January 5, 2008

Lady Jackets Post GNAC Win Over Nanooks
   Box Score
   MSUB Season Stats

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Montana State-Billings women’s basketball team snapped a four-game losing streak posting a 60-51 over the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Saturday night at the Patty Center.  The Great Northwest Athletic Conference win is the first for the Lady Jackets who are newcomers to the league this season.  The Jackets are 3-7 overall and 1-1 in conference play.  The Nanooks fall to 7-3 and 0-2 in the league.

The Nanooks jumped out to a quick start over the Lady Yellowjackets, leading by six with 4:08 to play.  Back-to-back free throws by Alira Carpenter (Lewistown) brought UAF within four, and with less than three minutes left on the clock, Kayla McPherson (Glendive) hit a pair of free throws and a duo of three-pointers to catapult the Jackets into the lead.  MSUB held a 27-24 edge at the buzzer.

UAF came out of the gate on fire in the second half retaking the lead by five at the 14-minute mark, but four Yellowjacket 3-pointers in a span of 2:15 put the Jackets up by nine giving them a lead they would never relinquish.  MSUB went on an 18-0 run midway through the half icing the important conference win by nine as time expired.

Carpenter led all scorers netting 27 points on 10-of-23 shooting from the floor.  Carpenter hit three 3-pointers, all coming in the second half, and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.  McPherson tallied 13 points off 4-of-8 shooting.  Draining three very timely three-pointers for the Jackets in the game, McPherson increased her career 3-point total to 98 ranking her in the top ten in Yellowjacket history.  Dani Henderson (Reed Point) posted a solid showing for the Jackets chipping in 11 points.  Henderson also had five rebounds in the game.

As a team the Yellowjackets shot 23-of-61 from the floor for 38 percent and connected on just 6-of-22 from behind the arc for 37 percent.  The team was 8-of-11 from the line and outrebounded the Nanooks 40-37

The Nooks had three players score in double figures and were led by Cristina Bruketta’s 12 points.  Bruketta knocked down a game-high four 3-pointers.  Joscelyn Shumate and Sheena Brown each contributed 11 points.

UAF shot 34 percent from the floor going 18-of-53, while going 6-of-17 from the perimeter for 35 percent.  The team was a hot 82 percent from the charity stripe going 9-of-11.

The Lady Jackets return to Alterowitz Gym January 10th and 12th to defend home court against Great Northwest Athletic opponents Central Washington University and Western Washington University.  Both Thursday and Saturday’s games are doubleheaders preceding the Yellowjacket men.  Tip off is slated for 5:30 p.m.  Live stats, live video streaming, and a free internet broadcast can be accessed online.