Lady Jackets Fall at Montana (Dec. 4, 2003) 
Box Score

MISSOULA, MT – The Montana Grizzlies used a 21-2 run to open the game in an 80-43 runaway over the Lady Yellowjackets on Thursday night.  MSU Billings scored just nine first half points, shooting 10-percent from the field in the opening stanza, to dig a hole they couldn’t climb out.

The Yellowjackets didn’t score until the 12:18 point of the first half when Jenny Langford’s jumper from the right side broke the scoreless drought.  MSUB couldn’t connect on another field goal attempt until there was just 1:32 left in the first half when Robyn Milne’s layup made the score 31-6 in favor of Montana.  Shannon Harvey’s 3-pointer with seven seconds left in the half sent the Lady Jackets into the locker room trailing 35-9.

“We were getting some good shots early in the game,” said Yellowjacket coach Melissa Slone, “but we just didn’t shoot well.  They only had two more attempts than we did in the first half, but they made nine more shots.  Then we had some bad turnovers that hurt.  Thirteen of our (21) turnovers were from our post players.”

While the Yellowjacket defense didn’t play poorly, limiting the Lady Griz to 39-percent shooting in the first half, the offense didn’t show up until the closing minutes.  MSUB trailed 61-14 with just over nine minutes remaining in the game.  The Lady Jackets outscored Montana 29-19 from that point—including long 3-pointers from Jenny Auer, Sophia Forney, and Harvey—but the game was long out of reach.

Tanya Petersen finished with a team-high 11 points, five of which came on back-to-back possessions late in the game.  She also had six rebounds and was 2-of-3 from 3-point range.  Harvey added ten points on three 3-pointers and a free throw.  Milne failed to reach a double-double for just the second time this season, scoring four points to go with a team-high 11 rebounds.

Montana was led by Crystal Baird’s 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field.  The 6-foot-3 post player was also 3-of-4 from 3-point.  Five Grizzlies scored in double figures.

Montana improved to 4-1 with the win while the Yellowjackets dropped to 3-3.  MSUB has yet to win, or lose, back-to-back games this season.  They will play Wyoming in Casper on December 13.  The game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. at the Casper Events Center.