By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Senior all-conference forward Kaitlin Grossman propelled her team to victory with one of her finest performances on Thursday afternoon at Sam Carver Gym, leading No. 6 Montana State Billings to a 69-61 upset of No. 3 Saint Martin’s in the opening game of the 2026 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championships.
 
Grossman prolonged her collegiate career and approached triple-double territory, finishing with 17 points, a career-high eight assists and nine rebounds. The Billings native made 7 of 12 shots and added three steals and a block. GNAC Freshman of the Year Cassie Chesnut chipped in a team-high 20 points and nine rebounds, and freshman Rae Smart produced a monster stat line with 14 points and 13 boards to help fuel the win.
 
Montana State Billings shot 44.8% (26-for-58) in the game, made 14 of 16 free throws (87.5%) and out-rebounded the Saints 40-31. SMU by comparison shot 34.4% (22-for-64) and made 13 of 16 free throws (81.3%). Neither team shot well from long distance, with MSUB going 3-for-16 (18.8%) and SMU going 4-for-20 (20.0%). The Yellowjackets won despite committing 15 turnovers, while the Saints generally protected the ball well with just nine giveaways.
 
The Yellowjackets improved to 18-14 on the season with the win and earned a semifinal matchup against No. 2 seed Central Washington (23-5) set for Friday at noon (Pacific).
 
The Saints’ season came to an end with a record of 18-10. GNAC Defensive Player of the Year Avery Oaster led all players with 22 points and completed her eighth double-double of the season with 12 rebounds. Kiana Rios added 19 points and six rebounds, but no other SMU player had more than seven points in the defeat. Second-team all-GNAC guard Jada Travis led the team with seven assists, but was held scoreless by the Yellowjacket defense.
 
The Saints scored the first bucket of the game on their first possession but went on a dry spell that lasted for the next 5:34 minutes of play. A three-point play by Oaster brought the score line to 6-5 in favor of the Yellowjackets with 3:39 to go in the opening quarter. Grossman had eight points in the first quarter, boosting the Yellowjackets to a 14-11 advantage after the opening 10 minutes of play.
 
The teams started a combined 0-for-7 from 3-point range, before the Saints’ Harper Wagner made the first of the game to even the score at 16-16 three minutes into the second quarter. MSUB’s Tailey Harris responded with a four-point play, connecting for her team’s first triple on the other end. Grossman followed with her fifth field goal of the afternoon, pushing the ‘Jackets back in front 22-16.
 
The Yellowjackets dominated the glass in the first half at 23-12, and made 15 of 30 shots (50.0%) compared to a 10-for-32 line (31.1%) for the Saints. MSUB went into the locker room with a 38-25 halftime advantage.
 
Rios, an honorable mention all-conference selection, was limited to just seven minutes in the opening half after picking up a pair of early fouls. She came through with her first three of the game midway through the third quarter, helping cut the deficit to 44-35. Rios followed with six quick points to open the fourth quarter, the third bucket coming on an offensive board and giving the Saints their first lead since the score was 2-0 at 54-53.
 
Chesnut helped the Yellowjackets respond immediately to giving up the lead however, connecting on consecutive buckets to spark a 6-0 run and give her team the lead back at 64-59. MSUB never relinquished the advantage after that, as Grossman and Chesnut combined to go 5-for-6 from the free-throw line in the closing minute to ice the victory.
 
Smart’s double-double was her second of the season, with her 14 rebounds being her second-highest total of the year. Harris finished with nine points and six assists, and eight different Yellowjackets scored points in the game. Grossman’s double-double was her fourth of the year.
 
GAME NOTES: The Yellowjackets improved to 2-1 all-time at the GNAC Championships against the Saints…SMU won the two regular-season games between the teams…MSUB is making its 12th appearance at the conference tournament and improved its all-time record to 10-10…the Yellowjackets have won the event one time, with their trophy coming in 2018…the Saints made their sixth appearance at the conference tournament and moved to 4-6 all-time.
 
NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS: The Saints entered the tournament ranked 10th in the latest NCAA regional rankings. The top-eight teams in the final rankings, which are announced on Sunday, will earn spots in next week’s NCAA West Region Championships hosted by the No. 1 overall seed.