Boxscore

NAMPA, Idaho - The Northwest Nazarene University women's basketball team outscored Montana State Billings 10-1 in overtime on Thursday night to claim a 73-64 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory over the Yellowjackets in a battle of NCAA West Region ranked teams at the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa. 

 

The Crusaders entered the contest ranked eighth in the NCAA West Region, while the Yellowjackets were just in front of NNU in the poll's seventh position.

 

Scoring the final four points of regulation to force the overtime, the Crusaders carried the momentum over into overtime with four straight to open a 67-63 lead with 3:37 left in the five-minute extra period. 

 

Shantell Marquis hit on one-of-two free throws for the 'Jackets to close MSUB to within three at 67-64, but it would be the final points of the night for the visitors, who now sit at 11-7 overall and 3-4 in GNAC action. 

 

The Crusaders, who were led by Jennifer Williams season-best performance of 17 points and 10 rebounds, improve to 12-6 overall and 5-2 in conference play.  Janee Olds and Mallory Whipple each scored 14, with Whipple adding four assists and tying the NNU single-game steal record with eight takeaways in the contest.

 

Kristin Hein led NNU on the glass with 12 and enabled the Crusaders to out-rebound MSUB 42-40, despite the 21 point, 13 rebound effort of MSUB's Kayla Ryan.  Alira Carpenter added 18 for the 'Jackets.

 

Trailing 63-59 with only 38 second left to play in regulation, Whipple forced a steal away from Marquis and was then fouled by Carpenter.  After Whipple converted on both free throws to pull NNU to within two at 63-61, Lindsay's Brady sent Marquis to the free throw line for MSUB.  Marquis missed the front-end of the one-and-one opportunity and Falissa Smith grabbed the rebound. 

 

The 5-6 redshirt freshman guard would then grab yet another rebound with five-seconds off Brady's missed jumper and the offensive put-back tied the game at 63-63 with five seconds to play.  A Crusader deflection in the backcourt denied the Yellowjackets a game-winning shot and forced the overtime session.

 

Smith finished with two points and three rebounds, the game-tying bucket and the two most important rebounds of the night.

 

NNU finished at 40-percent (28-70) from the floor, including a three-of-six tally in the overtime, and hit on 85.7-percent (12-14) from the foul line.  MSUB was even with the Crusaders from the floor at 39.3-percent (24-61), but went zero-for-five in the overtime.

 

Whipple's eight steals helped the Crusaders to 21 total steals, accounting for two-thirds of the 30 Yellowjacket turnovers.  Whipple ties the record held by Mary Kessel ('93-'94) and Alysson Kollmann ('02-'03).

 

The Crusaders will return to action next Thursday night when they travel to Western Washington University for a 7:00 p.m. PT tip-off against the Vikings in Bellingham.