No. 1 Humboldt State Hands Yellowjackets First Loss of Season (Dec. 13, 2003) 
Box Score

ARCATA, CA – Despite five players scoring in double figures Saturday night, the MSU Billings men’s basketball team was handed its first loss of the season, 104-76, by top-ranked Humboldt State.  The Lumberjacks built a 20-point halftime lead and out-shot the Yellowjackets 62-percent to 33-percent in the game to improve to 7-1.  The Jackets dropped to 3-1 after their first road game of the season.

MSU Billings shot just 30-percent from the field in the first half with seven of their nine first-half field goals coming from 3-point range.  Humboldt State built a 53-33 lead by intermission and coasted to the 28-point victory.  All-Americans Austin Nichols and Fred Hooks scored 21 and 14 respectively for the Lumberjacks while Kejuan Johnson and Trey Shannon added 17 apiece.  Bozeman, Mont., native Mark White handed out a game-high nine assists to go with seven points.

The Yellowjackets were led by Alex Galloway’s season-high 17 points, including a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line.  Buddy Windy Boy was 5-of-10 from the field, all 3-pointers, and finished with 16 points. 

Jerett Skrifvars, the Yellowjackets’ leading scorer for the season, was held to about half of his season average, finishing with a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.  Trae Fortier added 13 points and five boards, and Cameron Munoz finished with a dozen points, all coming from behind the arc.  The sophomore guard is averaging 4.3 3-pointers a game through the first four games and is connecting on 55-percent of his attempts.

The Lumberjacks made twice as many field goal attempts as the Yellowjackets, 38-19.  MSUB finished with a season-high 15 3-pointers while lofting up 34 attempts from long range, also a season-high. 

The Yellowjackets will continue their two-game West Region road swing on Tuesday at Western Oregon.  The Wolves are 6-2 after a loss last week at BYU-Provo.  Western Oregon was picked to finish second in the GNAC behind Humboldt State.  The Jackets will face the same two teams at home after Christmas.  Humboldt will visit Billings on December 29 while Western Oregon will play at Alterowitz on January 3.