Lady Yellowjackets Are NCAA Tournament Bound (Mar. 6, 2004)
Sights Set on Top Seed Seattle Pacific

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings women’s basketball team was selected for its ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1994 Sunday night.  After returning from a two game trip to Western New Mexico, the team gathered in a classroom to watch the selection show together Sunday night. 

The Yellowjackets earned the No. 8 seed in the eight team regional tournament and will face No. 1 Seattle Pacific Friday night in Seattle.  The top-ranked Falcons will host the tournament at Brougham Pavilion.  The first round games will be played on Friday, March 11.  Friday’s winners will meet Saturday night for the regional semifinals, and the championship game will be played on Monday, March 14.

The Yellowjackets last qualified for the NCAA Tournament two years ago.  Seattle Pacific hosted that tournament as well.  MSU Billings defeated Central Washington in the opening round before falling to unbeaten and top-ranked Seattle Pacific in the semifinals.  The last time the Yellowjackets and Falcons played was November 22, 2003 when SPU defeated the Jackets 66-42 in Seattle.

Seattle Pacific was 25-2 in the regular season and won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title.  The Falcons, currently ranked fourth in the nation, are hosting the NCAA West Regional for the third consecutive year.  They are led by all-region guard Amy Taylor, who averages 12.6 points and 3.8 assists per game.  Mandy Wood adds 11.1 points and 3.4 assists per game.  Post player Carli Smith averages a double-double of 10.7 points and 10.1 rebounds.  Brittney Kroon adds 7.0 ppg and set a GNAC record with 101 blocked shots this year.

The Yellowjackets are led by all-region center Robyn Milne.  The senior from Richey, MT averaged a double-double of 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds a game.  She set new school records for career rebounds and career blocked shots this season.  She had 100 blocks this year and needs just one more to tie the school single season record.

Tanya Petersen, a junior forward from Billings, led the team in scoring for the second straight year.  She averaged 15.1 points and 5.7 rebounds a game.  The Yellowjackets rely heavily on their three post players.  Sophomore forward Michelle Lieber, a transfer from Wyoming, averaged 9.0 points and 8.2 rebounds in her first season as a Yellowjacket.

Guards Shannon Harvey (So., Billings, MT) and Jenny Langford (Jr., Reedpoint, MT) combined for 98 of the team’s 167 three-point field goals during the regular season.  Harvey averaged 7.8 points a game, and Langford added 7.4.

The tournament begins with Friday’s afternoon session where No. 3 Chico State faces No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona at 12:30 p.m.  No. 2 Western Washington and No. 7 Cal State-Dominguez Hills will meet in the second game of the first session at 2:30.  The night session begins at 5:30 p.m. when No. 4 St. Martin’s takes on No. 5 Cal State-Bakersfield.  The Yellowjackets and Falcons will play in the nightcap at 7:30.  The game will be broadcast live on AM 970 KBUL in Billings and on the internet at www.msubillings.edu/athletics.

The Yellowjackets will leave for Seattle on Wednesday and practice at Brougham Pavilion on Thursday.  Yellowjacket fans traveling to the tournament can call the MSU Billings athletics department at 657-2369 for more tournament information.

NCAA West Region Tournament Pairings and Game Times
Friday, March 11
12:30 p.m. – No. 3 Chico State vs. No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona
2:30 p.m. – No. 2 Western Washington vs. No. 7 Cal State-Dominguez Hills
5:30 p.m. – No. 4 St. Martin’s vs. No. 5 Cal State-Bakersfield
7:30 p.m. – No. 1 Seattle Pacific vs. No. 8 Montana State-Billings

Saturday, March 12
5:00 p.m. – Semifinal, winner game 1 vs. winner game 2
7:00 p.m. – Semifinal, winner game 3 vs. winner game 4

Monday, March 14
7:00 p.m. – NCAA West Region Championship

NCAA West Region Ticket Prices (for tickets call 206-281-2085)
Reserved - $10
General Admission - $7
Youth/Student GA - $5