Lady Jackets Down UC-San Diego 75-65 to Open Season (November 22, 2002)
BILLINGS, MT – Jessica Bachmann scored 18 points to lead the MSU Billings
Yellowjackets to a season-opening win over UC-San
Diego Friday night. It was the senior guard’s
third-highest point total of her career as the
Yellowjackets held on to a 41-30 halftime lead to
win 75-65.
In a game that saw both teams
commit early-season mistakes, the teams combined for
36 turnovers. The difference was the Yellowjackets’
ability to hit their shots, shooting 42-percent from
the floor while holding the Tritons to a 36-percent
field goal percentage. The biggest difference was
in the opening half as MSUB shot 50-percent from the
floor and held UCSD to only 32-percent.
UC-San Diego seemed to find its
offensive rhythm in the second half, but MSU Billings
was able to counter with strong 3-point shooting.
The Jackets sank five of their 10 attempts from
beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes to finish the
game with seven 3-pointers. Senior guard Joan
Langford had four 3-pointers and sophomore Kayla Frize added three. Frize finished with 14 points in her
first game as a Yellowjacket while Langford netted
13 in her first game back after missing all of last
season with a shoulder injury.
The Tritons, who also lost to
MSUB by ten last year, were led by Ali Ginn and
Margaret Johnson who both netted 12 points. Johnson
made all eight of her free throw attempts while Ginn
made 5-of-12 attempts from the field. Johnson also
finished with a team-high nine rebounds.
On the defensive end of the
floor, MSU Billings was once again anchored by its
two shot blockers. Senior Jessie Henigman finished with five blocked shots and sophomore Robyn Milne swatted four. Milne also finished with a game-high
10 rebounds. Both centers finished in the top 20 in
the nation last season for blocked shots.
MSU Billings and UC-San Diego
will meet again Saturday night at Alterowitz
Gymnasium with tip-off at 6:00 p.m. The
Yellowjacket men’s team will host Cal State-San
Bernardino at 8:00 p.m. |
