No. 3 Lady Yellowjackets Host Montana Tech Monday (January 19, 2003)

BILLINGS, MT – The Lady Yellowjacket basketball team, ranked No. 3 in the West Region, should be well-rested, if not 100% healthy, when they host Montana Tech on Monday night.  The Jackets (12-3) will have ten days of rest by the time they tip-off with the Orediggers (4-16) at 7:00 p.m. at Alterowtiz Gymnasium.

The challenge for the Lady Jackets will be to find a way to survive without a healthy point guard for the rest of the season.  In what has become an eerily familiar sight, sophomore point guard Kayla Frize tore her anterior cruciate ligament in the January 10 game against Carroll College.  Frize joined Amy Bantz and Lisa Jellum on the list of Yellowjacket point guards with injured ACLs. 

Jellum is lost for the season after rupturing her ACL on December 18 in a game against Western Washington.  Bantz tore her ACL in the first scrimmage of the preseason.  Bantz missed five games, but has returned to play with a knee brace.  Frize is likely lost for the season.  A decision by team doctors will be made in the next week or two on her timeline for surgery.

Ball-handling duties will most likely fall on Bantz and senior guard Jessica Bachmann.  Bantz is averaging just 12.5 minutes per game in ten games, but she may have to log more minutes without Frize on the floor.  Bachmann is second on the team in both scoring and assists at 12.2 points and 2.4 assists per game.

The backbone of the Yellowjackets has been senior forward Natalie Visger.  She leads the team in scoring (16.5 ppg), assists (2.6 apg), and rebounding (9.1 rpg).  The Lady Jackets will need their veteran role players to increase their output down the stretch of the season.

Senior Joan Langford is averaging 8.7 points per game and has made 30 three-pointers.  She also has a team-high 22 steals.  Senior center Jessie Henigman is averaging 6.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.3 blocked shots per game.  Sophomore center Robyn Milne is adding 7.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game.

After Monday’s game, the Yellowjackets have just two home games remaining with eight of their final ten games on the road.  Monday’s game can be heard on News Radio 970.