The Basics

• Final score: Western Oregon 48, Montana State Billings 65
• Records: WOU 4-20, 3-13 GNAC; MSUB 16-7,12-3 GNAC
• The Yellowjackets improved to 21-6 in the all-time series.
• Location: Billings, Mont. – Alterowitz Gymnasium

 
How It Happened
The Wolves were unable to get the ball rolling in the first quarter as Ali Nelke hit a layup and Jasmine Miller put up a three-pointer for the team's only buckets of the period. As a result, Western Oregon trailed 15-5 going into the next quarter.
 
In the second quarter, Western Oregon improved on the offensive end by scoring 15 points during the period with the first two layups coming from Emily Howey, but the Yellowjackets went on an early 7-0 run and finished the half with a 14-point lead.
 
The Wolves fought to cut down the Yellowjackets' lead in the second half, despite the fact that Billings' Marissa Van Atta finished nine of her 13 points in the third quarter. Western Oregon came within nine points after Michelle Bromagem's three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Immediately after, the Yellowjackets went on another seven-point run.
 
Jordan Mottershaw's shot from behind the arc with two minutes left would be the Wolves' final bucket of the game as Billings scored five more points to finish off the victory.
 
Wolves' Top Performers

• Emily Howey knocked down 12 points, going 5-for-8 from the field. She also had three rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
• Jasmine Miller led the Wolves with eight rebounds. Miller also recorded eight points, hitting both of her three-point attempts, and had one steal.
• Ali Nelke contributed on the boards with five rebounds, while also totaling four points and two assists.
• Sydney Azorr, Jordan Mottershaw, and Kelsey Henry each had five points for the night.

 
For the Yellowjackets

• Alisha Breen led the Yellowjackets with 18 points. She added seven rebounds and one steal.
• Marissa Van Atta hit 13 points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
• Janiel Olson led all rebounders with nine boards, while tallying 12 points, one assist, and one steal.

 
Stats of the Game

• The Wolves finished with a 36.4 field goal percentage, while the Yellowjackets went 35.5 percent from the field.
• The Yellowjackets went 16-for-19 from the free throw line, whereas the Wolves got to the line seven times and made two of them.
• Montana State Billings slightly hit more points in the paint with 22, but the Wolves finished close behind with 20.
• Western Oregon recorded 14 offensive and 22 defensive rebounds, and Montana State Billings had 18 offensive and 24 defensive boards.
• The Wolves allowed 15 turnovers, while the Yellowjackets allowed seven.

 
Coach Quotes
WOU head coach Holli Howard-Carpenter after the loss:

• "Billings is a tough team, and they did a great job of exposing our matchups tonight."
• "Despite the first quarter, we played them fairly even and did a good job fighting to cut their lead to nine in the fourth. We shot the ball well from three but just didn't get to the foul line, and that was the difference."
• "At the half, we set some specific goals in terms of offensive rebounds and turnovers, and we hit those marks, so I'm happy with our commitment to get that done."
• "Emily Howey had another solid night for us, and Jasmine Miller stepped up, especially in the second half."

 
Up Next
The Wolves will remain on the road next week as they travel to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, February 18, and to Central Washington on Saturday, February 20.