Lady Jackets Tabbed as Heartland Favorites (11/3/05)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings women’s basketball team has been picked to win the Heartland Conference championship in a poll of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.  The Yellowjackets, who will be playing their first season in the Heartland, edged second place Incarnate Word (TX) by four points in the balloting.

The Lady Jackets were 21-7 last season as an independent.  They qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in a span of 12 years, losing out to eventual national runner up Seattle Pacific in the NCAA West Regional.

MSU Billings received 40 points in the poll, beating out Incarnate Word’s 36 points for the top spot.  Oklahoma Panhandle State and St. Edward’s (TX) were third and fourth with 33 and 30 points respectively.  The bottom three teams in the poll were St. Mary’s (TX) with 29 points, Lincoln (MO) with 18 points, and Western New Mexico with 10.

Senior Tanya Petersen (Billings, MT) and junior Michelle Lieber (Gillette, WY) were named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.  Petersen has been the Lady Jackets’ leading scorer for the past two seasons, averaging 15 points a game each year.  Lieber, who transferred from the University of Wyoming after her freshman season, averaged 8.9 points and 8.1 rebounds a game last year as a sophomore.

The Yellowjackets play a preseason exhibition game at Montana State-Bozeman on November 7.  They open the regular season on November 18 and 19 when they host the Holiday Inn/Chinook Wireless Yellowjacket Classic.

Heartland Conference Preseason Poll
1. Montana State-Billings – 40
2. Incarnate Word – 36
3. Oklahoma Panhandle State – 33
4. St. Edward’s – 30
5. St. Mary’s – 29
6. Lincoln – 18
7. Western New Mexico – 10

Preseason All-Conference Team
Leah Foster – St. Edward’s (Senior, G)
Brandi Lewis – Panhandle State (Senior, G)
Michelle Lieber – MSU Billings (Junior, F)
Tanya Petersen – MSU-Billigns (Senior, F)
Erika Pink – Incarnate Word (Senior, F)