17 points and 11 rebounds.  Petersen also had two blocked shots.  Langford added nine points.

Four Aggies scored in double figures and were led by Rogers with 25 points.  Rogers went 7-of-18 from the field, 2-of-10 from the perimeter and 9-of-11 from the line.  Nina Kuleff had a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.    Boykin and Diana Garduno netted 15 and 11 points respectively.

The Lady Jackets end the 2005-2006 season 19-8 overall and 9-3 in the Heartland Conference.  The Aggies win improved them to 15-13 and 7-5 in the league.  No. 3 St. Mary’s downed No. 2 St. Edward’s Wednesday in Austin by a score of 63-59.  The win advances St. Mary’s to the championship round where they will meet Oklahoma Panhandle for the Heartland Conference title and the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.