Lady Jackets Bumped from NCAA Tourney (3/9/07)
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ST. JOSEPH, MO – All four higher seeds won Friday at the NCAA South Central Regional, including top-seeded Missouri Western State who ended the Montana State-Billings Yellowjackets’ season.  The Griffons held serve on their home court, pulling away for an 80-59 victory.  It was the second time MWSU defeated the Yellowjackets this season, also winning 75-56 on December 2 on the same court.  MSU Billings finished the season with a 22-10 overall record and the eleventh NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.

Missouri Western (30-3), ranked sixth in the nation in the most recent WBCA poll, advanced to face fourth-seed Texas A&M-Commerce in Saturday’s late semifinal.  Commerce defeated Emporia State 81-77.  In Friday’s early games, No. 3 Washburn downed No. 6 Angelo State 74-54, and No. 2 West Texas A&M got past No. 7 Northwest Missouri State 87-72.  Washburn and West Texas A&M will meet in the early semifinal game on Saturday.

“Missouri Western has an excellent team with a lot of weapons,” said Yellowjacket head coach Kevin Woodin.  “We thought that if we could keep it under 10 at the half we may have a shot, but they did a nice job of defending us and not allowing us to get shots.  We have played here before, which helped, but the crowd was loud and a lot different than our first time here.  To play a team on their own court is very hard.”

After watching three of the top four seeds prevail throughout the day, the Yellowjackets were trying to pull off the only upset of the tournament.  Alira Carpenter (Lewistown, MT) scored seven of the Jackets’ first nine points to keep MSUB close early.  A Carpenter jumper with 14:23 to play in the first half drew the Jackets to within 15-9.

Missouri Western finally opened a double-digit lead for good with 7:25 left in the half on a Yanique Javois lay-up.  The Griffons outscored the Yellowjackets 19-14 in the last seven minutes of the half for a 47-31 lead at the break.

“MSUB played with a lot of confidence just coming off a Heartland Conference title,” said Missouri Western head coach Josh Keister.  “We knew they would play hard.  We guarded MSUB well, and it helped to have a 16 point cushion at the halfway mark.  Carpenter scored 15 first half points, so we needed to stop her and we did.  It was nice to open the tournament with a win.  We were solid and sharp.”

Carpenter’s 15 first-half points came on 6-of-9 shooting from the field.  She hit 3-of-4 from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes.  The Griffons found the answer for Carpenter in the second half, holding her to just one field goal on three attempts.

A pair of Michelle Lieber (Gillette, WY) free throws with 14:58 to play pulled the Yellowjackets to within 57-42.  That was as close as they got the rest of the way.  MWSU built its lead to as many as 26 late in the second half.

Lieber finished with her fifth-straight double-double, scoring a game-high 26 points to go with 14 rebounds.  Eight of her rebounds came on the offensive end.  She finished her three-year career at MSUB as one of only seven players in school history with over 1,000 career points and 700 rebounds.

Lieber and Carpenter combined for 43 of the Jackets’ 59 points.  The next leading scorer was freshman Dani Henderson (Reed Point, MT) with five points.  MSUB shot 35 percent from the field in the game and made 4-of-13 from behind the arc.

The Griffons had four of five starters score double figures, led by Ashleigh Curry’s 22 points.  Curry was 7-of-13 from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds.  Inga Buzoka, an all-region first team selection, had 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting and blocked three shots.  Javois finished with 11 points, and Tiffany Davis notched a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists.  Missouri Western scored 23 points off 16 Yellowjacket turnovers and outscored the Jackets 48-24 in the paint.

“They were a very physical team, a lot bigger than we are used to playing,” said Lieber following her last game in a Yellowjacket uniform.  “It was great for Jennifer (Skrifvars) and I to come here together.  It was our goal to win the Heartland Conference Tournament and make the NCAA Tournament, and we did that.  It feels good.”

NCAA South Central Region First Round
#3 Washburn 74, #6 Angelo State 54
#2 West Texas A&M 87, #7 Northwest Missouri State 72
#4 Texas A&M-Commerce 81, #5 Emporia State 77
#1 Missouri Western State 80, #8 Montana State-Billings 59

NCAA South Central Region Semifinals
#3 Washburn vs. #2 West Texas A&M, 6 p.m. CST
#4 Texas A&M-Commerce vs. #1 Missouri Western State, 8 p.m. CST