Show-Me State Rematch for Lady Jackets at NCAA Tourney (3/4/07)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings women’s basketball team received the No. 8 seed in the NCAA South Central Regional when the NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee announced the 2007 NCAA Division II Tournament pairings Sunday night.  The Yellowjackets will face No. 1 seed and regional host Missouri Western State University in the first round of the tournament on Friday in St. Joseph, MO.

The Yellowjackets earned their tenth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last 14 seasons by winning the Heartland Conference Tournament Championship on Saturday.  The top-seeded Jackets defeated University of the Incarnate Word 62-52 to add the conference tournament title to their regular season championship.  MSUB defeated St. Mary’s University 67-64 in the semifinals on Friday.

MSU Billings earned the No. 1 seed in the Heartland Conference Tournament by going 7-3 in the conference during the regular season.  In their two seasons in the Heartland, the Yellowjackets won two regular season championships and one tournament championship.  It was their last season in the Heartland, and the NCAA Tournament will mark their final turn as a member of the NCAA South Central Region.  MSUB will move to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and the NCAA West Region beginning next season.

The Yellowjackets enter the NCAA Tourney with a 22-9 overall record.  They were ranked in the South Central Region’s top 10 for three weeks during the season before falling out of the poll on February 14.  MSUB was the only team from the Heartland to be ranked at any point this season.

In their history, the Yellowjackets have only faced three of the other seven teams that were selected for the regional.  One of those teams was Missouri Western, the fourth-ranked team in the nation.  The Griffons defeated the Yellowjackets 75-56 in St. Joseph on December 2.

MSU Billings has been led all season by the inside-outside tandem of Michelle Lieber (Gillette, WY) and Alira Carpenter (Lewistown, MT).  Lieber, the reigning Heartland Conference Player of the Year, averages 16.8 points and 8.9 rebounds a game.  She was named the conference player of the week four times this year and posted double-doubles in the Jackets’ last three games.  Carpenter is the conference leader in both scoring and 3-point shooting, averaging 16.9 points and 2.7 threes per game.  She broke the single season school record for 3-pointers this season (85) and became one of only 10 players in school history to score over 500 points in a season.

Supporting Lieber and Carpenter are five players that average between six and nine points a game.  Sophomore Kayla McPherson (Glendive, MT) averages 9.5 points and has made 64 three-pointers this season, the fourth-most in school history for a season.  McPherson and fellow sophomore Jen Smith (Belgrade, MT) played critical roles in the HLC championship game, combining for 19 first half points to spot MSUB a 14-point halftime lead.  Smith averages 7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds a game.  Sophomore point guard Jetton Meadors (Billings, MT) adds 7.5 points and 3.5 assists per game.

True freshmen Shantell Marquis (Cascade, MT) and Dani Henderson (Reed Point, MT) average 7.4 and 6.4 points respectively.  Marquis has swiped 71 steals this season, ranking her fourth in school history.  She has the unique distinction of being the only player in school history with at least 60 steals and 20 blocked shots.  Henderson is second on the team for rebounding at 5.8 per game.

NCAA South Central Region Seeds
1. Missouri Western State
2. West Texas A&M
3. Washburn
4. Texas A&M-Commerce
5. Emporia State
6. Angelo State
7. Northwest Missouri State
8. Montana State-Billings

NCAA South Central Region Pairings
#4 Texas A&M-Commerce vs. #5 Emporia State
#3 Washburn vs. #6 Angelo State
#2 West Texas A&M vs. #7 Northwest Missouri State
#1 Missouri Western State vs. #8 Montana State-Billings

NCAA South Central Region Team Capsules

#1 Missouri Western State University Griffons
Location: St. Joseph, MO
Conference: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Record: 29-3
National Rank: 4
Top Players: Ashleigh Curry, 5-8 Jr. (17.3 ppg, 66 3pt fg); Inga Busoka, 6-3 Sr. (16.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 77 blks); Jill Johnson, 5-11 Jr. (14.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg)
History vs. MSUB: defeated Jackets 75-56 at MWSU on 12/2/06

#2 West Texas A&M University Lady Buffs
Location: Canyon, TX
Conference: Lone Star Conference
Record: 27-4 (LSC runner up)
National Rank: 8
Top Players: Emily Brister, 5-9 So. (22.9 ppg, 83 3pt fg); Courtney Lee, 5-7 So. (9.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Natalie Wheeler, 509 Sr. (9.6 ppg)
History vs. MSUB: defeated Jackets 87-52 at WTAMU on 11/26/05

#3 Washburn University Lady Blues
Location: Topeka, KS
Conference: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Record: 27-3 (MIAA Champion)
National Rank: 6
Top Players: Brooke Ubelaker, 5-11 Sr. (15.2 ppg, 81 3pt fg); Sequorhea Stiger, 5-9 Jr. (13.7 ppg); Amanda Holmes, 6-2 Jr. (11.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 42 blks)
History vs. MSUB: have not played

#4 Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions
Location: Commerce, TX
Conference: Lone Star Conference
Record: 25-8 (LSC Champion)
National Rank: n/a
Top Players: Britney Jordan, 5-8 So. (18.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg); Kanani Marshall, 5-9 Sr. (18.1 ppg, 132 3pt fg); Katedria Mosley, 6-1 Jr. (12.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
History vs. MSUB: have not played

#5 Emporia State University Hornets
Location: Emporia, KS
Conference: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Record: 22-7
National Rank: 11
Top Players: Michelle Stueve, 6-2 Jr. (17.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 65 3pt fg); Cassondra Boston, 5-6 Fr. (12.2 ppg); Casey Henningsen, 6-1 Sr. (11.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
History vs. MSUB: have not played

#6 Angelo State University Rambelles
Location: San Angelo, TX
Conference: Lone Star Conference
Record: 17-11
National Rank: n/a
Top Players: Kandra Lakey, 5-10 Jr. (12.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg); Britinee Davis, 5-4 Sr. (9.3 ppg, 39 3pt fg); Meghann LeJeune, 5-10 Sr. (8.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
History vs. MSUB: have not played

#7 Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats
Location: Maryville, MO
Conference: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Record: 18-11
National Rank: n/a
Top Players: Meghan Brue, 5-10 So. (12.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg); Mandi Schumacher, 6-0 Jr. (12.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg); Kelli Nelson, 5-5 Jr. (10.7 ppg)
History vs. MSUB: defeated Jackets 95-82 at NMSU on 11/30/06

#8 Montana State University-Billings Yellowjackets
Location: Billings, MT
Conference: Heartland Conference
Record: 22-9 (HLC Champion)
National Rank: n/a
Top Players: Alira Carpenter, 5-10 So. (16.9 ppg, 85 3pt fg); Michelle Lieber, 6-0 Sr. (16.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg); Kayla McPherson, 5-10 So. (9.5 ppg, 64 3pt fg); Shantell Marquis, 5-10 Fr. (7.4 ppg, 71 stls, 20 blks)