The Retort

Yellowjackets Bully Bulldogs in Exhibition Play, 88-58

November 20th, 2009 by MSUB Athletics For The Retort

A dominant first half performance for the Montana State Billings women’s basketball squad set the tone for a 30 point victory over visiting Montana Western in an exhibition game on November 6 at Alterowitz Gymanasium.

“Overall I thought we did a nice job tonight, but we know that we need to keep working hard in practice to improve,” said head coach Kevin Woodin. “I was pleased with our teamwork and intensity in the first half and the way we battled on the boards. Our defensive communication was solid and we had a lot people that contributed. Our balance was critical to our success and I liked the way our players shared the basketball.”

MSUB had five players in double figures, led by sophomore Callie Kautzmann. Kautzmann recorded 17 points to lead all scorers and collected five rebounds with four assists and two steals in the win. Fellow sophomore, Kalli Stanhope, recorded 16 points with two assists, as junior Sarah McNamee dropped in 13 points with three steals. Senior Shantell Marquis and freshman Ashley Reed both tallied 10 points while Reed collected eight boards.

The Yellowjackets commanded the first half as they took control with 14:33 remaining, scoring 13 unanswered points to extend the lead to 26-7 with 8:18 left in the half. The defense would surrender just 12 more points in the half, holding the Bulldogs to 34.6 percent shooting in the half and just 19 points.

On the offensive side of the ball, MSUB shot 18-of-31, 58.1 percent, in the first half and went 7-of-15 from behind the arc. The Yellowjackets turned the ball over just seven times in the half and led by 28 at the break, 47-19.

The Bulldogs played a much better second half, shooting 51.6 percent (16-31) from the field and scoring 39 points in the half. UMW got as close as 27 with 15:49 remaining after a tip-in by Laura Geis, who had six points and four boards.

The Yellowjackets slowly extended the lead to its largest margin of the game, 36 points, with 12:48 remaining in the game when Stanhope knocked down one of her four treys in the game. MSUB held on to the lead as time ran out, claiming the 30 point victory. For the game, MSUB shot 50.8 percent, 31-for-61, from the field, including 11 three-pointers and 15-of-22 (68.2 percent) from the charity stripe. MSUB out-rebounded the bulldogs 37-30 and forced 25 turnovers while turning the ball over 17 times.

The Yellowjackets scored 32 points in the paint and scored 39 points off of Bulldog turnovers, the MSUB bench outscored their opponent 32-11 during the game. The Yellowjackets stole the ball 14 times and dished out 22 assists while getting one block from freshman Kylee Denham.

The Bulldogs were led by Nicole Tams and Kristen Luedtke who combined for 27 points six boards and five assists. Alecia Wilson led the team in assists with six, while Geis had six points and three steals. UMW shot 43.9 percent from the field (25-of-57) and was 77.8 percent from the line (7-of-9).

The Yellowjackets concluded pre-season play on November 10, when they took on and beat cross-town rival, Rocky Mountain College, on the Rocky campus. MSUB began the regular season with a home contest against Colorado-Colorado Springs on Sunday, November 15.