Lady Yellowjackets Escape with Win over Alumni (November 9, 2002)

BILLINGS, MT – The MSU Billings Yellowjackets trailed by eight at halftime and as late as the 4:00 mark of the second half, but managed to pull out a 74-69 win over the AAU Yellowjacket Alumni team on Saturday. Senior Natalie Visger led the Jackets with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field.

The Yellowjacket Alumni jumped on top of the Yellowjackets early, leading by as many as 12 points in the first half.  The Alumni relied on several hot hands in the opening 20 minutes, hitting seven 3-pointers while shooting 54-percent from behind the arc.  Kami Malnaa and Jenny Winter each finished with three 3-pointers.

The Yellowjackets adjusted to the Alumni’s long-range shooting in the second half, holding them to 1-for-9 in the final 20 minutes.  It still took until around the four-minute mark for the Jackets to catch the Alumni on the scoreboard.  Deena Bartu, a 1991 graduate, scored a game-high 24 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field.

The trademark defense that helped the Yellowjackets to the No. 3 ranking in the West Region a year ago held the Alumni to 22-percent shooting in the second half.  Senior Joan Lanford scored 13 points, including three 3-pointers, and grabbed nine rebounds.  Senior Jessica Bachmann added 10 points.

All eleven Yellowjackets on the roster saw playing time in the game.  Freshman Jenny Langford scored nine points, making all four of her free throw attempts.  Sophomore Robyn Milne led all players with 10 rebounds.  She also added three blocked shots.  School record holder Jessie Henigman blocked four shots.

MSU Billings is scheduled to hold a final Blue-Gold Scrimmage on November 15 before opening the season on November 22 when the Yellowjackets host University of California-San Diego.