Boxscore
BILLINGS, Mont. – The Northwest Nazarene University women's basketball team fell 58-53 tonight at Montana State University Billings in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game at Alterowitz Gymnasium in Billings.
The Crusaders (9-5, 3-3 GNAC), who trailed 20-33 at halftime and by as many as 16 early in the second half, cut the lead to 11 at 42-53 with 2:43 remaining. Four points from
Megan Hingston, a bucket by
Briaunna King and a three-pointer by
Chelsie Luke later, the Crusaders were within two at 51-53 with 36-seconds to play.
Trading free-throws with the Yellowjackets to trail 53-55, MSUB's Bobbi Knudsen went one-of-two from the line and the Crusaders had the ball with a chance to tie with 23-seconds left. Luke fired off a three-pointer with 16-seconds to play but missed the mark and Hingston's follow fell just short.
Knudsen would seal the home-court victory for MSUB with a pair of free-throws with 10 ticks remaining.
Hingston led the Crusaders with a monster double-double of 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. King also scored 14 and had six rebounds as NNU edged the 'Jackets 46-44 on the glass. Also in double-figures for NNU were Luke with 11 and Alla Dzhidzhiyeshlvili with 10.
MSUB (12-6, 4-3 GNAC) was paced by Knudsen and Quinn Peoples who each scored 16. Kalli Stanhope added 10 and Janiel Olson pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds and scored seven.
NNU shot just 29-percent (18-62) from the floor and were only 2-of-13 from the three-point line.
“We dug ourselves a hole in the first half with poor shooting,” commented NNU head coach
Kelli Lindley. “But the ladies did a great job of fighting back in the second half. It's a tough battle with our guards being so lean, playing without Monica (Garcia) or Fish (
Falissa Smith).”
Both Garcia and Smith are currently out with knee injuries.
The Yellowjacket shot 33.9-percent (21-62) from the field and were 7-of-24 (29.2-percent) from the three-point line.
NNU will travel to Seattle Pacific on Saturday afternoon with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m. PST.
