Lady Yellowjackets’ Rally Falls Short at Nova
Southeastern (Feb. 4, 2004)
Box Score
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL –
MSU Billings rallied from an eleven point deficit to
take a late second half lead, but Nova Southeastern
countered in the final minutes to down the Lady
Yellowjackets, 59-53, Wednesday night. The loss was
the fourth straight for the Yellowjackets, who at
10-11 overall have slipped below the .500 mark for
the first time since the end of December. Nova won
for the fifth time in the last seven games to
improve to 7-13.
The Yellowjackets opened the
game with a 4-1 lead behind baskets from Jenny Auer
and Robyn Milne. The lead evaporated just four
minutes into the game and the Knights led throughout
the remainder of the half. NSU led by as many as 11
with 8:27 to play in the opening half before the
Yellowjackets rallied to cut the lead to six at the
4:38 mark. The Knights took a seven point lead,
34-27, into halftime.
MSU Billings battled back
slowly, erasing the Knights’ lead midway through the
second half when Tanya Petersen’s layup gave the
Jackets a 43-42 lead with ten minutes to play. It
was the Yellowjackets’ first lead in over 24 minutes
of game time.
A Lisa Jellum basket in the
lane gave the Yellowjackets their biggest lead of
the game, 45-42, with 7:38 remaining. Three
straight free throws from the Knights’ Mechelle
Jones tied the game just a minute later, and NSU
took the lead back on two Marvelo Washington free
throws with 4:51 to play. A 10-4 Knights run
between 4:51 and 1:29 gave Nova a six point lead
that the Jackets couldn’t overcome. MSUB’s last
field goal of the game came on a Milne layup with
1:52 to play.
Milne recorded her thirteenth
double-double of the season with 22 points and 16
rebounds, both game highs. She ranks second in the
nation with a 12.2 rebounds per game average.
Petersen was the only other Yellowjacket in double
figures with 12 points. Jennifer Skrifvars, Sophia
Forney and Jellum each scored four points.
MSU Billings shot just 36 percent from the field and
was 0 of 12 from 3-point range.
Nova had four players in double
figures, led by 14 points apiece form Jessica Pate
and Kiara Wallace. The Knights shot 33 percent from
the field, but were 25 of 30 from the free throw
line to outscore the Jackets by 16.
MSU Billings will play its
final six games of the season at Alterowitz
Gymnasium. The Yellowjackets host Converse College
(SC) on February 13 and 14. During the
season-ending home stand, the Yellowjackets will
host Western New Mexico three times and conclude the
season with Montana State-Northern.
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