Lady Jackets Hold off Cardinals, 75-62 (1/11/06)
Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, TX – The Montana State-Billings women’s basketball team held off Heartland Conference opponent Incarnate Word winning 75-62 Wednesday night in San Antonio.  After a shaky 1-4 start to the season, the Lady Jackets seem to be in command charging their way toward the Heartland Conference tournament.  The win marks eight in a row for the Lady Jackets and improves the team to 9-4 overall and 3-1 in the conference.  The Cardinals drop to 2-12 and 0-1.

“It was important that we get the win tonight,” said Yellowjacket head coach Kevin Woodin.  “We were at home for 39 days so to play in a new environment is always tough.  We were able to move the ball better in the second half and our free throws coming down the stretch were important points for us.”

The Lady Jackets took the quick 7-2 lead over the Cardinals with the team's first 11 points coming from Michelle Lieber (Jr., Gillette, WY) and Jenny Langford (Sr., Reed Point, MT).  Back to back baskets by the Cardinals' Kim Robinson gave Incarnate Word the 13-12 lead at the 10:50 mark of the first half.  The Jackets reclaimed the lead on Langford’s second of four 3-pointers of the game with 7:16 on the clock.  Incarnate Word answered back with points from Shindler, Pink and Robinson. The Cardinals converted 10 Yellowjacket first half turnovers into 10 points to take the 31-29 lead into the locker room.

Tanya Petersen (Sr., Billings, MT) started the Jackets' 7-0 run in the second half on a made 3-pointer with 19:03 to play in the game.  The Lady Jackets held the lead until the 13:26 mark when Tasha Warren of Incarnate Word made a field goal to tie the game 41-41.  The Cardinals led by as many as four in the second half of play before Lieber’s made field goal at the 6:13 mark started a roll for the Jackets who put up 22 points over the last six minutes of the game.  Petersen had an important block with 2:38 to play stopping any potential momentum by the Cardinals.  The Jackets took their first double-digit lead of the night on a free throw by Langford with 1:26 remaining.  Desperation fouls by the Cardinals sent the Jackets to the charity stripe six times in the final minute and a half where the Jackets went 10-of-11 from the line to put the game away 75-62.

Langford led the Jackets netting a career high 24 points shooting 7-of-13 from the field, 4-of-7 from behind the arc and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.  Lieber posted another double-double grabbing 13 boards and 18 points.  Lieber also went 8-of-10 from the field.  Lisa Jellum (Sr., Gillette, WY) went 6-of-6 from the free throw line and netted nine points.  Teammate Alira Carpenter (Fr., Lewistown, MT) added 16 points.   

The Cardinals were led by Heartland Conference scoring leader Kim Robinson who posted 27 points and six steals on the night.  Erika Pink had a double-double with 11 boards and 14 points.

“The Cardinals were tough to guard, but I think we responded well,” added Woodin.  “Seventy-four of the team's 75 points came from starters so we will need to go deeper into our bench for tomorrow’s game.   We need to try and make adjustments to control Robinson’s penetration to the basket and although it is not a conference game, it is a regional counter tomorrow so we need to play well and hopefully take the win.”

The Yellowjackets play game two against the Cardinals Thursday, January 12 in San Antonio.  Tune into 970 KBUL or visit the Yellowjacket athletic website for game coverage.  Tip off is 5 p.m. local time.