ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Midwestern State Women's Basketball (0-3) lost to Montana State Billings (1-2), 66-60 Sunday morning at Nichloson Arena. The Mustangs outscored the Yellowjackets 22-14 in the fourth quarter but could not overcome a 35-19 halftime deficit.
After neither team scored for more than two minutes,
Victoria Barrera put the Mustangs ahead with a layup off
Bralyn Peck's assist at 7:27, and Brooklynn Brennan's two free throws tied the score at 2. MSU-B moved in front on Lauren Kuhbacher's second-chance layup and Molly Hays' jumper before
Elina Syniakova's steal and layup brought the Maroon & Gold within 6-4 at 2:54. Cassie Chesnut scored in transition and Alli Ligocki added a jumper as the Yellowjackets stretched the margin, with Hays' layup and Chesnut's free throw making it 13-4 before Syniakova answered on the offensive glass. Kuhbacher hit another jumper and
Caelyn Williams split two free throws in the closing minute, leaving MSU down 15-7 at the end of the quarter.
Caelyn Williams opened the second-quarter scoring with a steal and fast-break layup, but MSU-B answered with baskets by Rae Smart and Cassie Chesnut to move ahead 19-9 at 7:14.
Mallory Jackson scored inside and later added a free throw, and
Elina Syniakova's jumper at 5:19 cut the deficit to 24-14 before Chesnut and Molly Hays helped the Yellowjackets stretch it back to 28-14. After Williams blocked a Chesnut layup,
Bralyn Peck converted a layup and free throw at 2:06, and Barrera added a layup to make it 28-19 with 1:31 left. MSU-B closed the quarter with two free throws from Brooklynn Brennan, two from Lauren Kuhbacher and Kuhbacher's 3-pointer at :06, taking a 35-19 lead into halftime.
After Molly Hays made two free throws for the Yellowjackets at 9:42, the Mustangs worked back with layups from
Payten Conde and
Maiya Wesley and a
Caelyn Williams free throw before Brooklynn Brennan hit a 3-pointer to make it 40-24. Wesley and Peck added second-chance layups around a Rae Smart jumper, but Cassie Chesnut later scored consecutive layups to push MSU-B ahead 46-28. Williams answered with a jumper, and
Elina Syniakova followed her own miss for a layup before adding a free throw to bring the score to 46-33. Layla Baumann made two 3-pointers in the final 1:27, while Conde hit a 3-pointer and two late free throws for the Maroon & Gold as the Yellowjackets carried a 52-38 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Mustangs started the fourth quarter by getting to the rim, with Peck converting a layup and free throw at 9:49 and Conde turning a steal into an assist on
Caelyn Williams' layup at 9:39 to trim the margin to 52-43. MSU-B kept the lead in double figures behind Rae Smart and Cassie Chesnut, but
Calyssa Sevier scored off a steal and Williams hit a jumper off an assist from Wesley to keep MSU within 59-49 at 6:19. The Maroon & Gold then strung together defensive stops, including a Williams block, and
Elina Syniakova's two free throws plus Williams' offensive rebound and putback cut the deficit to 59-53 with 3:06 left. Smart scored inside at 2:07 and Chesnut added a 3-pointer at 1:17 before the Mustangs got late free throws from Wesley, Sevier and Williams, but the Yellowjackets closed out the 66-60 final.
Caelyn Williams scored 13 points, collected eight rebounds and posted two blocks. Syniakova added 11 points and grabbed four rebounds. Conde finished with nine points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals. Sevier tallied three steals and went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line.
Cassie Chesnut scored 21 points and added eight rebounds, four blocks and four steals. Molly Hays finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists while converting all six free throws. Rae Smart added 11 points, four rebounds and three assists. Lauren Kuhbacher scored nine points and recorded two steals.
Up next, the Mustangs host Texas Wesleyan on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 5:30 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum in Wichita Falls, Texas.
