Yellowjackets Host Western Oregon Saturday Afternoon (Jan. 2, 2004)

BILLINGS, MT – In a rare afternoon contest, MSU Billings will play host to Western Oregon in men’s basketball West Region action on Saturday.  Tip off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Alterowitz Gymnasium.  Originally scheduled for the customary 7:00 p.m. start, the game was moved to the afternoon to accommodate Western Oregon’s travel plans.

The Wolves will be the second Great Northwest Athletic Conference team to visit Alterowitz this week.  The Yellowjackets knocked off second-ranked Humboldt State, 79-78, Monday night to improve to 5-2.  MSU Billings made fourteen 3-pointers against the Lumberjacks and is averaging twelve threes a game this season. 

MSUB’s only two losses came on the road to Humboldt State and Western Oregon.  After avenging the loss to Humboldt on Monday, the Yellowjackets will look to improve their West Region record to 3-2 on Saturday against the Wolves.  Western Oregon defeated MSU Billings 94-88 in Monmouth on December 16.  The Jackets’ Trae Fortier scored 35 in that loss and is averaging 19.7 points per game. 

The Wolves are 8-2 overall after wins against Southern Oregon and Florida Southern earlier this week.  Western Oregon, which is 2-0 in the GNAC, was picked second in the conference behind Humboldt State.  The Wolves feature two of the GNAC’s most explosive offensive players in Robert Day and Sean Kelly.  In the first meeting between MSUB and WOU, Day had a triple-double and Kelly scored 35 points.  Each averages over 20 points per game.