Yellowjackets Host Great Falls Thursday Night (February 5, 2003)
BILLINGS, MT – Has anyone
checked the nets recently at Alterowitz Gymnasium?
If not, it might be a good idea to do it before
seven o’clock Thursday night. That’s tip-off time
for what promises to be a high-scoring affair
between MSU Billings (10-6) and the University of
Great Falls (6-17).
The Yellowjackets are coming of
a school-record 146-73 win over Western New Mexico
last Saturday. Willy Davison scored a career-high 30
points and dished out 11 assists en route to PacWest
Player of the Week honors as the Jackets broke the
school’s single-game scoring record of 141, set
seven years earlier to the day.
In the last four games,
MSU Billings has scored 98, 86, 109 and 146
respectively. That offensive resurgence has lifted
the Jackets to No. 8 in Division II for scoring at
88.1 points per game. And for the first time since
losing starting guards Jerett Skrifvars and Dave Carse, the Yellowjackets seem to be
growing comfortable playing together in the Jackets
high-tempo system.
Even assistant coach Brent Montague, who was a member of one
of the Yellowjackets’ most prolific scoring teams in
1996-97, called Saturday’s performance “old-school”
for its 40 minutes of baseline-to-baseline energy.
“That’s the way we used to run it. Forty minutes of
wall-to-wall.”
The fact that the
Yellowjackets’ offense seems to be hitting high gear
doesn’t bode well for the Argonauts. In their last
four games, they have given up 108, 101, 106 and 98,
and they are allowing opponents to score at an
84-points per game pace. On paper at least, the
game shapes up to be another track meet. But don’t
count out the Argos’ offense. Last year, a
much-overmatched UGF team entered Alterowitz and
threw caution to the wind in a 126-101 loss. The
Argos fired up 20 3-point attempts in that game,
connecting on 11.
If Great Falls is to stay close
in Thursday’s game, they will likely again need a
strong offensive performance. To do that, the Argos
will rely on five players who are averaging
double-figures scoring. Danny Ball, a junior guard
from Evanston, Wyoming, is averaging 17 points per
game and has made 42 three-pointers this season to
lead Great Falls in both categories. As a team, the
Argos make 5.6 three-pointers per game.
The Yellowjackets have had
their own success from behind the arc in recent
games. They are connecting on 10.0 three-pointers a
game, ranking them fifth in the nation for
three-pointers made per game. Freshman guard Cameron Munoz is currently 27th in the nation at 3.0 three-pointers made per game
and is averaging 11.4 points per game.
Senior Dan Thompson leads the Yellowjackets in
scoring at 16.8 points per game. He has been
particularly impressive as of late, averaging 24.7
points per game over the last six games.
Senior Kyle Stirmlinger and junior Justin Hassell are each averaging 13
points per game. Hassell made 10-of-11 field goal
attempts for a season-high 26 points in Saturday’s
win. Stirmlinger leads the team in rebounds (6.6
per game) and blocked shots (1.4 per game), and is
second in the PacWest for field goal percentage at
62.1 percent.
Thursday’s game will be
broadcast live on News Radio AM 970 KBUL and on the
internet at www.msubillings.edu/athletics. |
