Lady Jackets Win Opener, Down Wolves (11/17/06)
Box Score
Game Photos

BILLINGS, MT – Balanced scoring and solid post play gave the Montana State-Billings women’s basketball team a season-opening 77-62 win over Western Oregon Friday in the late game of the Chinook Wireless/Holiday Inn Grand Montana Yellowjacket Classic.  North Dakota hung on for a 69-66 over Metro State in the early game.  MSU Billings and North Dakota will square off in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.  Western Oregon and Metro State will meet at 5:00.

MSUB 77, WOU 62

The Wolves jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first two possessions of the game and led for the first four minutes.  An Alira Carpenter (Lewistown, MT) 3-pointer at the 15:50 mark tied the game at 7-7, and a Kayla McPherson (Glendive, MT) layup on the next possession gave MSUB its first lead of the game.  The Yellowjackets never trailed again.

“It was a nice way to start our season,” said Yellowjacket coach Kevin Woodin.  “The game was played at a very fast pace, and we were able to build a little cushion in the first half.  However, you have to give WOU a lot of credit as they wouldn’t go away.  Greg (Bruce) has them playing very determined.  They put a lot of pressure on our defense by the dribble, but all in all I thought we defended pretty well as a team.”

The closest Western Oregon would get the rest of the night was at 20-18 on a Brittany MacGregor jumper with 9:13 to play in the first half.  The Yellowjackets built their lead to a dozen by halftime and led by as many as 19 in the second half. 

Four Yellowjackets scored in double figures, and the Jackets’ two post players each recorded double-doubles.  Michelle Lieber (Gillette, WY) led all players with 20 points and 16 rebounds.  She was 8-of-11 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line.  Freshman forward Dani Henderson (Reed Point, MT) scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in her first collegiate game.  The Yellowjackets out-rebounded the Wolves 64-33 and scored 28 second chance points.

Carpenter and Shantell Marquis (Cascade, MT) combined for five of the Jackets’ nine 3-pointers.  Carpenter knocked down a pair of threes and scored 12 points to go with a game-high five assists.  Marquis was 3-of-4 from behind the arc and netted 10 points.  Sophomore guard Jetton Meadors (Billings, MT) scored a career-high eight points and handed out three assists.

“Offensively, I felt we were more patient in the second half, and I thought Shantell Marquis and Dani Henderson really made some big shots for us in the second half,” said Woodin.  “Dani hit a couple shots early, and Shantell’s two threes late were big.  Lieber was her usual force on the boards, and she did a good job offensively in the post, especially in the second half.”

The Wolves were paced by Leada Berkey’s double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds.  She was 7-of-19 from the field and was one of five Wolves to go 2-of-2 at the free throw line.  WOU was 10-of-10 from the line in the game.  MacGregor added 13 points and a team-high four assists.

UND 69, MSC 66

Second-ranked North Dakota built a big lead then had to come from behind in the final minutes to escape Metro State in the early game.  The Fighting Sioux led 41-27 by halftime and built their lead to 19 at 49-30 with 17:29 to play.  That’s when Metro State’s Anne-Marie Torp went wild.

Torp, who didn’t attempt a shot in the first half, scored 20 points in the game’s final 18 minutes to spark the Roadrunners’ comeback.  Her fast break layup with 13:42 to play cut the Sioux’s lead to single digits at 49-41.  A Torp jumper with 2:51 to play cut the lead to one at 62-61.

Megan Sinclair gave the Roadrunners their first lead of the game when she converted a three-point play in the paint with 2:23 remaining.  The biggest play of the game came a minute and a half later when UND’s Danye Guinn drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key with the Sioux trailing 66-64.  Guinn then gave North Dakota a three-point lead, knocking down two free throws with 22 seconds on the clock.  The Roadrunners were unable to get off a 3-point attempt in the closing seconds.

North Dakota sophomore Kayla Bagaason scored a career-high 19 points to lead the Fighting Sioux.  She was 7-of-12 from the field and 3-of-8 from behind the arc.  Guinn finished with 13 points, five of which came in the final minute.  Carissa Jahner added 11 points, hitting 5-of-6 from the free throw line.  UND was 14-of-16 from the line in the game and out-rebounded the Roadrunners 37-21. 

The Roadrunners were led by Torp’s 20 points.  She was 8-of-9 from the free throw line as Metro converted 15-of-16 from the charity stripe in the game.  Cassondra Bratton was 4-of-6 from the field for 11 points.  Danielle Ellerington added 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting.  Sinclair handed out a game-high five assists and had two steals.  The Runners scored 28 points off Sioux turnovers.