The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team would post one of it's biggest victories of the season Tuesday night, sprinting past Rocky Mountain College for a 73-45 victory in Rimrock Rivalry action.
In the first of two meetings this season between the two crosstown rivals, it would be all Yellowjackets (4-5) at Alterowitz Gym, with the hosts collecting a commanding victory over the Battlin' Bears (3-1). MSUB would dominate the rebounding battle, out totaling Rocky 46-27 in total on the night, while the 'Jackets stifling defense would hold the visitors to just 27.7% (13-47) shooting from the field.
"This was a good game for us," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "I thought we carried great intensity tonight, and shared the ball well. We're a well led team, and our young players keep learning more and more about each other. And we were great on the boards all night. We've been a little up-and-down this year, but we've played better at home, so it was nice to keep building momentum and pick up a nice win at home."
Offensively, MSUB would shooting just 38.7% in the game, but a third quarter offensive slump would drag down the overall number on a night where the 'Jackets shot no worse than 43% in any other quarter. Meanwhile, MSUB would hit eight threes in the game, while going an impressive 17-19 (89.5%) from the free throw line.
12 different Yellowjacket players would score in the game. Kyla Momberg would lead the way with 14, shooting 5-9 and adding three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. Rae Smart would post nine points with six rebounds and three assists, while the trio of Allison Kunze, Kaitlin Grossman, and Cassie Chesnut would each score eight. Chesnut would snag a team-best eight rebounds with two steals and an assist, while Grossman would grab six boards with a pair of assists and steals, and Kunze would finish with four rebounds and an assist. Katelyn Hamilton would score six with a pair of three-pointers, while Lauren Kuhbacher scored five points with three rebounds. Tailey Harris would score four points with five rebounds and a block, while Brooklynn Brennan would also total four points while collecting three assists and two rebounds. Rounding out the scoring, Indie Browning would total three points, while Avery Burkhard and Alli Ligocki would each score two. Ligocki would also finish with two rebounds, assists, and steals each.
"I thought we shared the ball well tonight," said Woodin. "This was one of our better nights with assists. We've had a few single-digit games this year, so it's nice to see us pick up more as we pass better and people start to make more shots."
MSUB would find early success from both the free throws line making four straight to open the game, setting the tone for a team looking to attack the paint on the Battlin' Bears. MSUB would finish the first 11-33 from the line, and would take advantage of Rocky's early foul trouble to dominate on the boards, outrebounding Rocky 12-4 overall and 6-0 in offensive rebounds. Add in a successful start from the field where they shot 42.9% (6-14), and it MSUB would be able to build up a 23-14 advantage heading into the second quarter. The Yellowjackets would keep that momentum going as the second quarter commenced, making 53.8% (7-13) of their looks and four three-pointers as the hosts would outscore the Battlin' Bears 20-10 over the period, and take a commanding 43-24 lead into halftime.
The third quarter would see the Battlin' Bears respond to MSUB's first half offensive onslaught, adjusting on the defensive end to slow down the Yellowjacket's offense. But while MSUB's offense would slow down, they would remain tough on the defense end, letting Rocky make up little ground in their search for a comeback. Then after struggling to put the ball in the hole in the third, MSUB would turn things around in the fourth quarter, scoring 18 points down the stretch on 47.1 (8-17) shooting, while holding the Battlin' Bears to just a single made field goal attempt in the final ten minutes, going 1-11 (9.1%) from the field as MSUB would sprint away with the win.
THE BUZZ: Momberg was named the Intermountain Health Player of the Game… the Yellowjackets have now won their last seven matchups against the Battlin' Bears in Rimrock Rivalry action.
UP NEXT: Following the Thanksgiving break, MSUB will kick off conference play in it's next matchup, squaring off against Western Washington University at Alterowitz Gym on Wednesday, November 3 at 7 PM. Live video will be available on the GNAC Network, while live statistics will be available here. Tickets for all MSUB home games are available for purchase online here.
