GNAC champs: MSU Billings women cap darkhorse run with conference crown

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Montana State Billings came into the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament as the lowest seed among the field.

But the Yellowjackets are leaving as league champs.

Freshman Cassie Chesnut scored 21 points and Kaitlyn Grossman, the team's lone senior, had 13 points and eight rebounds as sixth-seeded MSUB hung on to beat No. 1 Western Washington 66-61 on Saturday to claim the GNAC tournament crown at Sam Carver Gymnasium. The Yellowjackets (20-14) pulled three upsets in three days to win the title, the program's second GNAC championship under longtime coach Kevin Woodin.

"I'm really proud. This is a tremendous win. I'm going to tear up," an emotional Woodin said after the game. "So impressed with our team and coaches. Worked so hard. This season was a grind. We were really young and had injuries, et cetera, but they came together."

A 10-0 run in the third quarter sparked the Yellowjackets and ultimately provided enough cushion. With the game tied 32-32 with 8:22 left in the frame, Kyla Momberg made a layup to put MSUB ahead. That was followed by a Chesnut layup off a Momberg steal and two free throws by Grossman.

Chesnut scored again off a WWU turnover to make it 40-32 in favor of the Yellowjackets at the 5:23 mark of the third, and then Tailey Harris made a jumper to make it a 10-point lead at the 4:58 mark.

The Jackets outscored the Vikings 21-10 in the third and led 51-40 going into the final period.

WWU, though, made a surge early in the fourth, as Demi Dykstra scored nine consecutive points in a two minute span to pull within 51-49 with 7:38 remaining. Former Montana Lady Griz player Libby Stump also had a hand in the Vikings resurgence with three fourth-quarter 3s.

Olivia Hodges cut WWU's deficit to one point — 62-61 — with a bucket with 3:38 left, but that was as close as the Vikings got. MSUB sealed the win in the waning moments as Momberg hit four free throws in the final 35 seconds.

Chesnut, the GNAC freshman of the year, fouled out in the fourth quarter but MSUB hung on. Chesnut was later named GNAC tournament MVP, the first freshman to earn the honor. Grossman and Rae Smart were also named to the all-tournament team.

"I don't think I would have guessed this in September," said Grossman, a Billings West High School alum. "I couldn't be happier."

"We came in here as the sixth seed and were just playing it day by day," Chesnut added. "When there were two seconds on the clock and we were up five, I knew we were going to win. It was the best feeling ever."

The win marked MSU Billings' first GNAC championship since 2018, and also clinched an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II West Region tournament. It was also the Jackets' first victory over Western Washington at the conference tournament in 10 years, and was the third meeting in the title game between the teams in the past four seasons.

Harris added eight points and a team-best nine rebounds for MSUB. Smart finished with 10 points while Momberg had eight points of her own. The Yellowjackets shot 41.7% from the floor (25 of 60).

Stump led WWU in scoring with 17 points and made five 3s, while Dykstra contributed 13 points and seven assists. Hodges had a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds. But the Vikings struggled from the field (30.6%).

It was a whirlwind three days for MSU Billings. The Yellowjackets upset No. 3 seed Saint Martin's 69-61 in the quarterfinal round on Thursday and knocked off No. 2 Central Washington 79-74 in the semifinals on Friday before taking down the top seed in the title game on Saturday.

GNAC all-tournament team

Cassie Chesnut, Montana State Billings (MVP)
Kaitlin Grossman, Montana State Billings
Rae Smart, Montana State Billings
Olivia Hodges, Western Washington
Libby Stump, Western Washington
Danyell Booker, Western Oregon