Lady Yellowjackets Drop Third Straight, Lose at Florida Southern (Feb. 2, 2004)
Box Score

LAKELAND, FL – The MSU Billings women’s basketball team dropped to the .500 mark Monday night with a 66-55 loss at Florida Southern College.  The loss was the third straight for the Yellowjackets, who fell to 10-10 overall for the season.  The Moccasins improved to 14-6 overall and are now 10-1 on their home court.

The Yellowjackets scored just 23 points in the first half while shooting 36 percent from the field.  They were 0 of 8 from 3-point range in the half and just 3 of 15 for the game.  MSU Billings trailed by as many as 24 in the opening half before trimming the Moccasins’ lead to 16 by halftime at 39-23.  Jennifer Skrifvars scored five points in a 9-2 Yellowjacket run near the end of the half to close the gap.

The Moccasins extended their lead back to 20 points by the 16:30 mark of the second half, but the Yellowjackets cut the lead to 50-39 at 11:31 behind two of Jenny Langford’s three 3-pointers in the game.  Two free throws apiece from Lisa Jellum and Jenny Auer sandwiched around a Langford jumper drew the Yellowjackets to within five points with 5:57 to play.  That was as close as MSUB would get, however, as the Jackets managed just five points in the final five minutes of the game.

Yellowjacket post players Robyn Milne and Tanya Petersen had solid games with each recording a double-double.  Milne finished with 13 points and ten rebounds, and Petersen added a game-high 17 points and 11 boards.  The pair helped keep Florida Southern’s All-America center Lucresia West in check, holding her to 15 points and ten rebounds.  The Mocs’ Brook Kohlheim added 16 points and was 4 of 9 from behind the arc.  The Moccasins entered the game averaging just over three 3-pointers per game, but sank 7 of 15 against the Jackets.

Langford finished with 11 points and three assists for the Yellowjackets, and Skrifvars chipped in six points and three assists.  Cold shooting and turnovers were again the downfall of the the Lady Jackets, who turned the ball over 24 times and shot just 38 percent from the field.  They also made just 16 of 27 free throw attempts (59 percent).

The Yellowjackets will use Tuesday as a travel day before playing at Nova Southeastern on Wednesday.  The Knights enter the game with a 6-13 record, but have won four of their last six including a victory two weeks ago against Florida Southern.  MSU Billings beat Nova last year at the Converse College tournament in South Carolina.  Following the two game set in Florida, the Yellowjackets return home for their final six games of the season.  They will host Converse College for two games on February 13 and 14.