Women's Basketball | 2/11/2010 9:34:25 PM

Box Score [Box score]

MONMOUTH, Ore. - The Western Oregon University women's basketball team outscored Montana State Billings 33-24 in both halves to earn a 66-48 victory, Thursday (Feb. 11), at the NPE Building.

The win evened the Wolves' Great Northwest Athletic Conference record at 5-5, as they improved to 10-14 overall. The five conference wins are the most for WOU since the 2003-04 season, when the team also started 5-5 in GNAC play. The loss was the Yellowjackets' sixth in their last eight games, and they fell to 10-10 on the season and to 3-6 in the GNAC.

Katie Torland scored 18 points to lead WOU in scoring for the 18th time in 24 games. Sara Zahler chipped in with 12 points, while point guard Lorrie Clifford added 10. The Wolves also got eight points apiece off the bench from Danielle Bellando and Hannah Whitsett. Sarah McNamee was the only Yellowjacket to score in double-figures, as she poured in 18 points.

The Yellowjackets were the aggressors early in the game and built a 10-point lead (17-7) eight minutes in. MSU Billings still led by eight (19-11) with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half before the Wolves' defense stepped up. WOU held MSUB without a field goal and to just one point over the next 10 minutes, while outscoring the Yellowjackets 16-1, to take a lead which it would never relinquish.

WOU carried a 33-24 lead into halftime and extended its lead by shooting 57-percent in the second half.

"I thought the difference in the game was our defense," said Western Oregon head coach Greg Bruce. "We have been working on it all year, and it is starting to pay off. We were able to hold MSU Billings 18 points below its season scoring average."

The Wolves also used a 12-4 advantage in second chance opportunities and their bench outscored the Yellowjackets' 21-9 to earn the conference win.

"We were able to push them out of their comfort zone," continued Bruce. "We got the game up-temp and got good performances from everybody."

The Wolves struggled at times on the offensive end, where they turned the ball over 23 times, 18 of which were unforced.

"We still have room for growth offensively," Bruce noted. "We had too many turnovers because of our own errors, and the next step for us is to eliminate the unforced errors."

The Seattle Pacific Falcons are up next for the Western Oregon Wolves. The two teams will square off in a GNAC match up Saturday, Feb. 13, at 2:00 p.m.